Subject: Re: quoting windows pathnames
From: Sam Edge <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 27 May 2003 12:32:53 +0100

Frank Schmitt <[email-masked]> wrote in
<[email-masked]>
in gmane.os.cygwin on Mon, 26 May 2003 22:43:38 +0200:

> Silly question but why do you _have_ to use paths with spaces in them
> under Windows XP? It's possible to change e.g. the default programs
> directory from e.g. C:\Program Files\ to C:\Programs\, the same stands
> for the other standard directories.

Argh, no!

It's generally much better with a system (especially a Windows system)
to let it use defaults for system paths and program installation
locations and so on unless you have a very good reason (e.g. security)
not to do so.

The problem with customizing things is that you find yourself spending
all your time fighting the current. It also means you lose familiarity
when you go to some other box with the same OS on it unless/until
you've messed about with that one too.

I don't have the time for all that!

Anyway, I'm of the opinion that my Cygwin installation should and can
work with what Windows does, not the other way around. Use the
facilities Cygwin provides to make your POSIX environment work, don't
try to force your Windows-native one! :-D

And finally, assuming that pathnames don't have spaces is a /bug/.
Most UNIX file systems have allowed spaces pretty much forever. The
sooner legacy code is fixed to handle them the better.

Regards,
-- 
Sam Edge

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