Re: using libmagic in Emacs?

[Eli Zaretskii]

> From: Juri Linkov <address@hidden>
> Date: Sun, 30 Aug 2009 02:19:12 +0300
> Cc: address@hidden, address@hidden, address@hidden
> 
> I agree that running `file' is a simpler solution.

PLEASE do not base Emacs infrastructure on external programs, unless
they come with Emacs.  `file' is not available on every platform, and
even on those it is, the quality and extent of its database is unclear
and so cannot be relied upon.

I really don't understand why linking against a simple free library is
an issue, but if it is, we should find a different solution using some
database internal to Emacs, as we did until now.

In any case, invoking external programs without being smart about
their non-existence is not something we should have in Emacs.