[comp.windows.x] programs failing without data files

rws@EXPO.LCS.MIT.EDU (06/16/89)

    Hmm.  I was flabbergasted too when this first happened to me.

For all you flabbergasted folks, I invite you to go to your most utilized
file/compute/mail server during it's busiest time, and remove one or more of
the following files and reboot.

/dev/*
/etc/rc* or /etc/inittab
/etc/passwd
/etc/fstab
/etc/hosts or /etc/named.boot
/etc/resolv.conf
/etc/ttys
/etc/inetd.conf
/var/yp/`domainname`/*
/usr/lib/sendmail.{cf,fc}
/usr/lib/aliases*
/etc/ethers
/etc/printcap

I'm sure you can come up with others.

No doubt you will say, for some of these, "They are logically part of an
executable, but have been separated out to allow for site customization.
You don't really expect useful behavior without them."

Exactly.