Re: launch a program in an arbitrary frame

[Hikaru Ichijyo]

Emanuel Berg <embe8573@student.uu.se> writes:

> Hikaru Ichijyo <ichijyo@macross.sdf.jp> writes:
>
>> I often run ERC to connect to IM services via
>> a local Bitlbee daemon. It works best running in its
>> own frame, so I know when people are talking to me
>> without having to flip through all my buffers. (A
>> window doesn't seem to be sufficient, since Gnus
>> keeps changing the window layout to its
>> Summary/Article split, and the only way I've found
>> to deal with that is to keep programs whose layout
>> I care about in separate frames.)
>
> You sure have to hear a lot before the longears fall
> of. A Gnus *and* ERC user?! ... *bows*

The whole reason I got into Emacs was because I was hoping it could
bring my Internet usage back to the happy days back when it was almost
all text, almost all done through the keyboard, all in one integrated
environment (no more "mousercize" to use the Internet).  The mouse slows
me down and makes me keep having to move my right arm back and forth.

And on any kind of Unix system, adjusting any setting is usually done
with text files in a text editor.  Emacs just seemed like it could bring
it all together, system administration and Internet usage, and make the
mouse only necessary for programs that truly need to be graphical.  I'm
gradually realizing that, and it's a really elegant way of working.

The AJAX sites like Facebook still need a thick browser like Firefox.  I
ran into a message thread in another forum where people were talking
about integrating full WebKit suite capabilities into an Emacs browser,
but Stallman was against it.

To which, I say...GOOD!!!  I'm glad the voice of reason (ok, the voice
of RMS) is prevailing here!  The last thing Emacs needs is for the
twenty ton bloat that now affects thick web browsers to come like a
snake into paradise and afflict us all.  Sure, it might be tempting to
access a few of these types of sites within Emacs...but I am so glad RMS
is not going to let us pay a price like that for it.

Anyway, Emacs is basically turning into the console through which I use
the Internet and do all things on my system (and other systems).

> OK, Gnus is infamous for messing up the windows all
> the time. But because you can prevent it, it is all
> forgiven. Actually we are happy, that Gnus made us
> better programmers. It is just tough love!
>
> If you want to give the window approach another shot,
> it may look like this:
>
> (setq display-buffer-alist
>       '(("\\*\\(Help\\|Server\\)\\*" display-buffer-same-window)) )
>
> Here two things happen. The help buffers look like
> this: *Help*. The Gnus server buffer, like this:
> *Server*. The regexp catches them both. Now they
> appear in the same window, which is much more natural.
> Go to the window where you want something to happen.
> Invoke the command. Done and done.
>
> To try if it works, eval the above Elisp, then go to
> Gnus' *Group* buffer. Here, hit whatever key you have
> for `gnus-group-enter-server-mode' (perhaps ^; I have
> it S for server - mnemonic, you see! I'm smart...).
>
> If other buffers behave the same way (e.g., *Group*)
> add them the same way.
>
> Good luck! Keep us updated...

Well, that isn't the way Gnus is messing my windows up.  It's more like
this:

Say you have three buffers setup with a window layout you like.  You
launch Gnus.  It brings up its Group buffer, and so far, you're fine.
Then you read an article, and the whole frame is replaced with Gnus'
Group/Article split -- so much for your window layout.  It's the
Group/Article split that seems to make Gnus incompatible with any kind
of window layout you might be using, so I've just been putting anything
that I care about the layout of in a separate frame.  The Gnus Help and
Server buffers haven't been doing anything bad to me -- they're just
simple single-window screens.

-- 
He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from
oppression; for if he violates this duty, he establishes a precedent
that will reach to himself.
                                        --Thomas Paine