Re: LYNX-DEV Lynx autoconfigure (Was: baby step 2)

[Unknown]

Jim Spath wrote:
> 
> I won't have time to do anything today, but I read over the lynx.cfg file
> and the usersdef.h files with an eye towards splitting up things into
> these categories: 
> 
> * System dependent values definitely needed in config.
> 
> * System/user settings such as $WWW_HOME, domain name, email address, etc.
> 
> * Run-time or option settings that need to stay in lynx.cfg, but that
> could be defaulted at configure time (need a good outline and list of this
> since Lynx is such an octopus). 
> 
Huha?  Do you mean things that are needed before ~/.lynxrc (or VMS
equivelent) can be read.  Or configuration options that need to be set at
compile time (eg. interuptible DNS qureys, slang, ncurses...).

> * Locations of things such as sendmail, telnet, inews, etc.  There's a
> bunch of full-paths at the end of userdefs.h
> 
> * A simple toggle for building a secure, anonymous-accessible Lynx.
> 
> 
> Some tweaks I'd be interested in adding/modifying (not priority, just
> while I'm thinking about it):
> 
> There'e a really bizarre hack for Ultrix in LYMain.c:
> #ifdef ULTRIX
>     /*
>      *  Need this for ultrix.
>      */
>     terminal = getenv("TERM");
>     if ((terminal == NULL) || !strncasecomp(terminal, "xterm", 5))
>         terminal = "vt100";
> #endif /* ULTRIX */
> Why is that there?
> 
My guess is that Ultrixes have a tendency to not define their $TERM, and
have faulty "xterm*" in their default terminal databases.  (Disclamer: I
have never used a Ultrix.)

> Some way to retain the old lynx.cfg while doing the install, perhaps with
> a timestamp, or generating a diff file against the new one. 
>
Perhaps the program should diff the current lynx.cfg (is there a relible way
to tell were that would be stored though, since it can be changed by a
#define?)

> 
> Makefile entries for stuff like lint, purify, et al.
> 
> A revised temporary file directory variable.  Lynx uses /tmp, unless
> $LYNX_TEMP_SPACE is defined.  I would put a third choice, to examine
> $TMP_DIR as well, since this is often used for the same purpose.
>
I should think that you would want to use $LYNX_TEMP_SPACE, $TMP_DIR, $TEMP,
$TMP, and "/tmp", in order of preference: most lynx-cyentric, generic (in
random order, since the likelyhood of them being defined with different
values is slim, then a fallback if all else fails.  Perhaps we should even
test if /tmp allredy exists, and if it doesn't, create a ./tmp under lynx's
top dir.

> 
> My personal preference would be to use a X-Windows binary for an external
> task such as "tn3270."  Configure could look for x3270 first (a wonderful
> freeware program, btw), and then for tn3270.  A user could override this
> decision, of course.  Other external programs such as "xv", "xview", 
> or "xli" could also be found this way.
> 
I should think that we would want to ask "Check for X, or shell, versions of
helper programs (X/S)?", since one of the primary resons to use Lynx is when
you can only get shell access, even though the host might have X installed.

 --- James Mastros
 
 Handtyped since 1997.

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