Re: Feature Request: make sane symlinks on remote host.

[Kai Großjohann]

Steve Youngs <address@hidden> writes:

> No, not at all.  I want...
>
> C-x C-f /address@hidden  (to get a dired listing of jrl's $HOME on frumple)
> M-x eshell
> (make-symbolic-link "/path/to/file1" "/path/to/file2")
>
> Where "file1" and "file2" are _both_ on frumple.

I see.  Now I understand your request.  But I don't like it :-)
That would mean that the behavior of make-symbolic-link should depend
on the variable default-directory.  No, this is not a good idea, I
think.

My suggestion is to interpret the source of the link (ie, LINKNAME,
the second arg of make-symbolic-link) as a filename and to interpret
the target of the link (ie, FILENAME, the first arg) as a string.

This way, you can say (make-symbolic-link "xyzzy"
"/address@hidden/path/to/file") and it will always create a symlink on
host, regardless of default-directory.  And (make-symbolic-link
"xyzzy" "file") would always create a symlink in the current
default-directory.

This preserves at least _some_ consistency, since all other functions
working on filenames behave the same.  (If you `cd' to a remote
directory in eshell and then type "find-file /foo", then you open a
file on the local host, not on the remote host.)

kai
-- 
A large number of young women don't trust men with beards.  (BFBS Radio)