Wade Curry wrote:
How do emacs users prefer deal with the C-h/backspace issues? I think most Linux distros map backspace to ^? . When I'm working in a mixed Unix environment, though, backspace gets hosed, and I imagine it would interfere with getting help in emacs... some of us *need* that help facility in a *big* way.
I think emacs tries to be intelligent about this. If ^H is backspace, ^? becomes help. Of course, this is dependent upon your curses implementation being rational. Otherwise, you have to start doing things like "stty erase ^?" (or "stty erase ^H" depending upon your preference).
To be fair, though, I'm pretty sure vi doesn't come off untouched if ^H and ^? are mismapped. I recall having to use actual ^H in insert mode and a ^? in command mode on at least one major UNIX box. Talk about frustrating. It's been a while though since I've had any major problems with curses.
Normally my problem now is finding the stupid switches to turn *off* things like terminal colorization.
It's hard to go from one editor to the other just because there is already a large investment in, and comfort with, the one that is already known. Obviously. But I think what really keeps me from getting emacs is the impatience at being reduced to the functionality of Notepad all over again, The motivation to continue is already gone because that hurdle has already been faced.
Agreed. I'm an emacs user because emacs was far more functional than vi when I learned emacs (1988). Nothing about vi has enough pull for me to overcome the time I have already sunk.
However, as I said, one *needs* to have decent vi-fu if one is a sysadmin. There are times when your system gets hosed and vi/ed is the only way out (I have used more creative methods, but I don't recommend them). That can be the difference between 10 seconds and a reboot or a complete reinstall.
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