From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (qmail 11784 invoked from network); 15 Sep 1998 02:38:16 -0000 Received: from math.gatech.edu (list@130.207.146.50) by ns1.primenet.com.au with SMTP; 15 Sep 1998 02:38:15 -0000 Received: (from list@localhost) by math.gatech.edu (8.9.1/8.9.1) id WAA01441; Mon, 14 Sep 1998 22:16:07 -0400 (EDT) Resent-Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1998 22:15:55 -0400 (EDT) Message-ID: <19980915041905.A23050@math.fu-berlin.de> Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1998 04:19:05 +0200 From: "'Sven Guckes'" To: ZShell Users List Subject: Re: zsh for win32 - installation of zshrc Mail-Followup-To: ZShell Users List References: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Mailer: Mutt 0.93.2i In-Reply-To: ; from Amol Deshpande on Mon, Sep 14, 1998 at 05:52:00PM -0700 X-Mailer: Mutt http://www.mutt.org/ X-Editor: Vim http://www.vim.org/ X-Info: http://www.math.fu-berlin.de/~guckes/ Resent-Message-ID: <"UrsHf1.0.zL.RtS_r"@math> Resent-From: zsh-users@math.gatech.edu X-Mailing-List: archive/latest/1795 X-Loop: zsh-users@math.gatech.edu X-Loop: zsh-workers@math.gatech.edu Precedence: list Resent-Sender: zsh-workers-request@math.gatech.edu Quoting Amol Deshpande (amold@MICROSOFT.com): > > Furthermore, the README does not give explicit examples which it should. > Feel free to write some up and i'll put them in. I am trying! I am trying!! > > > 7. HOME directory: > > > ----------------- > > > zsh sets the HOME directory if it's not already set. It uses > > > the windows directory on win95, $HOMEDRIVE\$HOMEPATH on nt <4.0, > > > and $USERPROFILE on NT 4.0 and higher. > > > If ZSHDOTDIR is set, zsh sets home to "youdonthavehomeset". This > > > is to avoid crashing in places where the shell expects a home directory. > > > Picking a real default would defeat the purpose of not setting home. > > > (that means you can set ZSHDOTDIR instead of HOME for your startup > > files) > > Well - what is the difference between these methods? > You can set ZDOTDIR if you don't want the shell to set HOME > (and you haven't defined one yourself.) > This is because other unix ports may expect HOME to NOT be set > (they use their installation directory or something). "or something" - what about the zsh then? > > What is the "windows directory" on Windows95 > > (ie how is this defined in a Windows setup)? > c:\windows by default. or whatever directory you installed win95. Does the zsh look explicitly into the directory "C:\WINDOWS" then? If not then how does it determine this value? What if I have installed both Windows95 and WindowsNT on my disk? Which directory gets checked first then? (This is not just a theoretical issue!) > > Anyway - this is what I understand so far: > > > > Windows95: C:\WINDOWS\.zshrc > > WindowsNT-3.x: $HOMEDRIVE\$HOMEPATH\.zshrc > > WindowsNT-4.x: $USERPROFILE\.zshrc > > $ZDOTDIR\.zshrc > > $HOME\.zshrc > > Is this correct now? For WindowsNT-4.x - > > in which order are the various locations checked? Well, is the order of these checks correct or isn't it? YES or NO? > Remember that these rules apply only if don't set HOME. Since there is > no /etc, only the rules for locating files from $HOME are followed. I remember that some incosistencies with the manual had been discovered recently on this list. So - what is the complete/correct set of rules here? > 1. If ZDOTDIR is set, the shell will not set HOME. Since this may cause the > shell to crash in various places, zsh sets home to a bogus value that gives > you a clue about that went wrong, instead of crashing. Now, this is a contradiction in itself. Does the zsh set HOME now or doesn't it? > 2. If ZDOTDIR is not set, and HOME is not set, > then zsh sets home to the directories above. This statement in unclear. Does the zsh set HOME, and if so, does it change its value to a list of dirs in turn, stopping at the first dir where it can find a zshrc? > > The value of a variable on Windows cannot be used as $VAR (I think) > > but needs to be specified as %VAR% - and this is only possible in batch > > files. > > Right or wrong? > the way you use a variable is a function of the shell you use. > since you are using zsh, you use the zsh syntax. it has absolutely > nothing to do with what operating system you are running. On the contrary! The OS determines the kind of setup I have to use. And its syntax determines how I can access the value of variables. And from the non-description it is still not clear to me where I would have to set the variables HOMEDRIVE and HOMEPATH - therefore I do not know whether I should set them with the autoexec.bat and whether I would have to use the syntax of command.com; I hope this makes the problem more clear now. I suppose that these variables are not set within the zshrc as they are supposed to determine the location of the setup file. > > I am looking forward to a concise but precise description ... > you can: > 1. read the README > 2. read the changelog > 3. email me. > 4. read the source The README is very concise and not at all precise, the changelog was pretty useless (as I remember), and emailing you is what I keep doing as I hope that this will be faster than reading the source. ;-) > I know there should be more comprehensive documentation of the quirks > in this version, but i just haven't gotten around to it. sorry. Well, this is your chance to have your info compiled by me. But I wonder whether it wouldn't be easier to write it up yourself in pseudo source style, eg like this: WindowsNT-4.x: if $HOME then test $HOME/.zshrc elsif ZDOTDIR then test $ZDOTDIR/.zshrc else test $USERPROFILE\.zshrc I just need something like this. Sven [tempted to start reading the source - but too tired now at 4:15am]