Editing Hard Linked Files in Emacs -solution

[Jerry Feldman]

On 12/27/2008 09:11 AM, jbk wrote:
> Jerry Feldman wrote:
>  =20
>> On 12/26/2008 10:08 PM, David Kramer wrote:
>>    =20
>>> jbk wrote:
>>>  =20
>>>      =20
>> Yes he is talking about a file that has more than 1 link. The way emac=
s=20
>> works, is that it renames the original file by appending a tilde (~). =

>> So, when you save, you are saving a completely new file. In emacs, thi=
s=20
>> is called version control. You can set version-control in emacs to mak=
e=20
>> numbered backups.
>>
>> The solution to this is to set the emacs variable, backup-by-copying t=
o=20
>> non-nil. The way to do this from the emacs minibuffer is "
>>
>> M-x set-variable". This emacs command will allow you to set the=20
>> variable. It can also be done in your ~/.emacs file. It took me a whil=
e=20
>> to remember this. Way back when I first learned emacs ('82).
>>
>>    =20
>
>
> If I change that globally what effect will that have on all=20
> the saves? Will a backup still be created? I was going to=20
> try version control but I didn't have the SVC backend=20
> installed. I may have the acronim incorrect for the version=20
> control. I used to use it a few distro updates back.
>
>  =20
What backup-by-copying set to non-nil does is to use copy rather than=20
rename so that your hard links are preserved. version-control is a=20
related animal. What version-control does is to allow you to have=20
multiple numbered versions of a file. These can be set on the emacs=20
mini-buffer, or by setting in your .emacs or .xemacs file. The really=20
nice thing about emacs (and xemacs) is it is fully extensible. At one=20
place I worked, we used it as our email and news client as well as a=20
ticketing system. When I would log into my system, I would bring emacs=20
up (this was 1984 timeframe), and just let it sit all day. It was such a =

pig that it took forever to load. At that time our system was a Motorola =

68010 based CPU running System V Unix.

--=20
Jerry Feldman <gaf-mNDKBlG2WHs at public.gmane.org>
Boston Linux and Unix
PGP key id: 537C5846
PGP Key fingerprint: 3D1B 8377 A3C0 A5F2 ECBB  CA3B 4607 4319 537C 5846