[Pythonmac-SIG] Re: Per user dirs on Non-Unix platforms (was Re: [Python-Dev] Where to install non-code files) (fwd)

[James Durchenwald]

This is my first post to this list but I think I can shed some light on this.

You should go ahead and change the "global" preference. I believe 
that the OS copies all of the changed configs out of the system 
folder into a user's system folder when they log out. Conversely, 
when the user logs in, the information is copied into the system 
folder.

This is definitely different than the way most multiuser systems 
handle this, but it is backwards compatible to the previous "one 
user" way that Mac philosophy was built upon.

This might take a little experimenting to confirm, but I believe that 
this is the way to handle it.

I think that apple did this to allow multiuser support on machines 
that will not be supported by MacOS X.  This has been a big request 
for a long time from Mac users that will be solved by MacOS X, but 
unfortunately, the machines that this is officially supported on is 
relatively small at the present. (Though reports are that it might 
work on earlier systems such as the 8600/9600 seriese machines 
*crosses fingers*) :)

James


>Hi Jack!
>
>Thank you for your response.  The Mac and the philosphy behind MacOS is
>still an alien world to me (and maybe others also).
>
>>  But note that 99% of the code that uses os.environ['HOME'] uses it to stuff
>>  dot-files in there, or obtain a point to store a mail folder or some such.
>
>Let me try to explain 'some such' as follows:  data which is somewhat
>related to a particular user (e.g. personal preferences: adjustements
>which represent the personal taste of a user).  This data should not
>be lost,
>	1. if a new version of the software package is installed.
>or	2. if another user (e.g. a colleague) uses the computer.
>
>>  And
>>  these things should be done differently on the Mac anyway, so 
>>putting a value
>>  into HOME may do more harm than good.
>
>So let me ask: If differently: *HOW* should this things be done on the Mac? 
>
>On a Unixoid system for example I would use
>	os.path.join(os.environ["HOME"], ".myapplication", "preferences")
>What should an application programmer use on the Mac instead?
>
>Is there nothing else than the global preferences subfolder in the
>systemfolder?  And how to figure the pathname of this one out on a Mac
>running for example the german version of MacOS, where this is called
>"System Ordner"... Is there an API exposed to Python? I'm not aware
>of anything.
>
>Regards, Peter

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