Re: [PATCH] Add FAQ 4.46. How do I fix find_fast_cwd warnings?

[Corinna Vinschen <corinna-cygwin at cygwin dot com>]

On Nov 13 00:04, Brian Inglis wrote:
> On 2017-11-12 16:02, Ken Brown wrote:
> > On 11/12/2017 4:27 PM, Brian Inglis wrote:
> >> +    <para>Some ancient Cygwin releases asked users to report problems that were
> >> +      difficult to diagnose to the mailing list with the message:</para>
> >> +
> >> +    <screen>find_fast_cwd: WARNING: Couldn't compute FAST_CWD pointer. Please
> >> report
> >> +    this problem to the public mailing listcygwin@cygwin.com</screen>
> >> +
> >> +    <para>These problems were fixed long ago in updated Cygwin releases.</para>
> > 
> > The wording of the warning message was changed 3 years ago, in commit 0793492. 
> > I'm not sure that qualifies as ancient.  I also don't think it's accurate to
> > refer to the problem as "difficult to diagnose" or to say that the problems
> > "were fixed long ago".
> 
> The original message was added in 2011 - 1.7.10 maybe earlier - NT4 support was
> dropped around then - pretty ancient in Cygwin terms of how many Windows
> releases have had support dropped since then!
> 
> > The issue (Corinna will correct me if I'm wrong) is simply that new releases of
> > Windows sometimes require changes in how Cygwin finds the fast_cwd pointer.  So
> > users of old versions of Cygwin on new versions of Windows might have problems,
> > and this can certainly happen again in the future.  But the FAQ doesn't need to
> > go into that.  Why not just say what the warning currently says (see
> > path.cc:find_fast_cwd()):
> > 
> > "This typically occurs if you're using an older Cygwin version on a newer
> > Windows.  Please update to the latest available Cygwin version from
> > https://cygwin.com/. ; If the problem persists, please see
> > https://cygwin.com/problems.html.";
> > 
> > You can also add your sentence about contacting the vendor who provided the old
> > Cygwin release.
> 
> We are trying in the FAQ entry to persuade an annoyed user that it may be in
> their best interest to do some remediation, rather than just complain in an
> email to an org they think is a company (cygwin.com) they have never heard of,
> who they expect from their application message to take care of their problem
> with no other effort on their part, and who they can blame if nothing happens.
> 
> Assuming they find the FAQ entry, emphatic language may persuade them to do
> something more than the message says they should do.

Nevertheless, Ken has a point.

s/ancient/older and the text should really explain the "older Cygwin on
newer Windows" problem without necessarily going into too much detail.
"The problem has been fixed" just doesn't fit the facts.


Corinna

-- 
Corinna Vinschen                  Please, send mails regarding Cygwin to
Cygwin Maintainer                 cygwin AT cygwin DOT com
Red Hat

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