Re: [DebianGIS] Etch backports

[Hamish <hamish_nospam@yahoo.com>]

Francesco P. Lovergine wrote:
> A first release of etch backports is available in DebianGis archive.
> Testing is welcome
> 
> proj 4.5
> grass 6.2.1
> gdal 1.4.0
> gdal-grass 1.4.0
> qgis 0.8.0


All installed ok. GRASS working, QGIS working from within GRASS showing
GRASS maps. QGIS working from outside GRASS showing GRASS maps, GRASS
toolbox opens. Nice work. It's been a long time since I had an up-to-
date GIS toolchain! (backport update for gdal 1.4.1 when ready in sid?)


I am not so happy with this change to GRASS's lib/init/init.sh:
pkg-grass/packages/grass/trunk/debian/patches/pager.dpatch

[deb package]
# Set some environment variables if they are not set
if [ ! "$GRASS_PAGER" ] ; then
    if [ -x /usr/bin/pager ] ; then
        GRASS_PAGER=pager
    elif [ -x /bin/less ] || [ -x /usr/bin/less ] ; then
        GRASS_PAGER=less
    elif [ -x /bin/more ] || [ -x /usr/bin/more ] ; then
        GRASS_PAGER=more
    else
        GRASS_PAGER=cat
    fi
    export GRASS_PAGER
fi


[upstream]
# Set some environment variables if they are not set
if [ ! "$GRASS_PAGER" ] ; then
    if [ -x /bin/more ] || [ -x /usr/bin/more ] ; then
        GRASS_PAGER=more
    elif [ -x /bin/less ] || [ -x /usr/bin/less ] ; then
        GRASS_PAGER=less
    else
        GRASS_PAGER=cat
    fi
    export GRASS_PAGER
fi


(less is the default /etc/alternatives/pager; I'm not complaining about
that choice)

"g.list rast" from the GRASS prompt with `less` as a pager is IMO very
annoying as the names disappear as soon as you 'q'uit (I'm a X cut and
paste addict). Also we had bug reports in the past that users who didn't
know `less` got lost in it and didn't know how to 'q'uit. At least with
`more` if you keep bashing <spacebar> and <enter> you get back to the
prompt. Additionally, it has been noted in this modern era of scroll-
back xterms that `cat` might be the least problematic choice for a
default GRASS-pager. (ie no pager is the best pager) I'd prefer to see
`more` or just disable the pager by using `cat` rather than keep it as
`less`.

?
Hamish