Re: don't assume ELF binaries are multicultural text

[Kevin Rodgers <ihs_4664@yahoo.com>]

Dan Jacobson wrote:
> $ emacs /bin/sh
> Loading thai-util...
> Loading mule-util...done
> Loading thai-util...done
> Loading lao-util...done
> Loading ind-util...done
> Loading composite...done
> Loading tibet-util...done
> 
> Got an idea, why not say "Uh, Holmes, /bin/sh is a ELF 32-bit LSB
> executable, Intel 80386, version 1 (SYSV), for GNU/Linux 2.2.0,
> dynamically linked (uses shared libs), for GNU/Linux 2.2.0, stripped,
> shall we w: wrongly assume it is multicultural text, thus bloating
> emacs for the remainder of the session, h: invoke some hex editing
> mode, q: back out of your certainly mistaken attempt to open the wrong
> file, f: forever allow me to blunder ahead as multicultural text next
> time..."

(setq auto-coding-regexp-alist
       (cons '("\\`\177ELF" . no-conversion)
             auto-coding-regexp-alist))

You can find more interesting byte patterns in /etc/magic.

(setq auto-mode-alist
       (cons (cons "\\`/bin/[^/]+\\'" 'hexl-mode)
             auto-mode-alist))

You can find more directories with binary files in (getenv "PATH") or
load-path.

-- 
Kevin