`~/.xemacs/{init,.options}.el' (Was: Re: [XEmacs] New Maintainer, soonish.)
>>>>> "Darren" == Darren/Torin/Who Ever <torin@daft.com> writes:
Darren> Karl M. Hegbloom, in an immanent manifestation of deity,
Darren> wrote:
>> - I changed the startups so that the init file is no longer
>> called
>> "~/.emacs", it's in "~/.xemacs/init.el". The options saved by
>> the Options menus won't go into "~/.emacs" either, they'll go
>> into "~/.xemacs/.options.el". It will create the "~/.xemacs/"
>> directory if it doesn't exist the first time you start
>> XEmacs21.
Darren> This would likely be a bad idea. I certainly would be
Darren> confused when XEmacs didn't load my .emacs. I'd probably
Darren> then register a bug and put (load "~/.emacs" nil t t) as
Darren> the only thing in the ~/.xemacs/init.el file.
I disagree, and will ship the package with the modification. Don't
bother filing a bug about it... This is a minor change, not a hairy
major code fork. It's not a meaningful political act, just part of
the job I'm doing.
It's a bug for it to read the same init file that GNU Emacs does.
Newbies should not be expected to write cond codes into their
~/.emacs files. Many people will want to use XEmacs to edit *ML
markup or LaTeX, and won't want to spend the time learning to
customize it with S-expr's; they'll use the `M-x customize' or
[Options] menu interface.
GNU Emacs and (by default) XEmacs will write `customize' options into
the .emacs file. The two editors are not completely compatible, and
some people will install both versions. It's not difficult to source
your old ~/.emacs from init.el if you like. The `custom-file' can be
changed if you like, also.
When it first starts, if the ~/.xemacs/* files are not there, it will
create them. (From the 00debian.el file; which may become
`site-start-file'.) I will make sure that the user is politely
informed (By splitting the frame and printing a message below the
splash, perhaps. No java or banner-ad frames, I promise.) that the
directory and files have been created and that ~/.emacs will not be
sourced by default. I'll put a commented off load statement into the
initial init.el.
I will, after developing something that works and looks good, submit
patches "upstream", for certain. They will be reviewed, and perhaps
will become part of XEmacs 21.2 or 21.3, depending upon timeing and
whatever-it-takes. It's not a strange new idea.
I've also decided to put the Debian swirl into the splash screen,
superimposed over the standard XEmacs logo, and quantized to our
standard color map. (The blue XEmacs doesn't look quite as nice;
it's a brighter blue now, but at least it won't eat as many colors as
it did, for people with hand-me-down PC's that only do 8bpp.) I've
also set the `gc-pointer-glyph' to the swirl. (It's a nice enough
looking recycle sign.) You will still be able to override the
gc-pointer with an X resource or code in your init.el, of course.
At any rate... I really ought to be working on the thing instead of
inspiring flame wars over it and wasting our development/study time
on email.
It'll be good enough or better. You'll like it even though you have
to uncomment a line in a config file. Really, Darren. ;-)
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