'AppDir' questions

The files DvPlayer, IBrowse,TuneNet, and Yam appear in directory Sys:Prefs/Env-Archive/AppDir after install. I can't find any documentation on the purpose of this except the obvious labeling of a directory for Applications-Apps. However, this directory list is over three hundred files today! It appears that anything was executed on this A1, since OS4.1 Update1 was installed, was recorded to this location. For example:

ClickToFront 25 ----rw-d Tuesday 11:45:21
: <0xB49595DB_11783>
CLI 10 ----rw-d Tuesday 11:57:24
: <0x6F1A1695_11783>
Cinnamon Writer 10 ----rw-d Tuesday 11:57:57
: <0x6F01EB69_11783>
Charsetconvert 5 ----rw-d Tuesday 11:45:22
: <0x0004DE13_11783>

I'm interested in what's doing this and why? Second, what's that number in the 'file comment' saying; physical address? Third, do I have any control over this?
Yellow-Alert?

@Snuffy

This is the repository for the application tracking system that was introduced with Update 1. No control is required, it is fully automatic.

Simon

@Snuffy

AmiUpdate uses it. Probably other programs too.

@RacerX

No, thats "AppPaths".

Simon

@Snuffy
Go to the Shell, and type something like this:
AppDir:TuneNet

By magic, TuneNet will run without you having to tell the system when it is!

The best use of this would be for the Tool specified in Project icons, especially DefIcons.

@ChrisH

Or in scripts.
Just use Appdir:myapp and your script will run on all systems.

Hi @Rigo

OK, thanks. I missed that the in the list of new DOS features:
Update 1 of AmigaOS 4.1:
DOS
A new mechanism for launching preset programs for specific tasks, such as email clients and web-browsers (URLopen).
Application tracking for ease of program location (AppDir: handler).
Improved shared object support with significantly decreased loading times.

@Snuffy
Quote:
I disabled it by replacing the "AppDir" directory with a dummy file named "AppDir". I did that mainly because it kept recording the location of AmiCygnix and SDK commands that have the same names as those in my C: directory. I operate the SDK and several other systems by calling a script from the shell that sets search paths in that shell only. For example, I can set one set of search paths in one shell for the OS4 SDK and set another set another set of search paths for my 68k compiler in another shell. I can enter the same command in either shell and the correct command will be used. AppDir defeats the ability to use different search paths in several shells.

In addition, it seems like it adds some system overhead to any program or command execution. Every time you enter a command, the system will access the AppDir directory to see if the program location is listed there. If not it will add it. I also keep my system partition write protected as a security measure against accidental changes to that partition. Therefore AppDir won't work on my system anyway. If they add the ability to assign AppDir to some other location, I might give it another try.

@all

why, inside, appdir, some files (old ones) have RWED as flags and some files (new ones) have RWD ???

new files mean, marcr or april and olf before theses 2 months ???

@Mrodfr

Since they are just tiny ascii text files, the 'E' bit should have been unset for semantical reasons, so now it is.

The old cache files will be updated as time goes by, or after about 180 days when they will be flushed out automatically if not used again before then.

And for the original poster, the comment field contains two
numbers, the first (hex) one represents the checksum of the text inside the file, the second (decimal) part is the week number when it was written, so it won't even refresh any more often than once a week, or unless the path inside changes, that's all those numbers represent.

BTW: the libraries, devices and such that are loaded by ramlib (which handles disk based loadables through OpenLibrary() and OpenDevice() ) are excluded from having entries created in the cache, just incase you were wondering.

Hi @colinw

And for the original poster,...
Just a human from Earth, oh great Thor !

...the first (hex) one represents the checksum of the text inside the file, the second (decimal) part is the week number when it was written...
Oh wow, thanks very much Colin! That's what my Python File Manager was wanting to know!

@xenic
I also keep my system partition write protected as a security measure against accidental changes to that partition...
Thanks for the info and ideas on AppDir control!

@colinw

A program launched from C: (an example) not have an appdir file but the same program, launched from DIVERS:xxxxxxx have an appdir file (on env:appdir drawer).

Is It OK ???