[OS X Emacs] Aquamacs+Skim inverse search

[Joseph C. Slater PE, PhD]

On Sep 1, 2009, at 11:48 AM, David Reitter wrote:

> M-x rant-mode
> Rant minor mode enabled.
>
> On Sep 1, 2009, at 11:35 AM, Joseph C. Slater PE, PhD wrote:
>
>> Maybe I'm lazy (alright, I'm lazy), but the easier solution is to  
>> just set the default Aquamacs setting in Skim to use the full path.
>
> Right, but... that doesn't solve the problem for anyone but you!
>
>>
>>> Is the problem perhaps that Skim runs the wrong emacsclient - the  
>>> one that comes with OSX and is built for 22, which is incompatible  
>>> with the 23 Emacs?
>>>
>>
>> Yes. I tested this by:
>> sudo mv /usr/bin/emacsclient /usr/bin/emacsclient_old
>>
>> This leads to a handful of solutions (in my meager programing skill  
>> set):
>> a) Aquamacs on first run replaces the /usr/bin/emacsclient with its  
>> own on first run
>
> Can't do.  You're running as a user, not as root.

It could launch the "Install Command Line Tools" installer, though,  
right?

>
>> b) Users are asked to do this
>> c) The standard Skim setting for Aquamacs points to the binary  
>> explicitly.
>
> Skim can't easily find out where the "correct" Aquamacs.app is  
> located.

I forget that I keep my applications in /Applications and that it's  
not necessary.
>
>> David: Do you think we (I) ought to file a bug report with Skim to  
>> put the full path in? I think it's really Skim's job to find emacs  
>> in the inverse search.
>
> No, the problem lies with Emacs.  The devs thought they could simply  
> break compatibility with the new emacsclient.  This works if you do  
> system-central installations like in Windows and GNU/Linux ("sudo  
> make install"), but not with a modern, self-contained .app bundle.   
> Just one more example of bad design + cross-platform ignorance...

Mine too.

> I forgot to mention that I have actually done something about this a  
> while ago, and it should be in the nightly builds already.
>
> Tools -> Install Command Line Tools should install a new emacsclient  
> now.  Please test.

Yes, that works.
>
> And if I remember correctly Aquamacs will also check and give a  
> warning if the installed emacsclient is old.

OK, I restored the old files to see if I get the error (I should have  
read ahead), and didn't get any warning or such listed in *Messages*.
>
> Please check.  If it's not working, maybe I need to merge the  
> feature from my dr/dev branch.

Let me know what else you need me to do (that I'm capable of)

>
>> Anyone crazy enough to be using Aquamacs now should understand that  
>> they may have to fix stuff like this themselves, if only as a  
>> crutch, so I'm happy with it.
>
> Did you mean to say "Aquamacs 2.0 preview"?

I'm using Nightly because... heck if I know... to provide some usage  
reports that may be useful.

> I can only reiterate: if people keep coming up with hacks that patch  
> up the problem locally, we'll never make progress and we'll never  
> have an Aquamacs release.
>
> You're all smart enough to learn to fix the real problem.

You overstate my programing skills. All three of my solutions were  
rightfully torched. Now give me a numerical computation task and I  
have a fair shot.

> And, excuse the sarcasm, unlike me, many of the Aquamacs users have  
> tenure and could do with a bit of hacking :-)

Understood. That's why I took on the TeX on mac Wiki... it's what I  
have the skill set for. Fortran 77 isn't in much demand anymore, and  
my octave code was rejected by that project. I've got a dozen charity  
efforts going on (non-programing), so I do the best I can.
Joe