[PATCH] Book: Add caveat about HOME directory

[Eric Hanchrow <of...@blarg.net>]

This was inspired by a real problem: a co-worker somehow had his HOME
variable saying one thing, and /etc/passwd saying something else, and
he couldn't understand why the changes he made to ~/.subversion/config
weren't having any effect.  For what it's worth, he was using Cygwin,
and the Cygwin version of Subversion, not the native Win32 version.

Log message:
* ch07.xml (section 1.1): warn about confusion if HOME and /etc/passwd disagree

Index: ch07.xml
===================================================================
--- ch07.xml	(revision 11185)
+++ ch07.xml	(working copy)
@@ -72,7 +72,23 @@
         command-line client is executed, it creates a per-user
         configuration area.  On Unix-like systems, this area appears
         as a directory named <filename>.subversion</filename> in the
-        user's home directory.  On Win32 systems, Subversion creates a
+        user's home directory.  
+        <footnote>
+          <para>
+            Note that the user's home directory is determined by their
+            entry in the <filename>/etc/passwd</filename> file, or
+            equivalent, and <emphasis>not</emphasis> by the contents
+            of the <literal>HOME</literal> environment variable.
+            Usually the password file and the environment variable
+            refer to the same spot, but occasionally they don't.  So
+            if you're wondering why the changes you've made to
+            <filename>$HOME/.subversion/config</filename> have no
+            effect, check to see if <emphasis>your</emphasis>
+            <literal>HOME</literal> variable refers to the same
+            directory as the password database.
+          </para>
+        </footnote>
+        On Win32 systems, Subversion creates a
         folder named <filename>Subversion</filename>, typically inside
         the <filename>Application Data</filename> area of the user's
         profile directory (which, by the way, is usually a hidden

-- 
A novice of the temple once approached the Master Programmer with a question.
"Master, does Emacs have the Buddha nature?" the novice asked.
The Master Programmer had been in the temple for many years and
could be relied upon to know these things.  He thought for
several minutes before replying.  "I don't see why not.  It's
bloody well got everything else."


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Re: [PATCH] Book: Add caveat about HOME directory

[Greg Hudson <gh...@MIT.EDU>]

On Thu, 2004-10-07 at 00:58, Michael W Thelen wrote:
> Greg Hudson wrote:
> > I'd personally rather see us honor $HOME in preference to the passwd
> > entry.
> 
> I agree... should that be filed as a new issue?

Lacking objections, I went ahead and did it.  r11273.


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Re: [PATCH] Book: Add caveat about HOME directory

[Michael W Thelen <th...@cs.utah.edu>]

Greg Hudson wrote:
> I'd personally rather see us honor $HOME in preference to the passwd
> entry.

I agree... should that be filed as a new issue?

-- 
Michael W Thelen
It is a mistake to think you can solve any major problems just with
potatoes.       -- Douglas Adams

Re: [PATCH] Book: Add caveat about HOME directory

[Greg Hudson <gh...@MIT.EDU>]

I'd personally rather see us honor $HOME in preference to the passwd
entry.


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