makeinfo function execute feature

[joseph]

        I suggest that if a command were added in makeinfo to put the
        execute feature in, simply leaving that texinfo command out would
        have the default you desire of not putting the execute feature in.
    
    Right.  I was talking about whether it should be enabled in the Emacs
    Info reader by default, or whether users should have to set a variable.
    Along the lines of enable-local-variables.
    
    I would be quite worried otherwise.  A malicious person could easily
    create or modify an Info file to do an rm -rf /, for example.  It
    doesn't seem at all plausible to ask every person who wants to use Info
    to check their Info files for execute functions.
    
    In fact, this should IMHO be done whether we add a Texinfo command for
    this or not.  Right now, the only protection is ignorance.

Emacs already has a variable that controls interpretation of the function 
execute feature.
 It is the Info-enable-active-node variable.  A non-nil value allow Info to 
execute Lisp
code associated with nodes.  The Lisp code is executed when the node is 
selected.  I
believe the default is nil giving the protection you mention you want.

Joseph Patterson
VLSI Design Tools
P.O. Box 378
W. Boxford, MA 01885-0378
(978)352-7976
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