From owner-freebsd-chat Wed Jan 26 17:23:19 2000 Delivered-To: freebsd-chat@freebsd.org Received: from typhoon.mail.pipex.net (typhoon.mail.pipex.net [158.43.128.27]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with SMTP id C476E15471 for ; Wed, 26 Jan 2000 17:23:09 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from mark@dogma.freebsd-uk.eu.org) Received: (qmail 5909 invoked from network); 27 Jan 2000 01:23:06 -0000 Received: from userah22.uk.uudial.com (HELO marder-1.) (62.188.132.207) by smtp.dial.pipex.com with SMTP; 27 Jan 2000 01:23:06 -0000 Received: (from mark@localhost) by marder-1. (8.9.3/8.9.3) id BAA03687; Thu, 27 Jan 2000 01:23:11 GMT (envelope-from mark) Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2000 01:23:10 +0000 From: Mark Ovens To: Marc Schneiders Cc: Wes Peters , Jonathon McKitrick , chat@freebsd.org Subject: Re: kern/13644 Message-ID: <20000127012310.A2615@marder-1> References: <388F7A15.7A3E10FD@softweyr.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Mailer: Mutt 1.0pre2i In-Reply-To: Organization: Total lack of Sender: owner-freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG Precedence: bulk X-Loop: FreeBSD.org On Thu, Jan 27, 2000 at 12:06:22AM +0100, Marc Schneiders wrote: > On Wed, 26 Jan 2000, Wes Peters wrote: > > > Jonathon McKitrick wrote: > [...] > > > Actually, i just started learning VI, so maybe i'll try both at > > > the same time. However, i haven't quite reached that level yet > > > of being an advanced programmer. So, many of Emacs features will > > > be lost on me. But, it is certainly worth a try, since someday i > > > may need it. > > > > > > Yes, it makes more sense like you said to start a session at > > > login and use it throughout the session. Maybe if i buy that > > > book it will give me incentive. > > > > If much of your work on your computer consists of editing things, > > Emacs is a good tool. If you edit things only occasionally, other > > editors may be as useful and a bit faster to load. If you use X, > > aXe is pretty nice and is quick enough to launch from a dock or > > something like that. > > > > > Do you use emacs, Xemacs, or some derivative? Version 19 or 20? > > > > I use GNU Emacs 20, mostly because my .emacs file has been > > customized for GNU conventions over the years. If I were starting > > over, I'd probably pick Xemacs instead. Most of the younger > > Emacs'ers around here use Xemacs. > > > > I just happen to have bought an emacs book yesterday and read a bit. > I have two things that I cannot get clear for myself: > > 1. Is it 'done' on BSD? The book gave me the idea that emacs is a real > GNU thing, so much 'hallelujah' in it. I don't mind that, but wouldn't > like to jump into learning it all, if it isn't really supported in > BSD-circles. And I want to be politically correct of course :-) > > 2. Which version should I use/learn/configure? "Most younger ... use > Xemacs." I'm 39. Does the fact that I still occasionally use > WordPerfect 5.1 for DOS, because the ctrl and alt key-strokes [for > notes, size e.g.] somehow come natural for me, suggest the non-X > version? > Well, I'm 41 and have only recently started using emacs (mainly as the result of the emacs evangelism of Greg and others) so a mere slip of a lad like yourself shouldn't have to worry :) One of the biggest obstacles to moving to emacs from vi is the totally different (and often conflicting) terminology used. I don't know whether this is a function of emacs being written in LISP or emacs being written by Lord Stallman (ha ha; ispell(1) has just thrown up "Stallman" as an unknown word :)) but, for example, every other editor I've used uses the term "Colour Syntax Highlighting" but what does emacs call it? - "Font-locking" :-/. Also, the term "yank" has exactly the opposite meaning in emacs to vi. All in all emacs is a very powerful tool; as others have pointed out, you start emacs when you login and use it all the time rather than just start it when you wish to edit a file. It just takes some getting used to though. > A third, now I'm at it: Does the Windows version (it is on the CD with > the book) really work? Would be nice to use at work maybe, once I got > used to it or maybe fond of it. > o Well, the company I work has now moved over (downgraded ;)) to NT so everyone uses VC++ (I have the distinction as the *only* person who works exclusively on a Sun) but one guy, although a Windozer, uses emacs and his fingers are just a blur on the keyboard (hardly ever touches the mouse), so I guess the Win version is pretty good. > -- > Marc Schneiders > > marc@venster.nl > marc@oldserver.demon.nl > > propro 11:56pm up 11 days, 23:45, load average: 2.64 2.19 2.06 > > > > To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org > with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message -- "there's a long-standing bug relating to the x86 architecture that allows you to install Windows too" -Matthew D. Fuller ________________________________________________________________ FreeBSD - The Power To Serve http://www.freebsd.org My Webpage http://ukug.uk.freebsd.org/~mark/ mailto:mark@ukug.uk.freebsd.org http://www.radan.com To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message