From: mrs@netcom.com (Morgan Schweers)
Subject: Re: Does DEMACS work reliably for anyone?
Organization: McAfee Associates
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1992 14:21:35 GMT

Greetings,
    Okay, I've been using DEmacs since before it was made available to everyone
(I was part of the beta crew) and there *ARE* A few things that people should
be warned about.

    First off, the standard 'ibmpc.el' file that they give with it sucks rocks
sideways through straws.  It uses the absolutely worst method of remapping
keystrokes possible.  ANSI redifinitions.  If you manage to exit from emacs
without running through the hook which clears your keys, suddenly uparrow
is defined as CONTROL-P.  This means that if you're used to typing uparrow
from DOS (for command recall, etc.), suddenly doing that starts you printing
everything to the printer.  (Often a bad thing.)

    Furthermore, if you are using a non-standard ANSI.SYS which doesn't have
keyboard remapping (also a common thing), then you have *NO* use of your
arrow keys.

    In general, the ibmpc.el file is a quick hack.

    Another problem which I've run into is that the maximum screen width is
defined as 128 characters.  If you have a 132 column screen, display problems
begin to occur.

    Another problem which is annoying is that the 'original' demacs.exe file
which comes with demacs is actually the go32 program from DJGPP, but modified.
Unfortunately it's an old version.  This won't cause problems unless you try
to use it under Desqview/X, for example.  It'll reboot your maching clear out
of Desqview/X.  (An impressive feat, since DV/X is supposed to protect against
things like that.)

    Unfortunately, if you simply upgrade to the latest version of DJGPP's
go32.exe program you lose the *VERY* usefule -keep facility.  *sigh*

    In any case, I've been using DEmacs for quite some time now, and have had
no major problems with it other than the ones listed above.  My operating
environment is MSDos 5.0 running Desqview/X, 10Megs of memory, average of 10
buffers loaded into Demacs, two simultaneous DEmacs sessions running (one in
43x128 mode and one in 80x25 mode), and around 10Megs available for swap space.

    I've used Brief, Epsilon, Freemacs, and a few other emacs-like editors for
the PC, and I'll never go back.  DEmacs gives me everything I need, and I can
pull all the '.el' files I need straight off my network connection and run them
unchanged.  Best of all, it's free.

    If, however, you're using a 286 or lower machine, I *STRONGLY* recommend
Freemacs.  It's a *FAST* little bugger, and works *VERY* nicely.  However, it's
limited to 64K buffers.  I used it for around a year or two before DEmacs came
out.  It's a nice program, if a bit limited.  (It's language is weird, but
cool.)

                                                    --  Morgan Schweers
-- 
Hacker, Furry, SFFan, gamer, writer, MUDder, climber.  24 hours isn't enough!
mrs@netcom.com   | Happiness is the planet earth in your rear view mirror.
Freela @ Furry   |                               --  Jeffrey C. Glass
mrs@mcafee.com   +--------------------------------------------------------
Morgan Schweers!  Warmonger chess!  We congress harm!  New chrome grass!
Newsgroups: comp.emacs