Perhaps we should 1. Not ship with EDITOR/PAGER set to anything by default (well written old standalone programs should then default to vi and more, or get a bug report).
2. Always honor EDITOR/PAGER if they are set. 3. Make sure GNOME programs can be set up to launch a different editor than $EDITOR/$PAGER with user intervention. This approach translate as "if I don't know whats going on, give me the upstream author's default, otherwise, give me my favorite editor unless I've already specified that it doesn't work well for this application". Britton Kerin __ GNU GPL: "The Source will be with you... always." On Wed, 18 Jun 2003, Bill Allombert wrote: > On Wed, Jun 18, 2003 at 01:28:06AM +0100, Colin Watson wrote: > > On Tue, Jun 17, 2003 at 07:51:00PM -0400, Colin Walters wrote: > > > @@ -7349,11 +7352,13 @@ > > > </p> > > > > > > <p> > > > - Thus, every program that launches an editor or pager must > > > - use the EDITOR or PAGER environment variable to determine > > > - the editor or pager the user wishes to use. If these > > > - variables are not set, the programs <file>/usr/bin/editor</file> > > > - and <file>/usr/bin/pager</file> should be used, respectively. > > > + Thus, every program without an internal preference that > > > + launches an editor or pager must use the EDITOR or PAGER > > > + environment variable to determine the editor or pager the > > > + user wishes to use. If these variables are not set, the > > > + programs <file>/usr/bin/editor</file> > > > + and <file>/usr/bin/pager</file> should be used, > > > + respectively. > > > </p> > > > > > > <p> > > > > I think this is very bad. At the moment policy says that my EDITOR and > > PAGER variables have priority over what random programs think is a good > > idea, which I think is excellent. If programs get to pick a default that > > overrides my EDITOR and PAGER then it all degenerates into chaos. > > I concurr. This will be a massive step backward providing useful > default. > > > If what you really meant was that the order is as follows: > > > > * EDITOR/PAGER > > * program's preferred editor or pager > > * /usr/bin/editor or /usr/bin/pager > > > > ... then that would be slightly better; it dilutes the effectiveness of > > the editor and pager alternatives, but that might not be *too* bad. It's > > late here so I haven't fully thought it through. > > It will be broken: users will get random program lauched unless they > set $EDITOR/$PAGER/$BROWSER. This is not a sane default, this is much > better to consistantly launch the same editor, whatever it is. > User will get used to it or will set EDITOR to their liking. > Nothing is more confusing that getting presented with an different > editor each time. > > Cheers, > -- > Bill. <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Imagine a large red swirl here. > > > -- > To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] >
