Re: Annoying message "Text is read only"

[Daniel Pittman]

pjb@informatimago.com (Pascal J. Bourguignon) writes:
> Davin Pearson <davin.pearson@gmail.com> writes:
>
>> When I execute M-x find-file it says Find
>> File:
>>
>> Why I press cursor left a few times and then try to press a key, it
>> says: "Text is read only".  Surely a more natural behavour would be
>> to beep and not allow the user to type in that character in the
>> first place.  What gives?

This is a traditional default; try:

   M-x customize-variable <RET> minibuffer-prompt-properties <RET>

Enable the "Don't Enter" option and save your changes, which will
implement what you expect.  (Well, no beep, but you can't move over the
text any longer.)

> How do you propose to do that?
> Perhaps using the protocol hinted at by:
> http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d140/taporsnap_25/punch_tcp_ip.jpg

You know, when you are insultingly smug toward people asking reasonable
questions it /really/ helps to be right.  Otherwise, you know, you
pretty much look like a fool.

HTH, HAND.
        Daniel