ansi-term and line mode

ansi-term and line mode

[Chong Yidong]

I noticed that ansi-term starts out in char-mode, in which keystrokes
are passed directly to the shell.  That's fine, but it can be a bit
confusing to the new user, especially since commands like C-x C-c stop
working.

I recommend adding an echo area message when ansi-term starts up, saying
something like:

 "Starting ansi-term in char mode.  Type C-c C-j to switch to line mode."

The functions term-line-mode and term-char-mode should also issue
similar messages.

Could you implement this?

Thanks.

Re: ansi-term and line mode

[Dan Nicolaescu]

Chong Yidong <cyd@stupidchicken.com> writes:

  > I noticed that ansi-term starts out in char-mode, in which keystrokes
  > are passed directly to the shell. 

Yes, that is absolutely intentional, it is a terminal emulator after
all, that is how it is supposed to work.

  > That's fine, but it can be a bit
  > confusing to the new user, especially since commands like C-x C-c stop
  > working.
  > 
  > I recommend adding an echo area message when ansi-term starts up, saying
  > something like:
  > 
  >  "Starting ansi-term in char mode.  Type C-c C-j to switch to line mode."

The fact that commands don't work it's a bit hard to deal with in the
beginning, but the above message will only cause more confusion.  Many
users have absolutely no idea what "line mode" and "character mode" are
(nor do they care).
Better suggestions are welcome.

  > The functions term-line-mode and term-char-mode should also issue
  > similar messages.
  > 
  > Could you implement this?

I'll put thins on my todo list, but it's nowhere near the top...