Re: Build failure on M$ (using MSVC): Patch enclosed

[dhruva <dhruvakm@gmail.com>]

On 5/22/08, Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca> wrote:
> > Well, I was not aware of that function. Looking a little deeper into
>  > it, it does not traverse above the current user $HOME (~/ or %HOME%).
>  > This code needs to go all the way till the top. Since it does a
>  > username comparison, it apprears a bit more expensive (based on gut
>  > feel though).
>
>
> Indeed, it doesn't go up past the home directory and it doesn't lookup
>  past a directory with a different owner.  It's all done on purpose to
>  try and avoid pathological cases.
>  I don't see that as a problem at all.

Though I do not see a practical use case, here is a case where it can fail:

1. As a system wide policy, I put some settings file in the root
folder or the parent folder of every user folder which has a bunch of
defaults
2. I allow the use to over ride it by adding their own in which case
your changes will find the user modified file (as it resides under the
user HOME folder on UNIX because users will not have permission to
create anywhere above that. But not true on M$ as I have local admin
privilege and hence I can keep it anywhere in the tree).
3. Not all users might want to over ride the default settings and
would like to rely on the system wide policy where the current code
fails.

-dhruva

-- 
Contents reflect my personal views only!