[svlug] About mc

[J C Lawrence]

On Mon, 21 Jan 2002 01:51:22 -0800 
Erik Steffl <steffl at bigfoot.com> wrote:
> J C Lawrence wrote:
>> On Sun, 20 Jan 2002 23:48:18 -0800 Erik Steffl
>> <steffl at bigfoot.com> wrote:

>> Take your answers and apply them in reverse and I suspect you'll
>> find many of my reasons for not wishing to use mc and looking for
>> a much more vi-like tool (well, minus vi key bindings).

>   as I see it you want ed instead of vi:-)

For a file manager?  Kinda, yes, tho more in an MH style.

> I mean I understand if you don't want to use nautilus or some
> other megaloman of a filemanger but mc? it is lean and mean and
> does filemanagement, doesn't have a flight simulator in it or
> programming language or whatever extra stuff that some other
> programs include (not that there's anything wrong with that, it's
> just that not everybody likes that style)

I want leaner and meaner, and far more atomic.

>> In mc:
>> 
>> In pane 1 tag some files.
>> 
>> Move to pane 2
>> 
>> Navigate to a directory.
>> 
>> Hit copy key (forget what it is).
>> 
>> Fails.  Why?  mc requires focus to be in the source of the tagged
>> operation, not the target.

> that's because that's how it works basically everywhere. 

I can't comment on everywhere, but I've not noticed that behaviour
in other tools before and its not the way I expect or want.

> even in list, you select source, hit c, specify target; apart from
> the patological case you described (if directory is selected, the
> tagged files are copied into it).

Uhh, but that is a way of specifying target.  If I run mc in dual
pane mode, and do the above, why shouldn't/wouldn't it accept it as
a default/intended target?

>> If I haven't indicated, in any possible way, a target, then I can
>> live with a dialog.  If I have indicated a possible target, for
>> instance by having the cursor on a dir (LIST behaviour), then use
>> that and don't ask me.

> that's not possible* when using two panels

Sure it is.  Just take the above example and have the copy work.

> (it might be a possible enhancement of single panel mode), it's
> also surprising because that's not how it works in most other
> applications (and somewhat inconsistent)

Oddly enough its exactly what I expect and is what seems most
obvious to me:

  Okay, I want these files >here< and I want to move them over, umm,
  (fiddle, fiddle, fiddle) yeah, over here.

mc dictates instead:

  Okay, I want these files >here< and I want to move them over, umm,
  (fiddle, fiddle, fiddle) yeah, over here, but oh yeah, where were
  those files again?

Can't comment on any other applications.  Inconsistent?  

>   * it is possible but would be even more confusing than when it's
> a single panel, it would also mean that you basically have to go
> to target panel before copy/move etc., quite a mess.

No.  Just have both work.  If there is a second panel, always accept
it as the default target of a copy, no matter where focus is UNLESS
the cursor is on a valid target (eg directory) in either panel, in
which case accept that instead by default (as long as its not
tagged).

				-+-

I wandered thru http://chuck.burkins.net/LinuxFile.html yesterday.

  Asides from being X11 based SFM is rather nice.  Pleasingly small
  and pleasingly hackable.  Wish it were text mode.  Basic key
  bindings can be lived with, but can be changed (source edits)
  without too much difficulty.  There's a .deb as well.  

In looking thru sunsite/ibiblio I found hm:

  http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/utils/file/managers/hm-3.1.tar.gz

Fairly promising.  Will need some source hacking to fix the key
bindings and get rid of the confirms on things like `rm`.
Annoyingly it fails to respond to window resizes which I do a lot
of.

More interestingly zselx approaches the SELECT problem.  

  http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/utils/file/managers/zselx-1.1.tar.gz

I need to play with it more.  It would be considerably nicer if it:

  -- accepted the command to run on the command line
  -- accepted a filespec (eg *.c) instead of just a directory spec.
  -- could accept multiple filespecs on the command line
  -- could accept the list of files to display from stdin (kinda
  tough with a CURSES app I know)

-- 
J C Lawrence                
---------(*)                Satan, oscillate my metallic sonatas. 
claw at kanga.nu               He lived as a devil, eh?		  
http://www.kanga.nu/~claw/  Evil is a name of a foeman, as I live.