Subject: bug#1993: 23.0.60; Emacs.app has only transparent window background

From: David Reitter <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 6 Apr 2009 13:42:33 -0400

On Apr 6, 2009, at 12:25 AM, Adrian Robert wrote:

>
> On Apr 4, 2009, at 9:45 PM, David Reitter wrote:
>>>
>>> I agree with both of these.  So perhaps the best default would be  
>>> command=command (super), alt=none, and the user can set a meta key  
>>> (additional to esc+) if he/she desires.
>>
>> Well, that would be another alternative - maybe a good one.  It's  
>> my second-preferred variant.
>>
>> The reason why I support Command=Meta for Emacs 23 is experience  
>> from working with Aquamacs and Carbon Emacs users.  It seems to me  
>> that there is a division between Emacs traditionalists, who would  
>> like an Emacs with maximum compatibility across platforms.  These  
>> people don't need/want Mac keybindings.  On the other end, you find  
>> people with the need for cross-application integration.   
>> Unsurprisingly, that's the typical Aquamacs user, while the  
>> traditionalists compile Emacs from scratch or use a distribution  
>> like Carbon Emacs Package.
>
> Do W32 users face this same issue?  That is, does 'alt' play the  
> same role on their non-US keyboards as it does on the Mac ones?  Can  
> we follow Emacs on W32 in that case?

They have a Windows key...

Their issue is that standard key combos like C-x, C-c, C-v collide  
with Emacs bindings.  CUA solved the issue in some way.

> IMHO Command is too heavily used on the Mac to simply throw under  
> the bus by default -- the very user who will like emacs or uses it  
> on other platforms is exactly the one already using cmd-shortcuts in  
> other apps on the Mac.  Further, "traditionalists" are most prepared  
> to get their hands dirty and set up a command=meta mapping if they  
> want it.

I've had pretty nasty complaints from people who said that they hit  
"Command Q" (to fill) because that's what they're used to from Unix  
systems and their keyboards, and then the app quit on them.

>  Whereas a less savvy, single-platform user coming to Emacs.app from  
> Text Edit, XCode, etc. will be most at home with command=super and  
> alt=alt.  As they learn emacs more, they can make their own decision  
> about which key to give up for meta if they dislike esc+.

Well, like I said in my earlier e-mail, I don't think you can make  
everyone happy.  And there are SO many things to upset and derail the  
newbie user that I wouldn't try to go for a compromise.

> In any case the information about these key settings should be  
> easily accessible to users and the method of changing them should be  
> easy.  This could be done with a customization buffer hyperlinked  
> from either the splash screen or a help menu item.  This could be  
> reconciled with the desire to keep the interface uniform across all  
> platforms by allowing a sentence on splash or a single menu item  
> under Help for platform-specific information.

That's a good idea.  As per the other e-mail: the top-level  
customization group should contain "ns" (or "nextstep"), along with a  
note that these are the Mac specific settings, also (because NS isn't  
really Mac lingo).

--
http://aquamacs.org -- Aquamacs: Emacs on Mac OS X
http://aquamacs.org/donate -- Could we help you? Return the favor and  
support the Aquamacs Project!