lynx-dev 'reloading' lynx.cfg (was: options (more, please))

[Klaus Weide]

On Thu, 15 Jul 1999, Michael Warner wrote:
> On or about 15 Jul, 1999, David Combs
> <address@hidden> wrote:
> > The almost-worst situation is having to change the .cfg.
> > 
> > Slightly less bad is by command-line arg, meaning that
> > you have to still rerun an entire lynx to try it.
> 
> I think you've got these two reversed, since the redoubtable Mr
> Pausner (I think) added re-sourcing lynx.cfg on-the-fly a while
> ago.  I use it quite a bit, and am very grateful to have it.
> 
> Get there via "Check your lynx.cfg" at the bottom of the
> options page.

How well does it work now?

When I last tried it there seemed to be several problems.
That was around the time I changed the restrictions checking
(don't use LYRestricted flag directly etc.). I remember:
 - cookie file name got corrupted  (I found cookies were written
   at end of session to a file with a name of 8 arbitrary
   characters)
 - Something strange happened to colors on reloading

I planned to investigate those, but haven't done so.  Maybe
those were temporary problems that have disappeared since
then, but I approach that RELOAD link with caution since then
(well, I have kept away from it).

The handling of some of the lynx.cfg options is written in a way
that just assumes that the file is only loaded once, also that
it happens 'early' (e.g. before color or curses is initialized)
and that LYMain.c may do something to the options after they
have been read (but before entering into mainloop).  I expect
there are numerous things that won't work exactly right without
further tweaks, although most options that are simple boolean
flags may be ok.

What happens to the seetings that add to a list - like PRINTER,
DOWNLOADER, UPLOADER, VIEWER, RULES.  I expect that, without
"clearing" those lists, each reloading of the .cfg file will
just grow them.


    Klaus