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Subject: Re: /usr/local, /var and */tmp in c:\Users\Public
From: Warren Young <wyml AT etr-usa DOT com>
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Date: Wed, 12 Nov 2014 17:19:28 -0700
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On Nov 12, 2014, at 3:43 PM, Andrew DeFaria <Andrew AT DeFaria DOT com> wrote:

> On 11/12/2014 2:16 PM, Warren Young wrote:
>>> What local changes/installations get lost?
>> 
>> Currently, if you nuke a default installation into c:\cygwin, you lose /home, /etc, /var and /usr/local, all of which contain user files and/or local system configuration.
> 
> Technically user files can exist anywhere in the file system

All the more reason to move to a world where it’s possible to start securing /usr/bin, /usr/lib, /usr/share… so that only setup.exe can write to it.

I’m not advocating that step so early, but maybe if this breakup does happen, a few years later setup.exe can start applying some strong ACLs to files it writes.

>> Apparently those of us who have been using Cygwin for years and just need to do a clean reinstall for some reason are expected to know enough not to take step 4 too literally.
> 
> I've been using Cygwin since 2003 (does that qualify me?) and have never feel the need to reinstall.

While doing the “size of Cygwin” research, I managed to stuff up my installation badly enough to need a reinstall a few times. :)

   http://stackoverflow.com/questions/21230657/

I’m not sure I’ve had to reinstall more often than for PC upgrades and such previously.

This proposed change should also allow Windows 8+’s File History feature to back up Cygwin user files.  It only backs up files that are in places normal users *should* be writing files.

   http://www.howtogeek.com/74623/

(File History is more or less Microsoft’s clone of Apple’s wonderful Time Machine feature.  And yes, I’m aware that not everyone thinks the feature is wonderful.)
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