Re: lynx-dev Win32 docs patch (was: Lynx and downloading files)

[Doug Kaufman]

On Mon, 19 Apr 1999, Webmaster Jim wrote:

> I noticed the INSTALLTION file did not mention lynx_save_space, which
> could be good to know for installing on Win32, so here's a doc patch:
> 
> *** INSTALLATION.df     Tue Apr 13 05:39:16 1999
> --- INSTALLATION        Mon Apr 19 09:29:31 1999
> ***************
> ... 
> ! 2. Win32 (95/98/NT) and 386 DOS
>      These ports cannot start before setting certain environment variables
> 
>      (adapted from "readme.txt" by Wayne Buttles and "readme.dos" by Doug 
> Kaufman)
> ***************
> *** 866,871 ****
> --- 866,872 ----
>       TEMP or TMP  Bookmarks are kept here with no HOME.  Temp files here.
>       USER         Set to your login name (optional)
>       LYNX_CFG     Set to the full path and filename for lynx.cfg
> +     LYNX_SAVE_SPACE  The (modifiable) location for downloaded file storage.
> 
>       386 version only:
>       WATTCP.CFG   Set to the full path for the WATTCP.CFG directory
> ***************
> *** 877,882 ****
> --- 878,884 ----
>         set home=d:\win32
>         set temp=d:\tmp
>         set lynx_cfg=d:\win32\lynx.cfg
> +       set lynx_save_space=d:\download
>         d:\win32\lynx.exe %1 %2 %3 %4 %5

I agree that we may want to point users to a method of designating
the save_space directory, but I think that these changes may be
misleading, since this is the section for environment variables
without which lynx frequently will not work. The program works
fine without this, but may save programs to a directory that the
user didn't expect. Since most users of Win32 and DOS systems use
a single-user system, it is probably simpler to set SAVE_SPACE in
lynx.cfg than to set an environment variable whenever the program
is invoked. I think that this probably goes with the advice to read
and configure lynx.cfg, especially if the program doesn't work as
expcected or desired. Where does advice like this go, in the PROBLEMS
file or elsewhere? I am not sure the INSTALLATION is the best place.
Also, is this really specific to the Win32 and DOS ports? This seems
like a more general problem to me?
                             Doug

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Doug Kaufman
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