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[Bug 1466139] Re: .doc file name mapping should be more careful

To: desktop-packages@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
From: era <1466139@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 24 Jun 2015 11:11:33 -0000
Reply-to: Bug 1466139 <1466139@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sender: bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

** Summary changed:

- Emacs converts ascii files to unmutable images
+ .doc file name mapping should be more careful

** Description changed:

+ It is not uncommon for *.doc files to contain plain ASCII text. In this
+ case, the default behavior of Emacs is less than ideal, as described in
+ more detail in the problem report below. Perhaps the .doc file name
+ mapping should contain some additional heuristics, and fall back to
+ plain text if the file is not an Office document.
+
+ Original problem description follows.
+
+ -----
+
Today I downloaded the sources of secure delete. Inspected some files
with vi and some with Emacs 24. Did what I wanted to do, started to
listen to my favourite internet radio station, wanted to cite on
Facebook a citation from the secure delete docs.

I wanted to open the file "secure_delete.doc" (a pure ASCII text file)
in Emacs 24 and: "Whenever you see this buffer I'm going to make a
picture of it and you won't be able to edit anything." Haha, no this
really reminds me of the monkey face during the Ubuntu installation. But
don't make a monkey out of me because Emacs 24 is going to be replaced
with svi an extensible text base line editor yet to be written.

Emacs' open file is broken:
- - whenever it sees a file with the extension or post fix ".doc" it treats it like a Office document.
- - it takes an image of it
- - and shows you the image - which for a pure text file shows you the contents of the file as an image in that gone editor
+ - whenever it sees a file with the extension or post fix ".doc" it treats it like a Office document.
+ - it takes an image of it
+ - and shows you the image - which for a pure text file shows you the contents of the file as an image in that gone editor

They should use the /file/ utility to check for the file type - but
showing an unmutable picture of pure text is like making a monkey out of
the user. Was that joke great? (And never forget: we could hire a
trained monkey to do your job.)

Viper is retreating. Emacs is gone. I need a new editor. No more
discussions or comments on this no no.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 15.04
Package: emacs24 24.4+1-4ubuntu5
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.19.0-15.15-generic 3.19.3
Uname: Linux 3.19.0-15-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: wl
ApportVersion: 2.17.2-0ubuntu1
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: Unity
Date: Wed Jun 17 17:29:07 2015
InstallationDate: Installed on 2015-06-08 (9 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 15.04 "Vivid Vervet" - Release amd64 (20150422)
SourcePackage: emacs24
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1466139

Title:
.doc file name mapping should be more careful

Status in emacs24 package in Ubuntu:
New

Bug description:
It is not uncommon for *.doc files to contain plain ASCII text. In
this case, the default behavior of Emacs is less than ideal, as
described in more detail in the problem report below. Perhaps the
.doc file name mapping should contain some additional heuristics, and
fall back to plain text if the file is not an Office document.

Original problem description follows.

-----

Today I downloaded the sources of secure delete. Inspected some files
with vi and some with Emacs 24. Did what I wanted to do, started to
listen to my favourite internet radio station, wanted to cite on
Facebook a citation from the secure delete docs.

I wanted to open the file "secure_delete.doc" (a pure ASCII text file)
in Emacs 24 and: "Whenever you see this buffer I'm going to make a
picture of it and you won't be able to edit anything." Haha, no this
really reminds me of the monkey face during the Ubuntu installation.
But don't make a monkey out of me because Emacs 24 is going to be
replaced with svi an extensible text base line editor yet to be
written.

Emacs' open file is broken:
- whenever it sees a file with the extension or post fix ".doc" it treats it like a Office document.
- it takes an image of it
- and shows you the image - which for a pure text file shows you the contents of the file as an image in that gone editor

They should use the /file/ utility to check for the file type - but
showing an unmutable picture of pure text is like making a monkey out
of the user. Was that joke great? (And never forget: we could hire a
trained monkey to do your job.)

Viper is retreating. Emacs is gone. I need a new editor. No more
discussions or comments on this no no.

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References

[Bug 1466139] [NEW] Emacs converts ascii files to unmutable images
From: Michael Titke, 2015-06-17