You should observe the following guidelines
whenever you modify the Graphical Environment configuration:
It is recommended that you first copy the original
version of a configuration file to another name
(for example, .pmwmrc.old).
This gives you an easily accessible backup copy
that can be restored if you make a serious error or
decide you want to return to the default configuration.
Superuser (root) privileges are necessary
to modify system configuration files.
Users, however, can modify their personal configuration files
that are located in their home directories.
All Graphical Environment configuration files provide
at least one version of the file that can be customized by users
and another version of the file that defines
the defaults for the system.
It is a matter of local policy
whether the administrator modifies users' configuration files
or whether users are responsible for maintaining their own files.
If the administrator is responsible
for maintaining many users' files
and wants to keep them all identical,
it may be useful to link files with the standard UNIX® system
ln(C)
command.
Linking configuration files allows the administrator to edit one file
and effectively change the contents of several users' files.
If you link configuration files, change the permissions so
that users cannot edit them.
However, if individual users are customizing their own environments,
configuration files should not be linked.
The names that are used for the various configuration
files can be changed through resources, specified in
an .Xdefaults-hostname file.
This guide refers to the default pathnames and filenames
for these files. It is recommended that you do not change
these names.