Re: how to find out methods for tramp?

["Robert J. Chassell" <bob@rattlesnake.com>]

   "Robert J. Chassell" <bob@rattlesnake.com> writes:

   > The problem is, the only way I could choose one method instead of
   > another was to try a whole bunch of methods.  That is the problem and
   > is inefficent.

   This is bad.  I agree with Eli and Richard that this means that the
   manual needs to be fixed.  Thanks a lot for finding this problem.

   Can you say which kind of explanation would have helped you to find
   the right method quickly?

Ideally, Tramp should try additional methods if the method you use
fails (with an option to turn off this feature by setting a variable).

In any case, messages that go to the *Message* buffer should be more
helpful in telling what happened.  They should tell you 

    `mimencode' not found on this machine; try a Tram method using
    `uuencode', which is found on this machine

    Tramp method `sm' confused by extra questions to SSH; try `smx'

    SSH fails; try a telnet method, such as `tm'

        [[Yes, there was a period, after their system administrator
        died unexpectely, when my ISP permit insecure telnet
        connections from anywhere, but prevented secure SSH
        connections -- just the opposite of what had been
        intended...]]



   Maybe the right way to explain it is to start from the user's
   situation.  We should get the user to log in to the remote host from
   the command line.  The command used there will tell us something
   about which methods are applicable.

This is what I have been doing.  That is how I know that one of the
machines I connect to lacks `mimencode'.  This method should be a last
resort, since it is so inefficient.  

It is a way to track down bugs, not a way to get tramp working on 15
different machines, some running non-GNU operating systems, such as
SunOS, as 16 different users.


   Then we could tell the user to issue commands like "type mimencode"
   and "type uuencode", as you have used.  This will tell us more about
   the applicable methods.

This kind of information should be in the `Recovery from Problems'
section.  It is useful for helping people to report bugs. If Tramp is
able to connect, it should be able to run `type mimencode'
automatically if need be.

-- 
    Robert J. Chassell                  bob@rattlesnake.com
    Rattlesnake Enterprises             http://www.rattlesnake.com