Re: Since some months, my .el files are read only, why?

[Stefan Monnier via Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor <help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org>]

> vc-rcs.el installs a find-file hook that makes RCS buffers
> readonly.

Indeed:

    (defun vc-rcs-find-file-hook ()
      ;; If the file is locked by some other user, make
      ;; the buffer read-only.  Like this, even root
      ;; cannot modify a file that someone else has locked.
      (and (stringp (vc-state buffer-file-name 'RCS))
           (setq buffer-read-only t)))

> Iʼm guessing that it checks just for the presence of RCS/
> files (I says 'guessing' because vc is a twisty maze of passages).

No, it actually checks the RCS status.  It doesn't need the `rcs`
executable for that, instead it parses the RCS file.


        Stefan