Re: [nmh-workers] Unnecessary dependency on vi???

[Ralph Corderoy]

Hi Paul,

> i set VISUAL to /usr/local/bin/jove,

Don't forget this is a public mailing list.

> why would our build or install dependency list include any editor?

Fedora's is changing from an install dependency on /usr/bin/vi to a
Suggests one.  I haven't checked what the other distributions do.  AIUI
the idea is a user won't see

    $ comp
    unable to exec vi: No such file or directory
    whatnow: problems with edit--draft left in /home/ralph/mail/draft
    $

but instead they'll find themselves with a draft on the screen and lots
of beeping when they try to do anything.  Including getting out of `this
damn nmh' thing back to the shell.  :-)  If they don't have vi already
installed, they may not know how to use it.

The background: get_default_editor() is called for `edit' at the
whatnow(1) prompt, and to set the miscased `mheditor' in the environment
of a `whatnowproc' so it knows what to use.  It's the value of `editor'
if it's set in the context, else $VISUAL if set, else $EDITOR if set,
else `vi'.  `vi' as the fallback because it's POSIX.  But then so's
ed(1).  At least ed responds more visually than audibly.

I'd prefer that if they don't have vi installed then they don't gain it.
Perhaps the `problems with edit' message can benefit from knowing the
exec of the editor failed and point the user at the right bit of a man
page.

-- 
Cheers, Ralph.
https://plus.google.com/+RalphCorderoy