Re: about lpe

[jfm2@club-internet.fr]

> > A very good question.
> > A statically linked lpe is actually >800 K  :-)
> > I don't know how to bring that down. Maybe some old Atari programmers can give
> > advice :-)
> 
> Usually: why build it static? The system only requires *one* static
> editor, and only for cases of terrible disaster, where if they have a
> remote chance of fixing it, they also know at least basic vi.
> 
> 

I would have many chances to fix problems but the only thing I know
about VI is :q.  Fortunately Linux is stable enough I never needed to
learn more and fortunately I never needed to sysadmin on proprietary
Unixes.

I also want to break an old dogma: VI is the "standard" editor in
Unix, Linux is Unix and you have to learn it.  I put it like this:
Linux is _NOT_ Unix (different training for people, different use and
[we hope] different sociology) so we should not condider Unix traditions
as sacreed.  Thus VI should not be the standard editor for Indy (the
fact it is the most in Unix is not a factor, the people who count are
the people who disliked Unix and those tend to mention VI as the first
cause for this): that means in case a programs calls an editor this
should not be VI, in case you are in trouble and need to fix the
inittab with only / mounted you should have an alternative in /bin who
needs only libraries from /lib.  In case you need to use a rescue
floppy you should have another editor than VI in it and in case there
is no space then it is VI who goes out (or we make two rescue floppies
one with VI, and one with the "other" editor).

People who know VI know how to customize rescue floppies or how to
unset environment variables.  In addition in case they are trapped
with only LPE it is much easier for them to handle it than for newbies
handling VI (I have heard of people who when bounced upon by a VI
called by an app found themselves unable to do anything and in
particular unable to exit it so they ended hitting the reset button)

Also last year Linux became equal to all the reamainining Unixes
combined so instead of us telling Linuxers "learn VI because this is
the editor ou will find in every Unix" let the Solaris guys tell to
their pupils "learn FOOBAR because this is the editor you will find in
Linux that is the system who is the overwhemingly dominant Unix".

Sticking to traditions after they have ended their usefulness is the
shortest route to defeat.  You see in the thirties my country's
generals blindly followed traditions like using horses in the army.
10 May 1940 they found they were wrong.

IMHO VI is not the editor we need "for the masses".  Neither is Emacs.
So we must remove the tradition about VI dominant editor and Emacs
close second.

-- 
			Jean Francois Martinez

Project Independence: Linux for the Masses
http://www.independence.seul.org