Re: ad-hoc multi-hop editing of remote files

[Michael Albinus]

Chris Withers <address@hidden> writes:

Hi Chris,

> Yeah, I guess I meant:
>
> /sudo:user|address@hidden:/

This would cover only your special case, where the proxy host and the
target host are identical. But they can be different.

>> Maybe it's not only ido but a general change: Let's assume we have an
>> ad-hoc marker, call it "/multi:" or "/ad-hoc:". When typing this in the
>> minibuffer, the file name completion knows that the next substring must
>> be a proxy (like "ssh:address@hidden:"). Once parsed, it takes it out of
>> completion, together with the ad-hoc marker, and adds it silently to
>> `tramp-default-proxies-alist'. You continue with the filename you intend
>> to open, like "/ssh:address@hidden:". Or you add the next ad-hoc marker :-)
>>
>> Next time you need to type only "/ssh:address@hidden:", because the proxy is
>> already added to `tramp-default-proxies-alist'.
>
> Can you show me how you'd go about coding this? I'm afraid I have no idea...

Hmm, don't know yet. I will try to implement a small prototype, and I
will present it here on the list, for testing. Give me some days.

(Unfortunately, I'm going to vacations next week. This will slow down my
hacking)

>> The advantage is, that Tramp does not need to parse the whole string
>> "/multi:ssh:address@hidden:ssh:address@hidden:", which makes it (me!) crazy.
>
> I'm still confused, this all used to work before it was removed.
> What changed to stop it working and require its removal?

Completion of methods / user names / host names did not work robustly,
IIRC. Proxies were part of the filename, which makes it harder to type
them (yes, in your case of ad-hoc proxies it would be desirable).

>> And for you it is also more simple, because you have to type the proxy
>> only once during an Emacs session.
>>
>> Ido and friends shall be able to handle it without a change. Hopefully.
>
> I'm afraid I don't really follow what you're suggesting...

I want to give you the possiblity to type an ad-hoc proxies when
specifying a remote file name, without that proxy being a part of the
remote file name. Sounds more complex than it is :-)

It shall *feel* like the old multi hops, but it is implemented differently.

> Chris

Best regards, Michael.