Re: lynx-dev Re: STARTFILE patch

[Philip Webb]

990414 Henry Nelson wrote: 
>> HN turns up once in a long while with loud advice for everyone,
>> but he's very rarely around to answer all those anguished users
> Touche.

we all try to remain parliamentary in what we say to one another:
i suspect the Ontario legislature is rowdier than the Japanese Diet (smile).
 
>> who suddenly can't get Lynx to start
>> & can't even hit `h'elp because Lynx won't start
>> & can't check  lynx.cfg  because they don't know what it is
> All three of these are answered (or should be) by plain text documentation
> in the distribution.  I cannot show a great deal of pity for people
> who fail to read INSTALLATION, PROBLEMS and other documentation thoroughly.
> Particularly the last, if "they" don't know what lynx.cfg is,
> then "they" simply have not put in the effort.

LV has replied to this already, so i can only echo him:
typically, the people who appeal to lynx-dev are using a sysadmin's Lynx
& have no knowledge of the existence or whereabouts of those files.

>> & can't get thro' to their always over-worked sysadmin:
> If it is the sysadm's job to provide Lynx service,
> then there isn't a lot we on lynx-dev can do if the sysadm is a slacker.
> If Lynx isn't a provided or supported service,
> then it is up to the user to fill in the gap or answer his/her own needs.

again LV has answered: we can try to find some way to avoid the problem,
which is what my amendment of  lynx.cfg  aims to do.
there are other ways to approach it, certainly (see below).
 
>> THEY are the people who call in here needing down-to-earth advice.
>> the way to help them is to make the STARTFILE default something local
> I am well aware of the instability of lynx.browser.org.
> Another possibility is a hardcoded message that would tell the user
> that Lynx isn't REALLY alive, i.e. how Lynx now supports users
> who are activating bookmarks for the first time --
> that would be a lot better than MSIE
> which throws up a perfectly blank screen when it can't get to msn.com.
> At least there would be a brief message about possible things to try.
> This would also seem very appropriate for non-English speakers,
> because then there would be at least the opportunity for NLS.

YES: that had also occurred to me, but it requires programming.
there really is no reason why Lynx should check out
just because it can't access the stated STARTFILE:
it could easily default to a simple screen message,
which could be an HTML file included in the distribution,
which whoever installs Lynx could alter to their taste,
or the message could be hard-coded, like the Print screen: eg

                  Start File Inaccessible

  Lynx is unable to access your start file <a>...</a>:
  you can try your start file again by pressing Enter
  or you can go on with your Lynx session with any Lynx command
  -- e.g. `g'oto , `h'elp or `v'iew bookmarks --
  or you can quit Lynx with `q' or `Q' (unconditional).

LP has supported various options at various times:
can he do the necessary bit of programming?
or can someone tell me where to look for a start?
 
> Anyway, you enjoy helping "all those anguished users," don't you :)

not really: i'ld like to remove the cause of their anguish permanently.
 
> But like you say, I'm no longer an active participant.
> It is truly up to you who devote yourselves to Lynx to decide what is best.
 
well, sometimes you do sound like the guy in the bleachers
who always knows better than the 1st-base umpire,
but i know you know quite a bit about the game when you put your mind to it.

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