Date: Wed, 28 Apr 1999 09:39:31 -0400 (EDT) From: Chuck Robey <chuckr@picnic.mat.net> To: Andrew Reilly <andrew@lake.com.au> Cc: John Birrell <jb@cimlogic.com.au>, hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Adding desktop support Message-ID: <Pine.BSF.4.10.9904280935210.378-100000@picnic.mat.net> In-Reply-To: <19990428233131.A30171@gurney.reilly.home>
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On Wed, 28 Apr 1999, Andrew Reilly wrote: > On Wed, Apr 28, 1999 at 09:13:02AM -0400, Chuck Robey wrote: > > I like this idea a great deal. I've long wanted some way to attach data > > to programs, so as to add some continuing state. This is a first step. > > I like the idea of adding data to programs, a bit. There were > ways to do this before elf was invented, though. Wrong. The only way to do this before was to either have a separate file structure (a filename that the program knew to look for), or to recompile your application when you wanted to change icons. This method is new in that it lets you add, change, or remove icons without worrying about having source. Applications > already have images and icons in them, that's why the xpm file > format looks like a C declaration. And that is why you needed to recompile your programs to make changes. > > I really, really, don't like the idea of mutable state in an > application (executable). There are reasons that I log in as > me, and use executables owned by root, that I can't modify. > > > If there was a utility, that would allow a user to replace the default > > icon with one of their own choosing (if they care), then that ought to > > eliminate any other problems. If the user complains about the extra > > data space, then they could replace the icon with a null value, right? > > I don't see a downside. > > Everyone who uses a system, who wants to change the icon in an > application has to make their own copy, and put it in their > ~/bin directory? You could have the old, existing system simply by using objcopy to remove that section. Or maybe you object to others having an ability that you don't use, even if it costs you nothing (no disk space, no memory space, nothing)? ----------------------------+----------------------------------------------- Chuck Robey | Interests include any kind of voice or data chuckr@picnic.mat.net | communications topic, C programming, and Unix. 213 Lakeside Drive Apt T-1 | Greenbelt, MD 20770 | I run picnic (FreeBSD-current) (301) 220-2114 | and jaunt (Solaris7). ----------------------------+----------------------------------------------- To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-hackers" in the body of the message
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