Re: Windows 29.1 error - xargs MIA

[Joel Reicher]

Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org> writes:

>> From: Joel Reicher <joel.reicher@gmail.com>
>> Cc: help-emacs-windows@gnu.org
>> Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2023 08:27:13 +1100
>> 
>> One of the ways I've found to get almost all the helper utils emacs needs in 
>> one hit is to install Git for Windows and do something like
>> 
>> (setenv "PATH" (concat "C:\\Program Files\\Git\\usr\\bin;" (getenv "PATH")))
>> (push "C:/Program Files/Git/usr/bin" exec-path)
>
> FWIW, I don't recommend setting PATH from within Emacs, because that
> could mean the programs you invoke have a different notion about PATH
> than Emacs does.  Instead, change the PATH outside Emacs using the
> Windows settings, then Emacs will inherit that value of PATH when it
> starts.

Noted, thanks.

> Also, beware: the programs in Git/usr/bin are MSYS programs, not
> native Windows programs.  They all depend on MSYS DLL, and behave
> slightly differently as regards to signals, pipes, and console I/O.
> This could cause subtle problems when using them from a native (MinGW)
> Windows build of Emacs.  So my advice is to install MinGW ports of the
> required utilities, not MSYS ports that are part of Git for Windows.

I haven't had any problems so far, but I forgot to mention that for TRAMP 
(which I use heavily) I use plink, psftp, pscp, etc.

>> The main thing I miss are the man pages.
>
> You need a port of Groff and a man program/clone.

I'm fairly sure the actual pages themselves are missing from the Git for 
Windows environment. If they were there I'd use WoMan.

>> The only actual util I sometimes use that isn't in there is a spell checker.
>
> What about Texinfo?

Not yet. :)