** Reply to message from Hans-Albert Schneider <Hans-Albert.Schneider@mchp.siemens.de> on Thu, 15 Nov 2001 12:46:35 +0100 (MET)
"segura" == segura <segura@attcanada.ca> writes:
segura> Can someone please give me an idea about what I might segura> have done wrong? [...] segura> Can you please let me know what needs to be done with segura> the patch? I just copied and pasted it into the segura> rc.request file at a point that seemed OK, but maybe segura> it was not - is there a best place to put the patch? segura> Or do I need to modify something already there in the segura> rc.request file?
Yes, the latter is the case. The patch contains some lines starting with a minus, some starting with a plus, and some starting with neither. Remove those with the "-" and add those with the "+". The other lines give you some context to better find the lines on which to work. The lines starting with "+++" and "---" name the files (+++ gives the new one, --- gives the old one).
This is a very common format for patches in UNIX; there is even a tool called "patch" that understands and applies this format.
Whether or not it is a very common format for patches in the Unix world, it is shameful, nothing less, in 2001 for software which is intended for use by non-programmers to require this kind of "tighten this bolt, loosen that one" maintenance. It is the result either of the laziness of the developers or of a deep need for the ego boost of being "insiders". There is no reason at all why Smartlist should not be controllable by an intuitive interface requiring no knowledge of Unix incantations.
Hans-Albert
-- Stan Goodman Qiryat Tiv'on Israel