From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: news.gmane.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail From: David Wardle Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.devel Subject: Suggested amendment to www.gnu.org/software/emacs/download.html#windows Date: Wed, 29 Nov 2017 10:24:27 +1300 Message-ID: NNTP-Posting-Host: blaine.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" X-Trace: blaine.gmane.org 1511912150 1181 195.159.176.226 (28 Nov 2017 23:35:50 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@blaine.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Tue, 28 Nov 2017 23:35:50 +0000 (UTC) Cc: Eli Zaretskii To: emacs-devel@gnu.org Original-X-From: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Wed Nov 29 00:35:44 2017 Return-path: Envelope-to: ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org Original-Received: from lists.gnu.org ([208.118.235.17]) by blaine.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.84_2) (envelope-from ) id 1eJpPg-0007xD-Ci for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Wed, 29 Nov 2017 00:35:40 +0100 Original-Received: from localhost ([::1]:40544 helo=lists.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1eJpPl-0005n4-FT for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Tue, 28 Nov 2017 18:35:45 -0500 Original-Received: from eggs.gnu.org ([2001:4830:134:3::10]:43842) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1eJnMk-00071y-JE for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Tue, 28 Nov 2017 16:24:31 -0500 Original-Received: from Debian-exim by eggs.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1eJnMj-0000Dk-4v for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Tue, 28 Nov 2017 16:24:30 -0500 Original-Received: from mail-ua0-x243.google.com ([2607:f8b0:400c:c08::243]:33550) by eggs.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS1.0:RSA_AES_128_CBC_SHA1:16) (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1eJnMi-0000Dd-Vj; Tue, 28 Nov 2017 16:24:29 -0500 Original-Received: by mail-ua0-x243.google.com with SMTP id v20so1651920uaj.0; Tue, 28 Nov 2017 13:24:28 -0800 (PST) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20161025; h=mime-version:from:date:message-id:subject:to:cc; bh=pyWBMcrXWnKMrCoRMU9JEGcWnjCmJBdg4ZqZscjrul0=; b=YCITcNr7qs+326c3hy3E1Xmi9akd+82CFmeOsW6Uq6lKfLiWinRJpqpq+TgWJoeXMl t7DtBhimhtRdB4CqEz8cd0VjCl4k1HUrHg3dKoE13uml+szuFgk1+IuFpRCGhieqeiD0 vonzkWKq2a2smGOVYMH1Hl1kvAckNmaevV77fZM3+zVcMJ4OgKk4VfxMq0keiJpCfFz7 KB4ny4BfKuNmEOoBQ0RZn9ltYA1LKekQGbFombmS+F7w4lu1Rm0jFkE2vxhfp5NpocdQ AGgtpWBun/qc7X6rlVnV656ObSbbbcazCHTAxCoP+vpOQUfa8LKosyGgRjKJO1DH4Hv8 AJTw== X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=1e100.net; s=20161025; h=x-gm-message-state:mime-version:from:date:message-id:subject:to:cc; bh=pyWBMcrXWnKMrCoRMU9JEGcWnjCmJBdg4ZqZscjrul0=; b=Qo0qI9fsFowI6ui+givAe0uGRqh+wPZaPB1w6CFPutCiK6Q32+rLImCjmnDKi8z7wS CwcTBl0V+3JmYMwTJOC2xVA2Bg+F9o55cQ6DUXTQV2orxwHK3REkDLmqYb3FMjJvZlkt 4pgyE7rF7V/TyQ1FGrZcUFx8iaImb8+JgGGXUwFl+1YgIDgMDPf/G1c8hUG0RijS2lzH 2UapNSq1Xmd507NU5xoaL1eQk0x6Lxq5auIBF91CXCBMoEVL9zvo5eaQSfPIPWpGaRCq q2EzRUzxRD63v0VUyk3LGi62jsroGHwHys3aXFXyLgWpzu/OalWDD5EpwCgov8Bb56/R WAFQ== X-Gm-Message-State: AJaThX7aHCuWtEhI1cLnZxGDee3jbazFLHeK0myoEkS4DghRfptNmdiY pVShGr5KKWQBgTWDL28UCS6iA/rTceLR4p70MD0= X-Google-Smtp-Source: AGs4zMZssrTN1uolMiOeFmmgb+UPC5y9ikc5rVRDXdIgEDQrJYxk0r3QGd8JS+hqu6bZe4MYJWhG8VCAoCuPtoMWmzo= X-Received: by 10.31.184.13 with SMTP id i13mr548536vkf.132.1511904268129; Tue, 28 Nov 2017 13:24:28 -0800 (PST) Original-Received: by 10.103.130.78 with HTTP; Tue, 28 Nov 2017 13:24:27 -0800 (PST) X-detected-operating-system: by eggs.gnu.org: Genre and OS details not recognized. X-Received-From: 2607:f8b0:400c:c08::243 X-Mailman-Approved-At: Tue, 28 Nov 2017 18:35:35 -0500 X-BeenThere: emacs-devel@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.21 Precedence: list List-Id: "Emacs development discussions." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Original-Sender: "Emacs-devel" Xref: news.gmane.org gmane.emacs.devel:220512 Archived-At: Hi developers. I have a suggested amendment to: https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/download.html#windows I've put the suggested amendment and the reason I suggest it below (in separate sections). Sincerely, David Wardle Auckland NEW ZEALAND -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The amendment: Append to the first paragraph (which currently ends `...double-clicking on that shortcut's icon.'): `Note that to use some tools, additional downloads are required.' ...where the link is to a new webpage with content (this is just the bare bones):

GNU Emacs

Download & installation --- MicroSoft Windows system --- additional help

Running bin\runemacs.exe should give: (or something similar).

Clicking on Tools gives the options:

Some of the options e.g. Compare (Ediff) will not work unless additional packages are downloaded and correctly installed.

An example solution

Taking the case of Compare (Ediff), one solution (among several possibilities) is to download the Setup program for DiffUtils for Windows (which is created by the GnuWin project). Running the Setup program will create a directory on your computer e.g. `C:\Program Files\GnuWin32' containing directories `bin' (which contains programs `comp.exe', `diff.exe', etc.), `contrib' (which contains a directory `diffutils'), etc.

In order for Compare (Ediff) to work, Emacs needs to be told about the existence of `comp.exe', `diff.exe', etc. This is done by adding the directory `C:\Program Files\GnuWin32\bin' to your computer's PATH (note that changing the PATH is serious and must be done with care --- be sure to record the PATH before you change anything in case you need to return the PATH to its original state). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The reason I suggest it: I'm not a computer expert. But I do have some knowledge. I have been using a Mac but recently needed to organize some files on a Windows machine. I went to Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_file_comparison_tools Based on the Wikipedia page, Ediff seemed the most appealing option (it could compare binary files, was available across the three major operating systems, etc.). So I followed the Wikipedia links to the Emacs Wikipedia page and then to: https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/download.html#windows I downloaded emacs-25.3-i686.zip from: http://mirror.lagoon.nc/pub/gnu/emacs/windows/ When I ran bin\runemacs.exe, Emacs started fine and Tool -> Compare (Ediff) worked fine comparing directories. But, when I tried to use Ediff for comparing files, I just got the error `No such file or directory, diff'. This had me completely mystified. I spent hours trying to understand the error and did get there in the end with some much appreciated help: http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/help-emacs-windows/2017-11/msg00000.html But it would have been much better if the download instructions were supplemented with some additional information for less-expert users (like me). Such information would have saved me hours of frustration and the need to pester others. Hence the reason I make my suggestion.