On Mon, 13 Aug 2001 12:50:49 -0400 Duane Chamblee <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Ralph Cohen wrote:
> > Is there another
> > purpose for the MOZILLA_HOME var. or for entries in the INI files?
> > What is it that needs this info - the installer for future upgrading
> > purposes?
>
> Also: to STOP using ENVs for system variables in OS/2 programs. It's
> really elegant when a program that doesn't require a reboot needs one
> because of SET MYVAR=GOOFY is needed in the CONFIG.SYS. arg!
The placement of environmental variables in config.sys is a convenience,
not a *requirement*. [Except for automatically started daemons (such as
for a driver), where it is simpler to provide a "universal" environment
applicable to every session, rather than try to customize the specific
session in which that daemon happens to start.]
I do __not__ place 'SET MYVAR=GOOFY' in my config.sys. Instead, I run
a script (i.e., .cmd file) which first issues the 'SET MYVAR=GOOFY' and
then calls the application (e.g., Mozilla). Those who don't want to
bother with .cmd files have described how to place the 'SET MYVAR=GOOFY'
directly into the *program object* used to call the application. With
either method, by never having 'SET MYVAR' in config.sys, one does
__not__ need to reboot when adding or changing the 'SET MYVAR' value.
>
> AND, by placing this in the user INI, multi user desktops could run the
> same copy of mozilla but EASILY have
If one thinks of config.sys as the OS/2 operator's "user INI" file,
then mention of "multi user desktops" is an expansion that requires
support of *multiple* depositories of settings. Those depositories
could be INI files, or CFG files, or something else. My own reasons
for not favoring INI files:
- INI files are typically poorly documented.
[Why does netscape.ini entry <Application:"Page Setup" Key:"Solid
Lines"> have the value 0x31003000 ? What other values could it
have ? Damifiknow. (In contrast, applications usually *do*
describe the environmental variables that affect them.) ]
- INI files typically require a "front end".
Mozilla at least provides a "preferences" window for changing
settings. But there are other applications where the provider
did *not* create an easy-to-use facility to change settings.
(In contrast, files that supply environmental variable values
can be usually changed with any text editor.)
- INI files need to be "found".
Is the registry.dat (apparently the Win* version of INI) for
Mozilla 0.9 identical to the one for IBM Web Browser (0.6) ?
If not, and if I want to have both installed on my system,
there need to be "pointers" (environmental variable values ?!?)
that will allow each browser to find its appropriate file.
mikus
