Less is not More for the N900

[zBeeble]

Is there a version of the command-line 'less' for the n900? I've tried "apt-get install less" ... but it doesn't find any such package.

I suppose there might be a way to compile it? Help?

[Zas]

You can download less from the extras-devel repository (http://wiki.maemo.org/Extras-devel#How_to_activate_Extras-devel). Please note that extras-devel has packages that might break your n900. I suggest removing the repo after installing less.

[geneven]

You can download less from the extras-devel repository (http://wiki.maemo.org/Extras-devel#How_to_activate_Extras-devel). Please note that extras-devel has packages that might break your n900. I suggest removing the repo after installing less.

Less is a great example of a program that will probably stay in extras-devel forever for no good reason except it will give people reasons to say "ooh--you took a horrible risk, no wonder your N900 is perpetually rebooting, you installed something from extras-devel!!"

[ndi]

Less is a great example of a program that will probably stay in extras-devel forever for no good reason

"Warning: This package does not have the required bugtracker link (http://wiki.maemo.org/Extras-testing/QA_Checklist#Lack_of_bug_reporting_database) specified!"

Sounds like good reason to me. Also, shouldn't it be pushed up by the developer? It's not like it died in QA queue.

[Mentalist Traceur]

Less is a great example of a program that will probably stay in extras-devel forever for no good reason except it will give people reasons to say "ooh--you took a horrible risk, no wonder your N900 is perpetually rebooting, you installed something from extras-devel!!"
So... harass the maintainer until they promote it to testing, or demand to be the maintainer if they won't?

[jd4200]

What's wrong with "More"?

[zBeeble]

Well... the "more" provided on this thing doesn't have an end-of-file-but-don't-exit button (capital-G in less). It seems to be a pretty vanella more. I suppose if you don't need more, then use it.

So if I have extras-devel in the list, does apt-get then know about more? Wouldn't it be better to have a one-time apt-get command line to get from that repository?

[slender]

Less is a great example of a program that will probably stay in extras-devel forever for no good reason except it will give people reasons to say "ooh--you took a horrible risk, no wonder your N900 is perpetually rebooting, you installed something from extras-devel!!"

*sigh*
Thing is, if you haven´t noticed, some apps that are in extras have also devel version. So it´s quite likely that when person enables devel/testing and does repo-update (I´m taking about persons who do not understand squat about what they are doing) they notice that they have n+1 updates coming to apps that they already have. I would not be surprised that if after that person manages to update their safe extras apps to devel version and fundamentally do not really understand what just happened even thought they only installed one app from devel.

Devel has of course safe apps but IMO devel is generally for people who really understand what it means. We have already too much people reporting here weird behavior and I would not be surprised that it´s because of some devel&testing apps that leak memory over long period of time.

[geneven]

So... harass the maintainer until they promote it to testing, or demand to be the maintainer if they won't?

Well -- I'm not doing either of those, I'm just using less without worrying about it.

I think that the emphasis sould be not so much on hysterical warnings about avoiding extras-devel and more about proper troubleshooting when you DO run into problems.

To me, one of the big features of the N900 is that it helps you learn about things that are at first over your head. So hiding under the bed because going outside might be dangerous is not what fits the spirit of the N900.

[Captwheeto]

What's wrong with "More"?

No vi like bindings and I'm not sure about newer versions but older versions weren't capable of going up ;)