GNU bug report logs - #71669
30.0.50; macOS: `emacs --geometry` flag broken, only `-geometry` works

Previous Next

To add a comment to this bug, you must first unarchive it, by sending
a message to control AT debbugs.gnu.org, with unarchive 71669 in the body.
You can then email your comments to 71669 AT debbugs.gnu.org in the normal way.

Toggle the display of automated, internal messages from the tracker.

Message #5 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Stefan Kangas <stefankangas <at> gmail.com>
To: bug-gnu-emacs <at> gnu.org
Subject: 30.0.50; macOS: `emacs --geometry` flag broken, only `-geometry` works
Date: Thu, 20 Jun 2024 00:51:57 -0700

On macOS, this has no effect on the size of the initial frame:

     emacs -Q --geometry 10x10

This works as expected though:

    emacs -Q -g 10x10
    emacs -Q -geometry 10x10

On GNU/Linux, all flags work as expected.


In GNU Emacs 30.0.50 (build 1, aarch64-apple-darwin23.5.0, NS
 appkit-2487.60 Version 14.5 (Build 23F79)) of 2024-06-10 built on
 foo.local
Repository revision: 33fc77e1b64dab2ed33757d8dae94e87e9e0fc0b
Repository branch: master
Windowing system distributor 'Apple', version 10.3.2487
System Description:  macOS 14.5

Configured using:
 'configure --enable-checking=yes,glyphs
 --enable-check-lisp-object-type'

Message #8 received at 71669 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Po Lu <luangruo <at> yahoo.com>
To: Stefan Kangas <stefankangas <at> gmail.com>
Cc: 71669 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#71669: 30.0.50; macOS: `emacs --geometry` flag broken, only
 `-geometry` works
Date: Thu, 20 Jun 2024 22:14:13 +0800

Stefan Kangas <stefankangas <at> gmail.com> writes:

> On macOS, this has no effect on the size of the initial frame:
>
>      emacs -Q --geometry 10x10
>
> This works as expected though:
>
>     emacs -Q -g 10x10
>     emacs -Q -geometry 10x10
>
> On GNU/Linux, all flags work as expected.
>
>
> In GNU Emacs 30.0.50 (build 1, aarch64-apple-darwin23.5.0, NS
>  appkit-2487.60 Version 14.5 (Build 23F79)) of 2024-06-10 built on
>  foo.local
> Repository revision: 33fc77e1b64dab2ed33757d8dae94e87e9e0fc0b
> Repository branch: master
> Windowing system distributor 'Apple', version 10.3.2487
> System Description:  macOS 14.5
>
> Configured using:
>  'configure --enable-checking=yes,glyphs
>  --enable-check-lisp-object-type'

Where is it documented that `--geometry' should be supported on all
systems?  Different windowing systems are each host to unique
conventions that our command-line options are supposed to observe, and
this item's being visibly excluded from list of such options for NS
systems suggests that its omission is no accident.

Message #11 received at 71669 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Stefan Kangas <stefankangas <at> gmail.com>
To: Po Lu <luangruo <at> yahoo.com>
Cc: 71669 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#71669: 30.0.50; macOS: `emacs --geometry` flag broken, only
 `-geometry` works
Date: Thu, 20 Jun 2024 12:15:16 -0400

Po Lu <luangruo <at> yahoo.com> writes:

> Where is it documented that `--geometry' should be supported on all
> systems?

1. man emacs
2. (info "(emacs) Window Size X")

> Different windowing systems are each host to unique
> conventions that our command-line options are supposed to observe, and
> this item's being visibly excluded from list of such options for NS
> systems suggests that its omission is no accident.

As I explained, it works when I say `-geometry` (one dash), so this
feature is already there.  The only issue is that `--geometry` (two
dashes) doesn't work.

Message #14 received at 71669 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Po Lu <luangruo <at> yahoo.com>
To: Stefan Kangas <stefankangas <at> gmail.com>
Cc: 71669 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#71669: 30.0.50; macOS: `emacs --geometry` flag broken, only
 `-geometry` works
Date: Fri, 21 Jun 2024 09:22:22 +0800

Stefan Kangas <stefankangas <at> gmail.com> writes:

> Po Lu <luangruo <at> yahoo.com> writes:
>
>> Where is it documented that `--geometry' should be supported on all
>> systems?
>
> 1. man emacs
> 2. (info "(emacs) Window Size X")

Surely the name of this node is some indication of its applicability?

> As I explained, it works when I say `-geometry` (one dash), so this
> feature is already there.  The only issue is that `--geometry` (two
> dashes) doesn't work.

Yes, because it (the variant with two dashes) is specifically disabled
for the NS windowing system in common-win.el.

Message #17 received at 71669 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Stefan Kangas <stefankangas <at> gmail.com>
To: Po Lu <luangruo <at> yahoo.com>
Cc: 71669 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#71669: 30.0.50; macOS: `emacs --geometry` flag broken, only
 `-geometry` works
Date: Fri, 21 Jun 2024 01:43:09 +0000

Po Lu <luangruo <at> yahoo.com> writes:

> Stefan Kangas <stefankangas <at> gmail.com> writes:
>
>> Po Lu <luangruo <at> yahoo.com> writes:
>>
>>> Where is it documented that `--geometry' should be supported on all
>>> systems?
>>
>> 1. man emacs
>> 2. (info "(emacs) Window Size X")
>
> Surely the name of this node is some indication of its applicability?

It's not very helpful, no.

>> As I explained, it works when I say `-geometry` (one dash), so this
>> feature is already there.  The only issue is that `--geometry` (two
>> dashes) doesn't work.
>
> Yes, because it (the variant with two dashes) is specifically disabled
> for the NS windowing system in common-win.el.

I assume that you mean the part setting `command-line-ns-option-alist`.

Do you agree that this is a bug?

Message #20 received at 71669 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
To: Stefan Kangas <stefankangas <at> gmail.com>
Cc: luangruo <at> yahoo.com, 71669 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#71669: 30.0.50;
 macOS: `emacs --geometry` flag broken, only `-geometry` works
Date: Fri, 21 Jun 2024 09:32:53 +0300

> Cc: 71669 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
> From: Stefan Kangas <stefankangas <at> gmail.com>
> Date: Fri, 21 Jun 2024 01:43:09 +0000
> 
> Po Lu <luangruo <at> yahoo.com> writes:
> 
> > Stefan Kangas <stefankangas <at> gmail.com> writes:
> >
> >> Po Lu <luangruo <at> yahoo.com> writes:
> >>
> >>> Where is it documented that `--geometry' should be supported on all
> >>> systems?
> >>
> >> 1. man emacs
> >> 2. (info "(emacs) Window Size X")
> >
> > Surely the name of this node is some indication of its applicability?
> 
> It's not very helpful, no.
> 
> >> As I explained, it works when I say `-geometry` (one dash), so this
> >> feature is already there.  The only issue is that `--geometry` (two
> >> dashes) doesn't work.
> >
> > Yes, because it (the variant with two dashes) is specifically disabled
> > for the NS windowing system in common-win.el.
> 
> I assume that you mean the part setting `command-line-ns-option-alist`.
> 
> Do you agree that this is a bug?

Not necessarily.  My reading of the VC history is that before commit
d7d8c62a57e7, which unified the NS handling of command-line arguments
with the rest of GUI platforms, there was no support for -g (in any of
its forms, including -geometry and --geometry) on macOS.  So it could
be that the fact we now support -g and -geometry is a bug.

If you add --geometry to command-line-ns-option-alist, does it work as
expected, with all formats of -geometry that are supposed to be
supported?  If yes, we could enable that on macOS and see if anything
breaks or someone complains.  But maybe if you try this, you will find
the reason why this switch is not fully supported on NS.

Message #25 received at 71669-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Stefan Kangas <stefankangas <at> gmail.com>
To: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
Cc: luangruo <at> yahoo.com, 71669-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#71669: 30.0.50; macOS: `emacs --geometry` flag broken, only
 `-geometry` works
Date: Fri, 21 Jun 2024 18:09:00 +0000

Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org> writes:

> Not necessarily.  My reading of the VC history is that before commit
> d7d8c62a57e7, which unified the NS handling of command-line arguments
> with the rest of GUI platforms, there was no support for -g (in any of
> its forms, including -geometry and --geometry) on macOS.  So it could
> be that the fact we now support -g and -geometry is a bug.

In d7d8c62a57e7 it was actually still commented out.  Proper support was
only added 4 years later, in commit e543ae917.

The fact that "--geometry" wasn't commented out at the time looks like
it was just an oversight.

> If you add --geometry to command-line-ns-option-alist, does it work as
> expected, with all formats of -geometry that are supposed to be
> supported?  If yes, we could enable that on macOS and see if anything
> breaks or someone complains.  But maybe if you try this, you will find
> the reason why this switch is not fully supported on NS.

It works fine, so I pushed a patch to master.  Closing this now, thanks.

Previous Next

GNU bug tracking system
Copyright (C) 1999 Darren O. Benham, 1997,2003 nCipher Corporation Ltd, 1994-97 Ian Jackson.