user profile structure

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Floyd
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user profile structure

Post by Floyd »

the current release of reactOS follows the xp style of profiles which, i think, is confusing.

for example there is a user_name\application data and there is a user_name\local settings\application data folder. why is this beneficial? this seems redundant and harder to find/back up data. windows2000 was just fine witha single user_name\application data folder.

what's the benefit of having these two folders?
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steveh
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This is a windows habit...

Post by steveh »

I don't know why there are these 2 directories.

I can only say it's the same in windows >=NT5.0

Maybe Reactos is doing so because some third party software installers would get into trouble if the OS string displays "win NT compatible" and one of these directories is missing?
GvG
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Post by GvG »

It has to do with roaming profiles. When on a corporate network, the sysadmin can set your profile to be "roaming". This means it is loaded from a network share during login and written back to the network share during logoff. The advantage of that is that you will have the same profile if you login on a different workstation.
Some files in your profile don't need to be copied back to the network share. "Temporary Internet Files" comes to mind. This stuff is stored under the "Local Settings" subdir.
MadRat
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Post by MadRat »

The roaming profile could care less where the user profile data is actually stored. The systematic locations of the folders are stored in the registry and can be configured on a per user basis.
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Floyd
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Post by Floyd »

i know what roaming profiles are. NT4 didn't need that separation. and as far as i'm aware of, 2000 didn't split the application data folder either (if it does it hides one of the two) as i could only find one.
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Mrkaras
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Post by Mrkaras »

I'm fairly sure win2k does have both but I have seen that one of them is definatly hidden (just has the hidden attribute set). I can't comment on NT4 but if it doesn't have the second folder a lot of unnessesery files would bave to be copied for roming profiles, the regestery may list the location of the folder but withought a seperate folder it would have to list each individual file, and i'm sure it doesn't do that (I assume NT4 suported roaming profiles?).
Floyd
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Post by Floyd »

it did support roaming profiles.
you would copy the profile to a server and then you had options like "don't download wallpaper" and so on.

i still believe two "application data" folders is confusing. if it is just about roaming vs. local then the two should be clearly defined.
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Phalanx
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Post by Phalanx »

Floyd wrote:i still believe two "application data" folders is confusing. if it is just about roaming vs. local then the two should be clearly defined.
The fact that it is in localsettings is enough. Really, if you are in there, you should know what your doing, or not be there.
MadRat
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Post by MadRat »

The dreaded wait for loading a roaming profile. Ahhh, the days desktops were 1 gb and the lan connection 4 meg toekn ring...

Seriously, you defined the extent of you roaming profile at the server. You could still used locally unique settings in the same user profile. You could even mix mandatory settings with flexible ones.
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Floyd
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Post by Floyd »

Phalanx wrote:
Floyd wrote:i still believe two "application data" folders is confusing. if it is just about roaming vs. local then the two should be clearly defined.
The fact that it is in localsettings is enough. Really, if you are in there, you should know what your doing, or not be there.
that would be fine if that's how it actually works, local settings would be fine if that's the way it works, it actually puts a single file there and then puts the actual data into user_name\application data.

and i do know what i'm doing--as i have worked with roaming profiles before. whether you're experienced at it or not seeing two 'application data' folders is not wise unless they are very clearly separated. otherwise you're just defending poor design.
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Phalanx
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Post by Phalanx »

Floyd wrote:
Phalanx wrote:
Floyd wrote:i still believe two "application data" folders is confusing. if it is just about roaming vs. local then the two should be clearly defined.
The fact that it is in localsettings is enough. Really, if you are in there, you should know what your doing, or not be there.
that would be fine if that's how it actually works, local settings would be fine if that's the way it works, it actually puts a single file there and then puts the actual data into user_name\application data.

and i do know what i'm doing--as i have worked with roaming profiles before. whether you're experienced at it or not seeing two 'application data' folders is not wise unless they are very clearly separated. otherwise you're just defending poor design.
It is a good design in many reasons. Take Shareaza for example. You do not want to be sending 600mg iso images back to a server then back to the user's computer. So in this case, the programs does place this in the localsettings folder.
tsg1zzn
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Post by tsg1zzn »

Should an iso file be stored in a folder for settings??
MadRat
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Post by MadRat »

Settings are already stored in the ntuser.dat file.
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Phalanx
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Post by Phalanx »

That is a choice of the program developers. However, it is not going to make too much difference. The reason it is place there in this program is the file can range in many sizes (hence why you don't send it over a network). But placing it in a user's area means it is not placed into other user's access (within rights...) . However, these files are not the program's final output, but works in progress. I think they rather people do not mess with them.
Floyd
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Post by Floyd »

Phalanx wrote: It is a good design in many reasons. Take Shareaza for example. You do not want to be sending 600mg iso images back to a server then back to the user's computer. So in this case, the programs does place this in the localsettings folder.
not really you still have to copy the profile to a central server. you're not really gaining a whole lot by the bizarre structure of folders (i verified this in my MCSE books).
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