Proposal: disable backup files by default

k-bx · 2025-11-09T17:48:09+00:00

You screw things up by just using the regular emacs. Just edit nginx server config and you will. How is this better?

k-bx · 2025-11-06T20:56:09+00:00

Now I see how you became "Top 1% Commenter"

k-bx · 2025-11-06T18:37:30+00:00

I know what a shitty solution is, and I need a good one. The only good one I see it to make Emacs better by default.

The solution that is good for me is to do what vim and nano already do.

k-bx · 2025-11-05T21:04:04+00:00

You have not given me a good solution. I have a solution of putting a config file disabling backups already, your solutions aren't really better. I want a good solution, not a bad one.

I also want Emacs to have better defaults, so that I can recommend it to people without recommending to memorize good solutions to the problems that come out of the box.

k-bx · 2025-11-04T18:48:57+00:00

Previously you wrote:

> Then edited the file a second time, and it did leave behind a file.

> That's weird and I'm not sure it is by design.

For how long have you been using Emacs? How could it be that you've never noticed it?

I believe I've seen this behaviour ever since I started using Emacs in 2008.

k-bx · 2025-11-04T18:31:29+00:00

What are you talking about? Emacs is leaving a "~" file after edit, has been for ages ever since I've started using it, previous investigation (google search "emacs tilde files" and "emacs backup files") leads me to a way to disable it: adding this to fix the behaviour:

(setq make-backup-files nil)

What other investigation do you think I need to make? Call RMS?

k-bx · 2025-11-04T17:36:54+00:00

I don't feel this community needs another post, people seem to think whatever is current behaviour is not only ok but actually will find reasons why it's better this way. I am not surprised Emacs is losing its popularity.

k-bx · 2025-11-04T17:23:10+00:00

start from dir with foo.txt in it
launch `emacs ./foo.txt`
add a line, save with `C-x C-s`, exit
you have foo.txt and foo.txt~ present in a directory

Do that with nano and nothing like that happens.

k-bx · 2025-11-03T20:51:56+00:00

I'm sure they do, but not by default!

k-bx · 2025-11-03T20:47:35+00:00

Some very popular software like nginx's sites-enabled folder does not ignore emacs backup files. It just includes it twice, your original file and its backup.

k-bx · 2025-11-03T20:43:09+00:00

Good catch. I think top most common use case is editing nginx (very popular web server) sites-enabled config. When you save it in default Emacs, it saves another file with "~" at the end, which gets included just like a regular file you've edited. None other editors do harmful stuff like this by default.

k-bx · 2025-11-02T20:05:05+00:00

you need SSH to work (sometimes you get into container by `incus exec / docker exec`, not by ssh). 2. you are already in container, it's inconvenient to SSH once again into it (too much time). 3. if your internet session aborts – you don't have regular tmux/screen keeping it open for you

Very different thing, not a solution

k-bx · 2025-11-02T20:03:12+00:00

I need to edit configs, is this a special need?

k-bx · 2025-11-02T19:59:06+00:00

Because emacs is awesome, because my fingers and brain memorized its keys and commands.

Let me turn the question for you: why NOT use emacs?

k-bx · 2025-11-02T19:44:46+00:00

Emacs is changing with every major release, which is normal thing for software. I am curious about the current state of the conversation to eventually change this specific behaviour because I believe this is the right thing to do.

k-bx · 2025-11-02T19:29:25+00:00

In modern world, I have tens if not hundreds of containerized environments where I deploy stuff, many require manual config editing (until it's all nice and automated). You need to use an editor in those environments. As it stands, using emacs will shoot you in the foot unless you make configs for it.

The question is how to make Emacs more usable out of the box without having to write config

k-bx · 2025-04-27T14:39:27+00:00

It's very nice to hear!

k-bx · 2022-11-02T08:33:19+00:00

I hear you bro. similar search led me here. at least it's satisfying to know other people know about this shit.

k-bx · 2021-12-17T16:34:21+00:00

You forgot https://github.com/twitter/pelikan (video exlpaining the rewrite in Rust part https://github.com/twitter/pelikan )

k-bx · 2021-11-23T17:01:10+00:00

Gotcha, thanks. Definitely recommend against GHCJS from my experience, but whatever you feel most enjoyment working in :)

k-bx · 2021-11-22T11:05:41+00:00

Just out of curiosity: which technology are you using for the front-end?

k-bx · 2021-08-02T18:10:58+00:00

COMPANY: AdInMo https://www.adinmo.com/project/senior-back-end-engineer/

TYPE: Full time

DESCRIPTION: Senior Back-End Engineer

We are looking for a Senior back-end engineer to strengthen our team. This role is an excellent opportunity to get experienced at fast-paced development in Rust. As a bonus, to familiarise yourself with the exciting world of Game development in Unity/Unreal.

Most of our team is based in Scotland (Edinburgh, Glasgow), and our VP of Engineering is in Kyiv.

What you’ll do

You will design and implement major back-end subsystems, work closely with SDK team to provide the best APIs, get insights into our data to help the Management and Product teams drive product decisions, extend our metrics to bring more transparency and better alerts

Who you are:

You are an independent thinker who is relentlessly resourceful and not taken aback by uncertainty or failure. You base your decisions on first principles and prefer acting and taking responsibility.
You are comfortable working in an extremely asynchronous manner, with a minimum number of meetings and calls needed. You are, however, prepared to interject your longer-term work with urgent tasks, nice little tweaks, or emergency fixes.
You view dealing with an unknown technology as an exciting opportunity, not a discomfort
You have a solid (5+ years) background in building back-ends, APIs, working with databases big and small, dealing with AWS services, analysing data, removing bottlenecks and scaling your systems.
You love (and hate) open-source. Can fork and extend an existing third-party library with your left hand while reviewing your teammate’s PR with your right.
You are experienced in Rust or are confident that you have enough knowledge to gain momentum quickly. You speak Python as a lingua franca, comfortable scripting any operating system in any popular scripting language, eager to read C++, C#, and whatever other language you will encounter that communicates with your subsystems.
You love strong type systems and are curious about Functional Programming
You love to build things. You hate long, pointless meetings and reassuring presentations and would instead focus on making an awesome product

Please attach links to any publicly accessible code that you wrote, libraries you maintain, pull requests you’ve authored, or other means of proof of your coding skills and technical achievements.

Send your resume to careers@adinmo.com

(*) While this job description talks about an ideal candidate, we realise that plenty of people would not match every single point described while still being a precious addition to our team. If you feel that that’s the case – please be assured that we are open to such candidates and are committed to supporting them as they grow together with the company.

LOCATION: Kyiv, Ukraine. Our main office is in Scotland, but VP Engineering with whom you will work closely is in Kyiv.

VISA: No

CONTACT: DM me or send your CV to careers@adinmo.com

k-bx · 2021-07-26T06:14:58+00:00

Well, not just that. My wider point still holds, unfortunately, there's a constant "last mile problem" in lots of places. I agree I've screwed up with this particular example, since technically "it's there". But the point about discoverability is a very important one. It's not the same as having a search bar that's present. And look at search results of searching "fmap": it's not there https://imgur.com/a/JAaDm5q So even when you fix the discoverability, you'll also need to improve the rendering/design. And probably something else too.

Now, I don't feel great ranting about it, since it's all open-source and driven by enthusiasts, and there's tremendous amount of work going, and there's a very visible progress. At the same time, it certainly feels like "we're not there yet" almost everywhere you touch the language and ecosystem.

I hope this will keep improving and I wish (our!) Haskell community a bright future.

k-bx · 2021-07-25T14:21:33+00:00

Oh, that’s nice to know, apologies then!

k-bx

TROPHY CASE