----- Original Message -----
From: "Branko Čibej" <brane@xbc.nu>
>
> >See the following mail thread about that subject:
> >http://subversion.tigris.org/servlets/ReadMsg?list=dev&msgId=256035
> >
> >The error occurs since Win98 doesn't have a "logged in" user
> >and so apr can't get the UID (User ID).
> >I sent a patch which would make Subversion ask for a username
> >instead, but Branko thinks that Subversion should error out instead.
> >
> All right already. :-)
> Let's talk about this problem again, and discuss the options. I might
> have been wrong.
You asked for it :-)
- when trying to authenticate with a repository, subversion first
tries to get the UID of the system, then asks the user for
a password. The combination UID/password is used
to authenticate.
- if the user just presses <enter> when asked for a password
then subversion falls back and asks for a username too, assuming
that the UID is not the correct username.
- if subversion can't get the UID the first time it throws out
an error (the famous "error getting UID") and exits. I admit
that this indicates that something is seriously wrong on
most systems, but's that's the normal behaviour on win98/Me.
- my suggestion is that subversion does not throw out an
error if it can't get the UID but asks the user for it. Look at
it like an extended function to get the UID: if it can't be read
from the system then read it from the user.
The behaviour for other systems than win98/Me wouldn't
change at all:
- subversion get's the UID (e.g. "Steve"), then
- asks for the password
For win98/Me it would change slightly:
- subversion can't get the UID, so it asks for a username
- subversion asks for the password
The only disadvantage to that:
if on systems which usually have an UID the function call
fails the user is not informed about that.
Stefan
Received on Fri Jul 4 15:25:34 2003