stuff under /tmp

[Uwe Thiem]

Hi folks,

now that head isn't frozen anymore, I'd like to discuss an issue that has 
bitten me (or rather my customers) for some time.

For each user, KDE (and arts) create "kde-<username>", "ksocket-<username>", 
"mcop-<username>" under /tmp. Delete that user and re-create a user by the 
same name some time down the line with another UID. TADA! KDE doesn't work 
for that new user.

I admit this isn't really problem for single-user boxes or home PCs with a 
very limited number of users who don't change much. Think of a corporate 
environment, maybe a thin-client environment, with lots of movements and it 
becomes a real annoyance. 

One could argue that system administration tools should remove *all* files 
owned by a user if that user was deleted. Well, reality is, they don't.

I haven't filed a bug report because I think it isn't really KDE's fault. 
Still, can't we do something about it since it gives KDE a bad reputation in 
corporate environments? Do we really need to keep that stuff? Is it that big 
a deal to re-create it on every login?

I do admit that I don't know how to handle this best. This is merely an RTT 
(request to think ;-).

Uwe

-- 
Alternative phrasing of the First Law of Thermodynamics:
If you eat it, and you don't burn it off, you'll sit on it.

http://www.uwix.iway.na (last updated: 20.06.2004)