Subject: bug#24897: 24.5; doc for `M' in Dired

From: Stefan Kangas <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 11 Oct 2019 16:43:23 +0200

tags 24897 + patch
quit

Drew Adams <[email-masked]> writes:

>> But there's no "write" bit on Windows, at least not on the level on
>> which the 'M' command in Dired works on Windows.  So you cannot
>> really explain the w bit, either.
>>
>> You need a completely separate description for Windows users.
>
> I don't suggest that we "explain the w bit", for Windows users.
>
> My suggestion is to:
>
> 1. State that `chmod' does not apply, in general, to MS Windows.
>    (If you want to say why - no such bits etc., fine, but that's
>    not really needed, IMO.)
> 2. State that you can use `chmod' to make a file writable or
>    read-only.  And say how to do so.

How about the attached patch?

Best regards,
Stefan Kangas
From b439ecc70b7f13f2559281316924253492f52b2d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Stefan Kangas <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 11 Oct 2019 16:37:44 +0200
Subject: [PATCH] * lisp/dired-aux.el (dired-do-chmod): Doc fix.  (Bug#24897)

---
 lisp/dired-aux.el | 7 ++++++-
 1 file changed, 6 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/lisp/dired-aux.el b/lisp/dired-aux.el
index bfc37c5cde..ba7d80cb0e 100644
--- a/lisp/dired-aux.el
+++ b/lisp/dired-aux.el
@@ -367,7 +367,12 @@ dired-do-chmod
   "Change the mode of the marked (or next ARG) files.
 Symbolic modes like `g+w' are allowed.
 Type M-n to pull the file attributes of the file at point
-into the minibuffer."
+into the minibuffer.
+
+See the man page for \"chmod\" for more information on file mode
+bits, using the command \\[man] in Emacs.
+
+This command is generally not relevant on MS-Windows."
   (interactive "P")
   (let* ((files (dired-get-marked-files t arg nil nil t))
 	 ;; The source of default file attributes is the file at point.
-- 
2.20.1