'runtimepath' fiddling

[Stefano Zacchiroli]

[ quoted text reordered and took from multiple mails ]

On Tue, Apr 25, 2006 at 03:13:10PM -0400, James Vega wrote:
> > However I do see the point of dictating it to something including:
> > 1) the legacy runtimepath (that which comes with upstream vim)
> > 2) some paths under /usr/local
> > 3) some paths under /var
> My initial thought was to remove any modification of 'runtimepath' since
> it caused such a hassle when we changed its value in /etc/vim/vimrc.
> You make some good arguments for reasons to modify it, though.

So you agree on having both (2) and (3) added to the legacy runtimepath
in our default setting, don't you?

> > I raise an additional issue: we should not set the runtimepath in
> > /etc/vim/vimrc (a file which is likely to be modified by sysadm)
> It's probably also a good idea to add more advertising for
> /etc/vim/{g,}vimrc.local within /etc/vim/vimrc.  That is, instead of
> saying "uncomment these lines to get this functionality", maybe it would
> be better to say "add these lines to /etc/vim/vimrc.local" and to add a
> note at the top of the file stating any modifications should be made in
> the vimrc.local file.

I think vimrc.local should not exists.

That's why I removed (IIRC) its mention from our README.Debian. If
/etc/vim/vimrc is a configuration file then the sysadm should be able to
patch it as much as he can without being worried about updates or,
better, being worried for it as much he is worried about updates of
other configuration files. The situation of the last years in which not
updating vimrc will cause a lot of features not to work anymore escapes
that requirement IMO.

On Tue, Apr 25, 2006 at 03:13:10PM -0400, James Vega wrote:
> Yes, that's probably the best choice.  How does
> $VIMRUNTIME/debdefaults.vim sound?  Then we would remove the
> modification of 'runtimepath' from /etc/vim/vimrc and place "runtime
> debdefaults.vim" after setting 'nocompatible'.

How about plain $VIMRUNTIME/debian.vim?

I like the idea of 'runtime' in /etc/vim/vimrc so that sysadms can do
stuff both before and after it.

Still the modifications of 'runtimepath' discussed at the beginning of
this thread will go in $VIMRUNTIME/debian.vim, have I understood your
proposal correctly?

On Tue, Apr 25, 2006 at 04:59:30PM -0400, James Vega wrote:
> In fact, we could just move all of the actual settings in /etc/vim/vimrc
> to $VIMRUNTIME/debdefaults.vim.  This would leave just the example
> settings and the runtime call in /etc/vim/vimrc.  Much less chance of
> conflicts from upgrades.

Agreed, that would be a good way to remove the need of vimrc.local.
Still, I expect the sysadms to be able to (selectively) undo everything
we do in debian.vim. To undo everything it would be enough to comment
the 'runtime' line and one will get upstream vim settings. Fair enough.
To undo selectively in theory it should be enough to add a "counter"
configuration statement after the invocation of 'runtime'. Do you see
any specific problem with any of the setting we currently have in
/etc/vim/vimrc?

Cheers.

-- 
Stefano Zacchiroli -*- Computer Science PhD student @ Uny Bologna, Italy
zack@{cs.unibo.it,debian.org,bononia.it} -%- http://www.bononia.it/zack/
If there's any real truth it's that the entire multidimensional infinity
of the Universe is almost certainly being run by a bunch of maniacs. -!-
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