Hello, I have noticed GUI programs tend to be very inconsistent in behaviour if I accidently kill them (e.g. by shutting down the X server) or abort them (e.g. power failure).
For example: gnucash (not tested newest version): * displays a message box saying the file is locked, and asks if you want to continue anyway. * liferea: displays an error and terminates; the lock file must be manually deleted. * mozilla - occasionally will display a message that the profile is in use, and won't let you reuse it until you delete the lock file. I am not sure what triggers this condition. In this era of making computers easier to use, forcing the user to worry about cleaning up lock files like this seems very clumsy at best, and can also be unreliable (e.g. I sometimes already do have a copy of gnucash running, but I can't find it in the maze of windows, and delete the lock file :-( ). Is there any guidelines for checking for stale lock files in a sane manner that doesn't involve the user? Yes, I realize having a home directory on NFS or AFS or SMB might be complications, but most users of these applications don't use these protocols either. Thanks. -- Brian May <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
