[Openicc] Re: common ICC profile directory

[Graeme Gill]

Kai-Uwe Behrmann wrote:

> Seems reasonable. Except there is no user directory. Seems the IRIX CMS 
> takes full control, not allowing user wide settings. The current directory 
> is not adequate for this issue.

The general approach of the existing Unix vendors is to combine
directory conventions (which may vary somewhat from platform
to platform) with an environment variable (in the tradition of
$PATH etc.) to make normal application operation independent
of the exact system conventions. It's simple enough then
to add ~/whatever/profiles to the list of directories in
the variable for per user profiles.

>>Apple in OSX (another Unix based system) chooses
> ... too specific to mac conventions.

Maybe, but are they simply allowing for an alternate CMM
to keep its profiles in:

	/Library/KCMS/Profile
etc. ?

> Well, Photoshop seems to use an autonome aproach, as I heared from user 
> comments.

Yes and no. It also allows loading profiles from the standard
Windows directories I listed.

> I looked at the 2. osX standard only. Does You think it is possible to 
> simply copy one of the existent APIs? Would be nice to simplify 
> programming effort.

My current thoughts is that it is worth looking at existing CMMs to
learn by their experience, but not necessarily to follow them
slavishly. Something like ColorSync has an amount of historical
baggage that can probably be dropped, while all the existing
CMMs have limitations in not anticipating a "smart" CMM approach.
 From this direction, it's worth examining WCS.

Perhaps the smartest thing to do is to plan a staged approach,
where V 1.0 has just basic capabilities, but allows room
for future additions, while V2.0 adds more flexibility and variations, etc.
[Yes, I'm saying that I'd prefer to invent a new API, although
  I'm open to changing my mind if someone has a persuasive argument.
  I'm also a bit wary of tripping across copyright problems etc.]

Personally I think it would be great to create a CMM that subsumes
the other platforms CMMs, so that an application writer can write
their color handling in a platform independent way, and know
it can be easily ported to Windows, OSX etc., as well as runnign on
Linux, BSD etc.

Graeme Gill.