[linux-audio-user] Opening up the discussion

[Shayne O'Connor]

Brett McCoy wrote:
> Shayne O'Connor wrote:
> 
>> too true ... i've gotten the idea from this thread that emacs is a
>> really powerful editor, that can do many a thing ... however, i'm too
>> busy figuring out how to install/configure programs to actually learn
>> how to use it. i mean, there should be *some* parts of linux that are
>> "plug-n-play" ... especially a text editor!!!!
> 
> 
> There are 'plug and play' text editors, like gedit or nano, and they are 
> excellent for dealing with config files and README docs.  But emacs is 
> more than just a text editor, it's essentially a text-based IDE and can 
> do some very powerful things that the smaller editors can't.  But for 
> the price of a higher learning curve.  Emacs is is still highly 
> respected even on non-Unix platforms -- many Java IDEs like JBuilder or 
> Eclipse will let you configure your editor keybindings to the emacs style.
> 

yeah, i get the idea that it's more of a programmer's tool rather than 
something ordinary users would use. which sort of makes it irrelevant in 
the context of this discussion (?).

> And this is the point we keep coming back to -- for some things, the 
> simpler 'click and use' software is just what is needed.  For other 
> things, a deeper understanding and bigger learning curve will lead to 
> more powerful capabilities that the former can't provide.
> 

true. i think one of those linux keywords - "scalability" - should come 
to the fore here ... most linux audio applications have the 
potential/power to be "click and usable" for the beginner *as well as* 
highly configurable in a more advanced/complicated way for the power user.

shayne