--- wmii-3.1/cmd/wm/wmii	2006-06-17 07:44:30.000000000 -0400
+++ wmii-3.1/cmd/wm/wmii	2006-06-23 12:45:44.000000000 -0400
@@ -1,13 +1,33 @@ 
 #!/bin/sh
 # start wmiiwm and wait for its termination
 
+error() {
+  echo "There was an error starting wmii."
+  # if 1 parameter, then print all parameters.
+  [ ! -z "$1" ] && echo "$@"
+  exit 1
+}
+
 wmiiwm -c || exit 1
 
 OLD_PATH=$PATH export OLD_PATH
 PATH=$HOME/.wmii-3:CONFPREFIX/wmii-3:$PATH export PATH
 WMII_ADDRESS=unix!/tmp/ns.$USER.${DISPLAY%.0}/wmii export WMII_ADDRESS
 
-mkdir -m 700 /tmp/ns.$USER.${DISPLAY%.0} 2>/dev/null
+# check to see if the namespace directory exists, and if so, that its permissions are okay
+WMII_NS_DIR="/tmp/ns.$USER.${DISPLAY%.0}"
+if [ -a ${WMII_NS_DIR} ]; then
+  if [ -O ${WMII_NS_DIR} ]; then
+    if ls -ld ${WMII_NS_DIR} | grep -vq "^drwx------"; then
+      error "Your wmii namespace directory (${WMII_NS_DIR}) exists, but it is group or world readable/writable"
+    fi
+  else
+    error "Your wmii namespace directory (${WMII_NS_DIR}) exists, but it is not owned by you."
+  fi
+else
+  mkdir -m 700 -p ${WMII_NS_DIR} || error "Your wmii namespace directory (${WMII_NS_DIR}) doesn't exist, and wmii cannot create it."
+fi
+
 wmiiwm -a $WMII_ADDRESS &
 wmiiwmpid=$!
 mkdir $HOME/.wmii-3 2>/dev/null && welcome &