A lot of packages install stuff in the user directory. Mozilla, Gimp, OpenOffice, KDE, GNOME, etc., will all create their own directories under ~/.<foo> and install a shitload of crap. Sometimes, their offer to upgrade from a previous version, and optionally offer to delete cruft from previous versions. Modifying users' directories is something done casually. The only problem is when it's done in unexpected, undocumented and/or unpredictable ways. Creating a well-defined ~/.cache/ hierarchy for such things as erasable caches is a generally good idea, and we should encourage more packages rather than less to do use it. I'm sure you can also invent a configuration file for users to specify their preferences regarding automatic administration of his home. [ François-René ÐVB Rideau | Reflection&Cybernethics | http://fare.tunes.org ] One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn't do. -- Henry Ford On 9/21/05, René van Bevern <rvb@progn.org> wrote:
On 21.09.05, Faré wrote:
Hi Faré,
The only possible downside is having to walk /etc/passwd to locate all the places where to purge the cache, if you wish to do such thing.
No, it is the plain and true evil for package maintainer scripts to delete or modify files in users' home directories. It's the user's personal space and you never know what he uses ~/.cache for. The system should never modify the home directory and I do not know of one single package that does.
René