Date: Thu, 23 May 1996 19:58:45 +0930 (CST) From: Michael Smith <msmith@atrad.adelaide.edu.au> To: p.richards@elsevier.co.uk (Paul Richards) Cc: nawaz921@cs.uidaho.edu, chuckr@glue.umd.edu, freebsd-current@freefall.freebsd.org Subject: Re: editors Message-ID: <199605231028.TAA08533@genesis.atrad.adelaide.edu.au> In-Reply-To: <199605230932.KAA17769@cadair.elsevier.co.uk> from "Paul Richards" at May 23, 96 10:32:50 am
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Paul Richards stands accused of saying: > > In reply to faried nawaz who said > > > > I've never used `ee' in the install, but if I'm correct, it's used for > > post-install configuration (am I right?). Why not give the user a choice > > of an editor (from the packages) before it is needed/used for editing > > purposes? > > It becomes the default editor for everyone period, something I don't think > is a good idea at all. It becomes the default editor for _root_. FCOL, will people at least try to remember what the issues here are? > Personally, I don't give a damn if some newbie gets scared off Unix > because it doesn't have notepad. As I've already said, if they can't > get over that hurdle then they can forget it because the rest of the > stuff they have to learn is much scarier. I think that some people have Bollocks. You've obviously been away from the coalface _much_ too long. > been hacking Unix too long and think it's easy and are assuming that if > we replace vi with something simpler unix will suddenly be more > accessible. I think that's a fundamentally flawed opinion. It'll just > delay things marginally, so, they've got this nice "type away" editor > but they're going to quickly realise that adding users, configuring > DNS/NFS and other network stuff, getting XFree86 working, setting up > the filesystems etc etc etc is rather more difficult than clicking on > the word icon and starting work. No, it's not so easy. But at the same time, it _is_ a _shitload_ easier if the tool that you're using to edit all these files doesn't require a flowing white beard and a damaged forebrain to understand. > Given that all these editors have always existed it must amount to something > that no-one who has stuck with Unix actually use anything other than vi or > emacs. Until fairly recently, Unix was the exclusive preserve of hackers and serious programmers. In the last year or two this has changed, and people with some experience elsewhere are giving up on other systems and moving in. This is a Good Thing. We should _help_ them. This is a _small_ concession to make, and one that will be of immense value. > looking forward to the complaints from sites I've installed FreeBSD > boxes in when all their die hard unix users suddenly find their > EDITOR is now ee or even pico! But it's _NOT_GOING_TO_BE_. > Incidentally, I made the suggestion on -chat that the EDITOR setting > become an installation option. This is a good idea > Paul Richards. Originative Solutions Ltd. (Netcraft Ltd. contractor) -- ]] Mike Smith, Software Engineer msmith@atrad.adelaide.edu.au [[ ]] Genesis Software genesis@atrad.adelaide.edu.au [[ ]] High-speed data acquisition and (GSM mobile) 0411-222-496 [[ ]] realtime instrument control (ph/fax) +61-8-267-3039 [[ ]] Collector of old Unix hardware. "Where are your PEZ?" The Tick [[
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