Menu-spec update (Was: [Patch] Update 'How to' to clarify computation of datadir)

[Jeremy White]

Waldo Bastian wrote:
> On Friday 10 March 2006 21:45, Jeremy White wrote:
> 
>>The attached patch specifies that a system wide
>>installation should compute datadir by using the
>>first writable element of $XDG_DATA_DIRS
>>(or sysconfdir from the first writeable element
>>of $XDG_CONFIG_DIRS), as previously discussed.
>>
>>The spec is clearly lacking, so I request that this
>>either be applied, or a clear alternate be suggested.
> 
> 
> I have updated the menu-spec based on your suggestions but without taking 
> either $XDG_DATA_DIRS or $XDG_CONFIG_DIRS into account.
> 
> See http://standards.freedesktop.org/menu-spec/1.0/apc.html
> 
> Please let me know if it is acceptable as is to everyone.

Okay, I confess that I don't get it.

My reading of the menu-spec is that if I were a system builder,
I would have the right to place the XDG_DATA_DIRS anywhere
I wanted, so long as I set the environment variables properly.

Now you seem to be saying instead, essentially, that
XDG_DATA_DIRS doesn't matter, and all that does matter
is /usr/share and /usr/local/share.  I'm fairly certain that
there are existing distributions (SuSE?) that have their xdg menus over
in /opt, and use XDG_DATA_DIRS to provide a redirect.

But by this change of the spec, you have essentially said
to me as a system distributor:
  XDG_DATA_DIRS *must* contain /usr/share or /usr/local/share, as that is
where all ISVs will write their menus.

Is that really what you intended or is there something I don't understand?

Cheers,

Jeremy