[comp.emacs] running vi inside GNU emacs vs. ftp-find-file

dsill@RELAY.NSWC.NAVY.MIL (05/10/89)

Thanks to those who've replied, many of whom suggested my friend use
ftp-find-file to edit files remotely.

As a way to edit files remotely, ftp-find-file has problems.  The
get-edit-put approach is not very elegant, especially when one wants
to make a few quick changes to a large file.

But the real problem is that one would like to be able to run an
arbitrary screen-oriented program while telnet'ed inside emacs.
Running vi is just one of many possibilities.  (Of course, I didn't
phrase the question that way originally.  So, sue me.)

The terminal-emulator is close to a real solution, but isn't very
clean.  Does anyone have a real vt100 emulator?

-Dave (dsill@relay.nswc.navy.mil)

brians@hpcljms.HP.COM (Brian Sullivan) (05/12/89)

>
> The terminal-emulator is close to a real solution, but isn't very
> clean.  Does anyone have a real vt100 emulator?
> 
> -Dave (dsill@relay.nswc.navy.mil)
> 
Dave write that GNU-Emacs would be more useful if it could emulate
a terminal properly, say a vt100 perhaphs.  I agree very strongly
with this and would hope that this is on the list of features
that will be added in the near future. :-?   

I believe that orignal idea was for "terminal.el" was to allow some
kind of terminal emulation, but apparently some cry-baby type that
was working on it decided it was more fun to add cuss words and
just complain about UNIX in general that to add any useful 
functionallity.

If you don't belive this, try looking at the code for terminal.el.
It has more obscence language in it than useful features.

So, I some one wanted to add a terminal emulation capability then 
I know that I would welcome it and would promptly rm all old copies 
of "terminal.el".

lynn@rave.phx.mcd.mot.com (Lynn D. Newton) (05/18/89)

Regarding the request for a terminal emulator that will run
inside Emacs: if votes count, then count one more for me. I hop
between systems a lot, including to systems that don't have
Emacs. I'm sure tired of using ed to edit a file on another
system.
--
=================================================================
Lynn D. Newton		  | System Test
Motorola MCD, Tempe, AZ	  | (Department of Heuristic Methodology)
(602) 437-3739		  | "The bug stops here!"
lynn@rave.phx.mcd.mot.com |

kjones@talos.UUCP (Kyle Jones) (05/19/89)

In article <860007@hpcljms.HP.COM> you write:
 > I believe that orignal idea was for "terminal.el" was to allow some
 > kind of terminal emulation, but apparently some cry-baby type that
 > was working on it decided it was more fun to add cuss words and
 > just complain about UNIX in general that to add any useful 
 > functionallity.

Poking your thumb in someone's eye isn't the best way to get them to
write more free software.  :-(

Some of the terminal.el's shortcomings stem from limitations of the
Emacs display code itself.  For example highlighting can't be done
correctly because Emacs' display code only knows how to highlight whole
lines.  And because you're in Emacs you can't use all the lines and
columns on the screen.

But these are minor things.  The emulation itself work great.  I've run
Emacs and the terminal emulator recursively five levels deep and run the
Life demo under all that, and it all worked flawlessly.  If I want full
screen shell windows with a VT100/ANSI emulator I use the `screen' program
package by Oliver Laumann.

Just what is it that you want terminal.el to do and it doesn't?  Since
you made vague comments about missing features, please post exactly what
these missing features are.

kyle jones   <kyle@cs.odu.edu>   ...!uunet!talos!kjones