Re^2: Unix deficiencies/problems

[Mike Marques]

In article <17410 at mimsy.UUCP> chris at mimsy.UUCP (Chris Torek) writes:
>   Apparently he prefers the sort of behaviour exemplifed by the following
>   posting (taken directly from comp.os.vms/info-vax):
>
>   [article <890424131552.2040069d at UWYO.BITNET>, from jimkirk at OUTLAW.UWYO.EDU]
>   >What pointed this out was my attempt to compile a Fortran program named MP,
>   >when the command "FORT MP" blew up because it could not find MP_8NN.  I can
>   >work around with "FORT MP.FOR", but why is MP system-wide?
>
>   This is why the shells (and the editors---both vi and Emacs [GNU
>   *and* Unipress] expand environment variables in file names) use a
>   bit of syntax to enable variable expansion.  Apparently once someone
>   else has defined `speech' in VMS, you cannot get rid of it.
>   -- 
>   In-Real-Life: Chris Torek, Univ of MD Comp Sci Dept (+1 301 454 7163)
>   Domain:	chris at mimsy.umd.edu	Path:	uunet!mimsy!chris
>

However that someone else has to be a system manager or someone with
similar privileges (you might know this).  Someone's logical names are
put in their own private logical name table.  There are also system
wide logical name tables and group wide name tables, etc.  This is
something I miss on Unix (I do work on both OSs).  Under VMS I can
define TEXINPUTS, for instance, in the system wide logical name table
and when somebody uses tex things will work.  Under UNIX you can't
transparently (I could be wrong) set things up for a user so that he
can do this.  And don't tell me you just have to tell the user about setenv
or whatever, not all users want to know a lot  of details about computers.
Of course Unix was not designed for those users but that's a different
discussion.  I just happen to think the way logical names are handled
under VMS to be more of a benefit than an impairment and would like to see
some similar system under Unix.  And defining SPEECH in the system wide table
is a sign of unthinking system personnel, make it SYS_SPEECH if you must have
it.

								Mike

disclaimer: I never said that.
--
Mike Marques                         | Usenet: ......!utzoo!yunexus!mike 
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