Subject: Call for testers for GNU Hyperbole 5.12, a large, useful Emacs package

[Robert Weiner <rsw@gnu.org>]

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I am the author of GNU Hyperbole, the everyday, hypertextual
information manager for GNU Emacs; Mats Lidell is the co-maintainer.
Hyperbole can boost the productivity of even experienced developers.
Hyperbole does many things but it mainly helps speed you through
working with many files and directories (whether local or remote),
using any naturally embedded structure within them as built-in
hyperlinks and allowing you to quickly hyperlink between files without
utilizing any markup language (just drag between source and referent
to create a link).  It also has a great window and frame manager for
getting your display just right.  The Hyperbole project home page
gives a more extensive description:

https://www.gnu.org/software/hyperbole/

Hyperbole was created long ago but I have now rewritten it as a
standard Emacs package with full compatibility for Emacs 25.1 (and
backwards compatibility to Emacs 24.3).  Because so much has changed
with the latest work, we need experienced Emacs users to give it a
workout and send feedback prior to a public release, hopefully finding
any major issues before a larger number of people start using it
(probably within a month).  Although large, Hyperbole does not require
anything outside of libraries shipped with GNU Emacs itself, so it is
easy to install and test.  Since it is an Emacs package, if you decide
not to keep it, you can uninstall it, restart your Emacs and you will
be back to where you were before. If people like it, we will work
across time on making it a core part of Emacs, available whenever
desired.

Because it is not yet ready for standard release, you must download it
from our own site as described below.  The public release will be
through normal channels.  You can test it by using it during your
normal workday; you'll want to have 2-4 hours across a week to get
somewhat familiar and to allow time for testing.

Right now there are just a few users and there is no traffic on the
hyperbole-users@gnu.org mailing list, so you can join the list and
send any feedback without it generating too much mail.

https://savannah.gnu.org/mail/?group=hyperbole

If you do not want to join the list, you can send feedback directly to
me as rsw at gnu dot org, though we would prefer it go to the list so
more people can see it.  There is also a bug-hyperbole@gnu.org list
for direct bug reports.

If you decide to test it, please send a message to the list or to me
just indicating the main parts you are testing or plan to test so we
have an idea of how many people are testing.  Thanks so much for your
help and we hope GNU Hyperbole becomes a regular part of your working
toolset across time.  You will see why we say, Hyperbole is ready for
action!

----------

To download and install the Hyperbole package, add something like the
following lines to your .emacs file:

(require 'package)
(setq package-check-signature nil
      package-enable-at-startup nil) ;; Prevent double loading of libraries
(add-to-list 'package-archives '("RSW-Packages" . "
http://www.plasmas.biz/rswe/") t)
(package-initialize)
(unless (package-installed-p 'hyperbole)
  (if (not (display-graphic-p))
      ;; Installation of Hyperbole requires a non-dumb terminal
      ;; instance of Emacs, i.e. under a window system.
      (progn (message "(Hyperbole): Run Emacs under a window system to
install Hyperbole")
    (beep)
    (sit-for 4))
    (package-refresh-contents)
    (package-install 'hyperbole)))

Then restart Emacs and if no errors occur, the latest version of Hyperbole
will be downloaded, built and then available for use.  When it is ready,
you will see a Hyperbole menu on your menubar and {C-h h} will display a
Hyperbole menu in the minibuffer for quick keyboard-based selection.
(Just FYI, Hyperbole has used that key binding probably longer than
Emacs itself).

Read the Hyperbole Manual, "(hyperbole)Top", to learn all about it.  A
press of {M-RET} within the above double quotes will display the
manual once Hyperbole is loaded.

Use {C-h h d d} to display the Hyperbole DEMO, for a demonstration of
standard Hyperbole button capabilities.  This is the best way to
initially interactively learn about some parts of Hyperbole (the DEMO
still needs updating with some of Hyperbole's newer features).  The
Hyperbole Manual is a reference manual, not a simple introduction.  It
is provided under the man/ subdirectory in .info, .html and .pdf
formats.

Have fun.

Bob

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