Re: master 70964b9: Mention `exec-path' in some process related doc strings

Re: master 70964b9: Mention `exec-path' in some process related doc strings

[Michael Albinus]

larsi@gnus.org (Lars Ingebrigtsen) writes:

Hi Lars,

[doc of make-process]

> --- a/src/process.c
> +++ b/src/process.c
>  :command COMMAND -- COMMAND is a list starting with the program file
> -name, followed by strings to give to the program as arguments.
> +name, followed by strings to give to the program as arguments.  If the
> +program file name is not an absolute file name, `make-process' will
> +look for the program file name in `exec-path' (which is a list of
> +directories).

This is not true in the remote case (default-directory is remote, and
:file-handler is non-nil). The program is not looked for; everything in
the :command list is used literally.

I don't know whether it is worth to explain this subtle difference,
though.

Best regards, Michael.

Re: master 70964b9: Mention `exec-path' in some process related doc strings

[Gregory Heytings via Emacs development discussions.]

> larsi@gnus.org (Lars Ingebrigtsen) writes:
>
> Hi Lars,
>
> [doc of make-process]
>
>> --- a/src/process.c
>> +++ b/src/process.c
>>  :command COMMAND -- COMMAND is a list starting with the program file
>> -name, followed by strings to give to the program as arguments.
>> +name, followed by strings to give to the program as arguments.  If the
>> +program file name is not an absolute file name, `make-process' will
>> +look for the program file name in `exec-path' (which is a list of
>> +directories).
>
> This is not true in the remote case (default-directory is remote, and 
> :file-handler is non-nil). The program is not looked for; everything in 
> the :command list is used literally.
>

I'm not sure I understand what you wrote correctly, but if indeed "the 
program is not looked for", it seems to me that the program file name must 
be an absolute path, in which case the sentence added by Lars is in fact 
still true in that case.  Or is something else than PATH and exec-path 
used in that case (for example the shell's PATH environment variable on 
the remote host)?

Gregory

Re: master 70964b9: Mention `exec-path' in some process related doc strings

[Michael Albinus]

Gregory Heytings <ghe@sdf.org> writes:

Hi Gregory,

>>> --- a/src/process.c
>>> +++ b/src/process.c
>>>  :command COMMAND -- COMMAND is a list starting with the program file
>>> -name, followed by strings to give to the program as arguments.
>>> +name, followed by strings to give to the program as arguments.  If the
>>> +program file name is not an absolute file name, `make-process' will
>>> +look for the program file name in `exec-path' (which is a list of
>>> +directories).
>>
>> This is not true in the remote case (default-directory is remote,
>> and :file-handler is non-nil). The program is not looked for;
>> everything in the :command list is used literally.
>>
>
> I'm not sure I understand what you wrote correctly, but if indeed "the
> program is not looked for", it seems to me that the program file name
> must be an absolute path, in which case the sentence added by Lars is
> in fact still true in that case.  Or is something else than PATH and
> exec-path used in that case (for example the shell's PATH environment
> variable on the remote host)?

The usual PATH settings of Tramp will be applied. That is, on the remote
host PATH is set to the value of tramp-remote-path, and a prgram (if not
given by an absolute path) must be found there.

Again, I don't believe this must be told in the docstring of
make-process. Tramp discusses it in its manual.

> Gregory

Best regards, Michael.

Re: master 70964b9: Mention `exec-path' in some process related doc strings

[Eli Zaretskii]

> From: Michael Albinus <michael.albinus@gmx.de>
> Date: Fri, 21 Aug 2020 17:59:13 +0200
> Cc: Gregory Heytings <ghe@sdf.org>, Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi@gnus.org>
> 
> > --- a/src/process.c
> > +++ b/src/process.c
> >  :command COMMAND -- COMMAND is a list starting with the program file
> > -name, followed by strings to give to the program as arguments.
> > +name, followed by strings to give to the program as arguments.  If the
> > +program file name is not an absolute file name, `make-process' will
> > +look for the program file name in `exec-path' (which is a list of
> > +directories).
> 
> This is not true in the remote case (default-directory is remote, and
> :file-handler is non-nil). The program is not looked for; everything in
> the :command list is used literally.
> 
> I don't know whether it is worth to explain this subtle difference,
> though.

Perhaps we could explain that in the ELisp manual.

Re: master 70964b9: Mention `exec-path' in some process related doc strings

[Michael Albinus]

Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org> writes:

>> From: Michael Albinus <michael.albinus@gmx.de>
>> Date: Fri, 21 Aug 2020 17:59:13 +0200
>> Cc: Gregory Heytings <ghe@sdf.org>, Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi@gnus.org>
>>
>> > --- a/src/process.c
>> > +++ b/src/process.c
>> >  :command COMMAND -- COMMAND is a list starting with the program file
>> > -name, followed by strings to give to the program as arguments.
>> > +name, followed by strings to give to the program as arguments.  If the
>> > +program file name is not an absolute file name, `make-process' will
>> > +look for the program file name in `exec-path' (which is a list of
>> > +directories).
>>
>> This is not true in the remote case (default-directory is remote, and
>> :file-handler is non-nil). The program is not looked for; everything in
>> the :command list is used literally.
>>
>> I don't know whether it is worth to explain this subtle difference,
>> though.
>
> Perhaps we could explain that in the ELisp manual.

`exec-path' is discussed in the Elisp manual, node "(elisp) Subprocess Creation".
It seems to be sufficient.

Best regards, Michael.