Ok enough already about Windows :). Its probably only going to take one large OEM to back Linux on the desktop to cause Windows to start losing share on the desktop market, hasn't happened yet but probably will and then expect the process to accelerate, especially if they make money... Matt On Tue, 18 Feb 2003, Michael Satterwhite wrote:

----- Original Message ----- From: "Rich3800" To: Sent: Tuesday, February 18, 2003 6:12 AM Subject: [SLE] Waste of resources

...

One thing I have noticed about Windows is that it is so wasteful of resources. It keeps all kinds of unnecessary stuff in C:/Temp. Sure, hard drives keep getting bigger, but try moving data to a bigger hard drive under Windows. Hassles...

Legitimate complaint, but possibly aimed at the wrong culprit.

For the most part, data in c:\Temp (which isn't always off the root directory, BTW) can be deleted any time after a reboot. You'd really never try to move it to another drive ... BUT

It's a legitimate complaint because most Windows developers don't clean up after themself. If they put a file that's really temporary on the disk, then it should be deleted when no longer needed. This really isn't a Windows issue, it's a sloppy programmer issue.

Then there are the programmers who put files that *AREN'T* temporary into Temp They're really more of a menace than the former, because you can't be sure what can safely be deleted.

I'd really like to see Windows delete all files still in this directory on boot, but they're not going to do that exactly because it might break apps that leave real files there. It would make people clean up after themselves, though.

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On Tuesday 18 February 2003 10:42 am, Dylan wrote:

On Tuesday 18 February 2003 17:33, Michael Satterwhite wrote: <SNIP>

...

I'd really like to see Windows delete all files still in this directory on boot, but they're not going to do that exactly because it might break apps that leave real files there. It would make people clean up after themselves, though.

Whyso? If a programmer KNOWS the file will disappear anyway, why would he bother cleaning up after himself?

Linux [unix] programmers seem to be as susceptible to this as windows programmers -- "I just checked", and in my /tmp directory I see about a dozen "root owned" files each 23k in size with a timestamp of 2002-10-25, one at 1.4 meg [owned by me] with a timestamp of 2003-02-06 [even though I've rebooted several times -- just *had* to play "A tale in the Desert", which though it has a linux client, "doesn't run well" with SuSE], a file called "winamp" that was created 2002-10-30, several Yast2-<date> DIRECTORIES, a few .xf86conf directories, and some kde-/mcop-/ksocket-<username> directories. True enough, I suppose I could put in a startup script to clear /tmp [runs at runlevel "boot" ;) ] but other than rebooting-to-play-games, I usually leave this system on 24x7 [yes, it has a noisy fan, but it is in a room where I can close the door ;) ] For the most part, what I've found that ends up in "kde-tom" are temp files used by Konquerer [such as when I click on a .rpm link -- it downloads the file and displays an installation screen with the opportunity to "install via yast" -- if I navigate away from this "page", then the /tmp/kde-tom/konquerer<randomname>.rpm file goes away -- that is one case where I wish it would hang around a little longer, because if I return to that "link", it ends up downloading THE SAME file again... [in effect, it didn't get "cached"] -- Yet another Blog: http://osnut.homelinux.net

On Tuesday 18 February 2003 22:13, Michael Satterwhite wrote: <SNIP>

If they know the files would disappear, they wouldn't put "real" files in that directory.

True Dylan -- "Sweet moderation Heart of this nation Desert us not We are between the wars" Billy Bragg