Bug#461798: [Bug-ed] Bug#461798: warn earlier about readonly files
I would not agree that's a problem, and I would disagree that such a change should be made. vi warns, emacs warns. 1) Sometimes I edit a read only file, as a convenient way to do other sorts of operations on it. Opening to read a read-only file is not an error warning, not error. 2) If and when I do try to write out changes to a read-only file, it's easy to deal with the write error by writing my changes out to a tmp file, quitting ed, and applying the changes some other way. it usually is a big shock to me, and sometimes one discovers there is no place permanent to write at all -- all that typing will disappear... 3) ed is legacy software - most users and usages have been around a long time. One should not tweak discretionary details of ed; fix real bugs, but leave the details that are cosmetic or a matter of opinion or fashion -alone-. Each non-essential change to ed breaks something or some usage. OK, maybe $ ed /etc/motd 355 readonly--adding this might break scripts, I don't know. $ ed /etc/motdd /etc/motdd: No such file or directory--but one could also remove warnings like this, and the warning from vi. OK, you are the pros, what do I know. Anyway, ed should still be around for the next 1 years, so might as well fix the places that might cause one to lose work. -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Bug#461798: [Bug-ed] Bug#461798: warn earlier about readonly files
jidanni wrote: vi warns, emacs warns. Good for them. it usually is a big shock to me After you too have used ed for 20 years, it will no longer shock you. sometimes one discovers there is no place permanent to write at all You don't need a permanent place; /tmp does fine for the minute or two you need it. -- I won't rest till it's the best ... Programmer, Linux Scalability Paul Jackson [EMAIL PROTECTED] 1.940.382.4214 -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Bug#461798: [Bug-ed] Bug#461798: warn earlier about readonly files
Did I mention that ed should warn earlier that a file is readonly? I would not agree that's a problem, and I would disagree that such a change should be made. 1) Sometimes I edit a read only file, as a convenient way to do other sorts of operations on it. Opening to read a read-only file is not an error 2) If and when I do try to write out changes to a read-only file, it's easy to deal with the write error by writing my changes out to a tmp file, quitting ed, and applying the changes some other way. 3) ed is legacy software - most users and usages have been around a long time. One should not tweak discretionary details of ed; fix real bugs, but leave the details that are cosmetic or a matter of opinion or fashion -alone-. Each non-essential change to ed breaks something or some usage. -- I won't rest till it's the best ... Programmer, Linux Scalability Paul Jackson [EMAIL PROTECTED] 1.940.382.4214 -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
