GNU bug report logs - #1993
23.0.60; Emacs.app has only transparent window background

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From: David Reitter <david.reitter <at> gmail.com>
To: Adrian Robert <adrian.b.robert <at> gmail.com>
Cc: Peter Dyballa <Peter_Dyballa <at> Freenet.DE>, 1993 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: bug#1993: 23.0.60; Emacs.app has only transparent window background
Date: Sat, 4 Apr 2009 12:00:45 -0400

On 4 Apr 2009, at 02:26, Adrian Robert wrote:
>
> So my feeling is that the command=meta option is preferred by text- 
> writing Continentals, while command = command is likely preferred by  
> everyone else.  I am not sure which group makes up a larger subset  
> of OS X emacs users.

Well, a pretty stable 50% of all Aquamacs users are US based.

> I do know that I received a few complaints over the years from folks  
> disliking the Emacs.app command=command default.  My answer was  
> always to rehash the above and note that it's easy to change it --  
> just flip a combo box in the prefs panel.  Now that it's not so easy  
> (I guess figuring out the existence of ns/mac-command-modifier  
> variable and writing suitable elisp to .emacs is necessary), the  
> default setting becomes more important.

That's right.  Similarly, I have received plenty of complaints about  
Option=Meta, especially in the early days of Aquamacs.

>
>>> Could be done, but I think we should stick to one default for all  
>>> layouts.
>>>
>>
>> Then the system's one. No artificial changes.
>
>
> 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.

Due to this polarization, I think that it is sensible to Emacs Emacs- 
compatible.  Because otherwise, I'm not sure who's going to fill the  
void.

(That said, Meta=Esc is a perfectly acceptable default setting, too.   
Just not my #1 choice.)

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