Tags: patch The command `erc-server-select' has long been considered a UX liability by many familiar with ERC, and yet it still appears among the handful of "erc-" prefixed entry points on offer when typing M-x erc TAB. So it's no wonder that folks complaining about ERC's brokenness often mention this command when pressed for details. What I imagine typically happens is that new folks find it succeeds initially but quickly grow frustrated once authentication becomes a concern (which it necessarily does because network documentation often emphasizes it). And even if these folks eventually figure out that the lack of prompting for vital parameters (like a nickname) means they're expected to convey such info via user options, they likely don't take kindly to discovering certain channels are off limits because the command isn't TLS aware. Although I'd prefer we somehow salvage `erc-server-select' (and other public items residing near the bottom of erc-networks.el [1]), we must also account for our meager manpower reserves and factor in all the would-be users continuously lost to negative experiences while we await whatever volunteer do-gooder may eventually emerge to take this on. At a minimum, I'd expect such a makeover to include some means of offering TLS, likely by extending `erc-server-alist' somehow while also shedding obsolete members in its default value (and hunting down updated values where warranted). I'd also think some mention in the doc string of essential user options that influence the connection, like `erc-nick', would be in order, as well as possibly migrating the command to erc.el. I've taken a stab at the lowest-hanging bits but have left the most laborious, namely, updating `erc-server-select', for any takers who feel up for the challenge. While it's heavy on leg work, it's relatively light on ERC know how and thus a good(TM) first issue. If that's you [2], please keep us in the loop by announcing your intentions so we can possibly reconsider deprecation. Thanks. [1] Someday, I do plan on revisiting at least one specific user-facing item at the bottom of erc-networks.el, namely, `erc-settings', which seems oriented toward users coming from traditional clients where connections are configured centrally. As I've mentioned elsewhere, we need something akin to (but more flexible than) connection-local variables to allow users to leverage existing user options but tailor them to various context-specific "scopes," like network/nick/channel, etc. Because this option is currently nonfunctional and its doc string notes it as being experimental, I believe we'd be free to repurpose it with impunity for some role in this new imagined paradigm. [2] The list weighs in at almost 400 lines, so you'll need to assign copyright if not already on the books. In GNU Emacs 30.0.50 (build 3, x86_64-pc-linux-gnu, GTK+ Version 3.24.38, cairo version 1.17.6) of 2023-07-04 built on localhost Repository revision: e37b96432b89521871e947f322545f154547dd1b Repository branch: master Windowing system distributor 'The X.Org Foundation', version 11.0.12014000 System Description: Fedora Linux 37 (Workstation Edition) Configured using: 'configure --enable-check-lisp-object-type --enable-checking=yes,glyphs 'CFLAGS=-O0 -g3' PKG_CONFIG_PATH=:/usr/lib64/pkgconfig:/usr/share/pkgconfig' Configured features: ACL CAIRO DBUS FREETYPE GIF GLIB GMP GNUTLS GPM GSETTINGS HARFBUZZ JPEG JSON LCMS2 LIBOTF LIBSELINUX LIBSYSTEMD LIBXML2 M17N_FLT MODULES NOTIFY INOTIFY PDUMPER PNG RSVG SECCOMP SOUND SQLITE3 THREADS TIFF TOOLKIT_SCROLL_BARS WEBP X11 XDBE XIM XINPUT2 XPM GTK3 ZLIB Important settings: value of $LANG: en_US.UTF-8 value of $XMODIFIERS: @im=ibus locale-coding-system: utf-8-unix Major mode: Lisp Interaction Minor modes in effect: tooltip-mode: t global-eldoc-mode: t eldoc-mode: t show-paren-mode: t electric-indent-mode: t mouse-wheel-mode: t tool-bar-mode: t menu-bar-mode: t file-name-shadow-mode: t global-font-lock-mode: t font-lock-mode: t blink-cursor-mode: t line-number-mode: t indent-tabs-mode: t transient-mark-mode: t auto-composition-mode: t auto-encryption-mode: t auto-compression-mode: t Load-path shadows: None found. 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