Linux: .Xdefaults, geometry not recognized

Linux: .Xdefaults, geometry not recognized

[Uwe Brauer]

Hello 

Using Kubuntu 10.04, and GNU emacs 24.3
I have the following setting in my .Xdefaults

Emacs.foreground:                       black
Emacs.background:                       grey98
Emacs.font:     -*-courier-bold-r-*-*-18-180-*-*-*-*-*-*
Emacs.geometry:                         105x63+20+5

File the font is recognized by emacs but the geometry not.
I change its values run xrdb -merge ~/.Xdefaults and Emacs ignores the 
values of the geometry entry.

Does anybody has an idea?

Thanks 

Uwe Brauer 

Re: Linux: .Xdefaults, geometry not recognized

[Bob Proulx]

Uwe Brauer wrote:
> I have the following setting in my .Xdefaults
> Emacs.foreground:                       black
> Emacs.background:                       grey98
> Emacs.font:     -*-courier-bold-r-*-*-18-180-*-*-*-*-*-*
> Emacs.geometry:                         105x63+20+5
> File the font is recognized by emacs but the geometry not.

First things first.  As I am sure you are aware the .Xdefaults is the
old, old, old way and the file is ignored if the xrdb is non-empty.
Please verify that your xrdb database is completely empty.

  xrdb -q

If that lists anything then the .Xdefaults won't be used.  Almost
every desktop environment sets xrdb resources these days.  It is
better IMNHO to use it instead.

I would verify that the resources you want are set in the xrdb
correctly.  Note that the lower case name "emacs" is more specific
than the class name "Emacs" and therefore a emacs.font setting will
override an Emacs.font setting.

  xrdb -q | grep -i emacs

For debugging I would try it explicitly on the command line.  Then
with the -q option.

  emacs --xrm Emacs.geometry:105x63+20+5

  emacs -q --xrm Emacs.geometry:105x63+20+5

  emacs -q --xrm emacs.geometry:105x63+20+5

Bob

Re: Linux: .Xdefaults, geometry not recognized

[Uwe Brauer]

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>> "Bob" == Bob Proulx <bob@proulx.com> writes:

   > Uwe Brauer wrote:
   >> I have the following setting in my .Xdefaults
   >> Emacs.foreground:                       black
   >> Emacs.background:                       grey98
   >> Emacs.font:     -*-courier-bold-r-*-*-18-180-*-*-*-*-*-*
   >> Emacs.geometry:                         105x63+20+5
   >> File the font is recognized by emacs but the geometry not.

Thanks for this very detailed answer.

   > First things first.  As I am sure you are aware the .Xdefaults is the
   > old, old, old way and the file is ignored if the xrdb is non-empty.
   > Please verify that your xrdb database is completely empty.

Well I always run xrdb -merge ~/.Xdefaults

   >   xrdb -q

   > If that lists anything then the .Xdefaults won't be used.  Almost
   > every desktop environment sets xrdb resources these days.  It is
   > better IMNHO to use it instead.

It lists for example 
Emacs.geometry: 105x63+20+5

   > I would verify that the resources you want are set in the xrdb
   > correctly.  Note that the lower case name "emacs" is more specific
   > than the class name "Emacs" and therefore a emacs.font setting will
   > override an Emacs.font setting.

   >   xrdb -q | grep -i emacs

   > For debugging I would try it explicitly on the command line.  Then
   > with the -q option.

   >   emacs --xrm Emacs.geometry:105x63+20+5

   >   emacs -q --xrm Emacs.geometry:105x63+20+5

   >   emacs -q --xrm emacs.geometry:105x63+20+5


All work!

But again when I change 

Emacs.geometry: 105x63+20+5

To 
Emacs.geometry: 105x63+20+5
in my .Xdefaults file
run xrdb -merge .Xdefaults
check whether the change is updated (which it is)

And then start emacs without the xrm option the geometry setting is
ignored!!!
So all xrdb setting seen by xrbd -q | grep -i emacs 
are used but not the Emacs.geometry (emacs.geometry) parameter

Very odd.

Uwe 

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Re: Linux: .Xdefaults, geometry not recognized

[Bob Proulx]

Uwe Brauer wrote:
> Well I always run xrdb -merge ~/.Xdefaults

I guess that is one way to ensure that the values are used.  :-)

(The typical expectation is to use .Xresources for this.  The reason
it was moved to a different file is because xrdb runs the file through
the cpp and so comments and conditionals may occur in it that are
stripped out of the result.  Those can't exist in the .Xdefaults
though or they will produce errors when that file is read normally.)

> Emacs.geometry:                         105x63+20+5
>    >   xrdb -q | grep -i emacs

I was hoping you would find an emacs.geometry that was overriding your
Emacs.geometry.

>    > For debugging I would try it explicitly on the command line.  Then
>    > with the -q option.
>    >   emacs --xrm Emacs.geometry:105x63+20+5
>    >   emacs -q --xrm Emacs.geometry:105x63+20+5
>    >   emacs -q --xrm emacs.geometry:105x63+20+5
> 
> All work!

Well...  At least that is something.  You know it can work if the
conditions are right.

> But again when I change 
> 
> Emacs.geometry: 105x63+20+5
> 
> To 
> Emacs.geometry: 105x63+20+5

I don't see any difference there between those two samples.

> in my .Xdefaults file
> run xrdb -merge .Xdefaults
> check whether the change is updated (which it is)
> 
> And then start emacs without the xrm option the geometry setting is
> ignored!!!

Last thing I can think of is to double check that whitespace.  For
debugging I would try it without.  Just in case something strange is
happening there.

Plus I would try it using the window name rather than the application
class.  If you are calling emacs as "emacs" then use that name.

  emacs.geometry:105x63+20+5

[The name is there for other uses.  For example I can name a window to
be "debug" and then debug.geometry and debug.background and so forth
applies specifically to the window named debug overriding the more
general class.  Just for debugging I would try using the specific
name.]

> So all xrdb setting seen by xrbd -q | grep -i emacs 
> are used but not the Emacs.geometry (emacs.geometry) parameter
> 
> Very odd.

It is very odd.  And I am pretty much out of ideas.  Hopefully one of
the other folks on the list will come up with an idea.

Bob

Re: Linux: .Xdefaults, geometry not recognized

[Uwe Brauer]

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   > Uwe Brauer wrote:

   > I guess that is one way to ensure that the values are used.  :-)



   > Well...  At least that is something.  You know it can work if the
   > conditions are right.


   > I don't see any difference there between those two samples.
Ahem my bad, when writing the email (auto-capitalize-mode, capitalized
the «emacs.geometry» 

   > Last thing I can think of is to double check that whitespace.  For
   > debugging I would try it without.  Just in case something strange is
   > happening there.

   > Plus I would try it using the window name rather than the application
   > class.  If you are calling emacs as "emacs" then use that name.

   >   emacs.geometry:105x63+20+5

Does not help.
   > [The name is there for other uses.  For example I can name a window to
   > be "debug" and then debug.geometry and debug.background and so forth
   > applies specifically to the window named debug overriding the more
   > general class.  Just for debugging I would try using the specific
   > name.]


   > It is very odd.  And I am pretty much out of ideas.  Hopefully one of
   > the other folks on the list will come up with an idea.

Especially that Emacs recognises some setting but ignores other..

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Re: Linux: .Xdefaults, geometry not recognized

[Will Parsons]

Uwe Brauer wrote:
>
>
> Hello 
>
> Using Kubuntu 10.04, and GNU emacs 24.3
> I have the following setting in my .Xdefaults
>
> Emacs.foreground:                       black
> Emacs.background:                       grey98
> Emacs.font:     -*-courier-bold-r-*-*-18-180-*-*-*-*-*-*
> Emacs.geometry:                         105x63+20+5
>
> File the font is recognized by emacs but the geometry not.
> I change its values run xrdb -merge ~/.Xdefaults and Emacs ignores the 
> values of the geometry entry.
>
> Does anybody has an idea?

I use .Xresources rather than .Xdefaults, but I have:

Emacs.geometry: 80x40

Note the numbers refer to lines & characters rather than pixels.

-- 
Will