server.el hardcodes directory /tmp

server.el hardcodes directory /tmp

[Klaus Straubinger]

In server.el the variables server-temp-file-regexp and
server-socket-dir contain direct references to the directory "/tmp"
which are not appropriate in operating systems like Microsoft Windows.
The second one is not even customizable.

My suggestion would be to use the variable temporary-file-directory
instead.

-- 
Klaus Straubinger

Re: server.el hardcodes directory /tmp

[Eli Zaretskii]

> Date: Thu, 2 Aug 2007 12:56:42 +0200 (W. Europe Daylight Time)
> From: Klaus Straubinger <KSNetz@UseNet.ArcorNews.DE>
> 
> In server.el the variables server-temp-file-regexp and
> server-socket-dir contain direct references to the directory "/tmp"
> which are not appropriate in operating systems like Microsoft Windows.
> The second one is not even customizable.

Thank you for your report.

server-socket-dir is not used on Windows, AFAIK (it is pertinent to
the method of communicating between emacsclient and the server that
cannot work on Windows), so I think it's okay for it to cater only for
Unix and GNU systems.

As to server-temp-file-regexp, it sounds like it is specific to
certain applications other than Emacs which use temporary file names
that match this regexp.  Did you have specific problems with any of
these applications on Windows due to the value of
server-temp-file-regexp? if so, could you please describe those
problems?

The reason I'm asking is that making this regexp be more
Windows-friendly requires one to know where do the applications for
which this option was introduced store their temporary files.

> My suggestion would be to use the variable temporary-file-directory
> instead.

Assuming the respective applications put their files there on Windows,
I agree.

Re: server.el hardcodes directory /tmp

[Klaus Straubinger]

Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org> wrote:

> server-socket-dir is not used on Windows, AFAIK (it is pertinent to
> the method of communicating between emacsclient and the server that
> cannot work on Windows)

As of Emacs 22.1, this is correct. But it may change in the future.

> so I think it's okay for it to cater only for Unix and GNU systems.

Emacs runs on many different operating systems.

> As to server-temp-file-regexp, it sounds like it is specific to
> certain applications other than Emacs which use temporary file names
> that match this regexp.

The documentation of this variable is not entirely clear to me.
It does not tell me in which way the files that match this regexp
are handled differently than all other files.

> Did you have specific problems with any of these applications on
> Windows due to the value of server-temp-file-regexp?

Actually not. I just wondered about the default setting.
In my opinion, temporary-file-directory should be preferred over
"/tmp/" or whatever directly set directory, simply because then it
would work on all operating systems when set correctly in one place.

> The reason I'm asking is that making this regexp be more
> Windows-friendly requires one to know where do the applications for
> which this option was introduced store their temporary files.

For which Unix/GNU applications does the default apply?

>> My suggestion would be to use the variable temporary-file-directory
>> instead.
>
> Assuming the respective applications put their files there on Windows,
> I agree.

It could only be an improvement. For typical Unix/GNU systems,
temporary-file-directory is set to "/tmp/" anyway.

-- 
Klaus Straubinger

Re: server.el hardcodes directory /tmp

[Eli Zaretskii]

> Date: Fri, 3 Aug 2007 14:40:56 +0200 (W. Europe Daylight Time)
> From: Klaus Straubinger <KSNetz@UseNet.ArcorNews.DE>
> 
> Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org> wrote:
> 
> > server-socket-dir is not used on Windows, AFAIK (it is pertinent to
> > the method of communicating between emacsclient and the server that
> > cannot work on Windows)
> 
> As of Emacs 22.1, this is correct. But it may change in the future.

It can only change if some future version of Windows implements Unix
sockets.  I find this unlikely, to say the least.

> > so I think it's okay for it to cater only for Unix and GNU systems.
> 
> Emacs runs on many different operating systems.

They are all either Posix or DOS/Windows.

> > As to server-temp-file-regexp, it sounds like it is specific to
> > certain applications other than Emacs which use temporary file names
> > that match this regexp.
> 
> The documentation of this variable is not entirely clear to me.
> It does not tell me in which way the files that match this regexp
> are handled differently than all other files.

They are backed up unconditionally without asking any questions (see
server-done), but I must admit I don't fully understand the reasons,
either.

> > The reason I'm asking is that making this regexp be more
> > Windows-friendly requires one to know where do the applications for
> > which this option was introduced store their temporary files.
> 
> For which Unix/GNU applications does the default apply?

server-edit mentions MH in its doc string.

> >> My suggestion would be to use the variable temporary-file-directory
> >> instead.
> >
> > Assuming the respective applications put their files there on Windows,
> > I agree.
> 
> It could only be an improvement. For typical Unix/GNU systems,
> temporary-file-directory is set to "/tmp/" anyway.

Sorry, I don't like making changes I don't understand.

Re: server.el hardcodes directory /tmp

[Richard Stallman]

GNU Emacs, as a part of the GNU system, has the principal purpose of
making the GNU system better.  (The variant of GNU that is generally
used is GNU/Linux, with Linux as the kernel.)

Although we also support other systems, they must not run away with
the project.  And when those other systems are non-free, we should
keep in mind that our goal is to replace them, not enhance them.