Ivan Shmakov
2013-02-03 12:09:54 UTC
[Cross-posting to news:comp.unix.misc, for there weren't a good
thread in a long time. Somehow, I also feel that it may be
appropriate to eventually drop news:alt.folklore.computers from
Newsgroups: should this thread progress further.]
[...]
with the middle one - mostly anyway!
No, it doesn't, unless by "mostly" you mean "when explicitly
coded to allow so by the programmer."
For an example: start Firefox, choose "Help", then "About ..."
Here, try to copy the text inside this widget.
Or, there's an even better example: while choosing "Help", try
to copy the contents of the menu itself.
(As for the sensibility of the task, consider that I'm writing a
Firefox manual, or a similar document.)
Anyway, in X, the contents of any window is -- first and
foremost -- a bitmap image. Whether or not there's a "backing
text" for such an image is left solely to the application
programmer's discretion.
(I guess that NeWS was to be different in that respect.)
(JFTR: I'm using Debian GNU/Linux "Squeeze" 6.0. Usually, I'd
set one up via a direct debootstrap(8) invocation, not from the
Debian Installer "shell", as I've recently described in [1].)
[1] news:***@violet.siamics.net (part 1) news:***@violet.siamics.net (part 2)
(in Russian, though.)
"copypasting." Thanks to the support for incremental search,
copying "all the text from here and back to the previous command
prompt" (for example) is especially convenient.
(AIUI, some of them were recently discussed in
news:comp.text.tex.)
Unfortunately, given the sheer amount of extensions coded in "Ye
Good Olde TeX," there's a little chance that the underlying
language itself will ever improve significantly, which is a
prerequisite of addressing some of the existing issues.
you VT-style terminals and I need colour and run an odd screen size -
128x52 - as I can't find a 132 column font that's readable on my lcd
monitor :-(
While there may be minor issues with colors under GNU Screen
(why, under X, I'd typically use a monochrome, Navy Blue on
White UXTerm, -- I don't deem colors to be all that important),
I have never faced a problem with arbitrary terminal sizes.
For instance, the single Screen session I'm typing this text
within is attached to both an 80 x 31 UXTerm, /and/ a 80 x 27
Linux VT -- at the same time. And, as soon as I'd opt to, I can
detach it from either (or both) of them, and re-attach to any
other terminal I'd need to. (It's especially useful given that
I now use four separate machines at home, and keep SSH'ing
between them all the time.)
Then, there's a "screen locking" feature, which lets you lock
the terminal (the Screen session is attached to), yet retain all
the running applications.
After all these years, I'd dub all these features "essential."
thread in a long time. Somehow, I also feel that it may be
appropriate to eventually drop news:alt.folklore.computers from
Newsgroups: should this thread progress further.]
[...]
One more point is that one can "copypaste" a span of text from
anywhere on the text VT screen, and not just from the widgets that
are chosen to allow for such by the programmer. (Check, e. g., a
random X application's "About" widget: rarely it will allow you to
copy its contents into another program all that easily.)
X allows copying by marking with the left mouse button and pastinganywhere on the text VT screen, and not just from the widgets that
are chosen to allow for such by the programmer. (Check, e. g., a
random X application's "About" widget: rarely it will allow you to
copy its contents into another program all that easily.)
with the middle one - mostly anyway!
coded to allow so by the programmer."
For an example: start Firefox, choose "Help", then "About ..."
Here, try to copy the text inside this widget.
Or, there's an even better example: while choosing "Help", try
to copy the contents of the menu itself.
(As for the sensibility of the task, consider that I'm writing a
Firefox manual, or a similar document.)
Anyway, in X, the contents of any window is -- first and
foremost -- a bitmap image. Whether or not there's a "backing
text" for such an image is left solely to the application
programmer's discretion.
(I guess that NeWS was to be different in that respect.)
I went to the trouble of building a modern text-only unix box, Linux
kernel 3.7.5 etc. and it's very useable, does everything except
graphics - including playing music.
Same here. I don't recall any particular trouble, however.kernel 3.7.5 etc. and it's very useable, does everything except
graphics - including playing music.
(JFTR: I'm using Debian GNU/Linux "Squeeze" 6.0. Usually, I'd
set one up via a direct debootstrap(8) invocation, not from the
Debian Installer "shell", as I've recently described in [1].)
[1] news:***@violet.siamics.net (part 1) news:***@violet.siamics.net (part 2)
(in Russian, though.)
It has a trackball which allows me to copy/paste text from any login
screen to another.
Alternatively, you could use GNU Screen for keyboard-basedscreen to another.
"copypasting." Thanks to the support for incremental search,
copying "all the text from here and back to the previous command
prompt" (for example) is especially convenient.
(Just getting to grips with LaTeX, too. Produces nice output...)
Indeed. Though, as everything else, LaTeX has its deficiencies.(AIUI, some of them were recently discussed in
news:comp.text.tex.)
Unfortunately, given the sheer amount of extensions coded in "Ye
Good Olde TeX," there's a little chance that the underlying
language itself will ever improve significantly, which is a
prerequisite of addressing some of the existing issues.
And then, there's GNU Screen...
I prefer multiple terminal sessions 'cos screen only seems to giveyou VT-style terminals and I need colour and run an odd screen size -
128x52 - as I can't find a 132 column font that's readable on my lcd
monitor :-(
(why, under X, I'd typically use a monochrome, Navy Blue on
White UXTerm, -- I don't deem colors to be all that important),
I have never faced a problem with arbitrary terminal sizes.
For instance, the single Screen session I'm typing this text
within is attached to both an 80 x 31 UXTerm, /and/ a 80 x 27
Linux VT -- at the same time. And, as soon as I'd opt to, I can
detach it from either (or both) of them, and re-attach to any
other terminal I'd need to. (It's especially useful given that
I now use four separate machines at home, and keep SSH'ing
between them all the time.)
Then, there's a "screen locking" feature, which lets you lock
the terminal (the Screen session is attached to), yet retain all
the running applications.
After all these years, I'd dub all these features "essential."
--
FSF associate member #7257
FSF associate member #7257