[Grml] A scheme to manage several ZSH config file collections?

[Frank Terbeck]

[dropping zsh-users from Cc: as they would only be marginally involved
 here]

Richard Hartmann <richih.mailinglist at gmail.com>:
[..multiple zshrcs in grml..]
> 1) Make ZSH load the RC files from different paths (/etc/zsh/config1 ..)
>     Pro: Almost drop-in, minimal work necessary
>          Cleanly seperated
>          Different ttys might run with different RC files
>     Con: Needs modification to fpath etc
>          Shells can not be allowed to start prior to rc file selection
[...]
> 3) Use $ZSHRC_PREFIX or some similar variable
>     Pro: Drop-in solution once you change your RC files for the first
>            time
>          Cleanly seperated
>          Different ttys might run with different RC files
>     Con: Shells can not be allowed to start prior to rc file selection
>          Needs a way for ZSH to be started with a variable set before it
>            is invoked

I've snipped out solution no2, as I don't think that it is the best
way to go.

Actually, I'm tending towards a mixture of the two remaining
solutions:

 1. Don't touch the current zshrc at all. It works fine and should be
    left intact unmodified.

 2. Give all added rcs their own file + function dir (I don't think an
    additional completion dir is needed):

    /etc/zsh/rcs/zshrc.richih
    /etc/zsh/rcs/richih.d/

 3. Put *every* function file, that does not collide with the ones
    that are already in grml's configuration into
    /etc/zsh/functions.d; There's no reason from keeping non-colliding
    function to not be in the standard config.

 4. add /etc/zsh/rcs/richih.d/ at the *beginning* be $fpath so that
    colliding functions are not taken from the default dir, but from
    the dir that is part of the config, that is in action.

 5. If $ZSHRC_ALT (I think _ALT is a better name when choosing an
    alternate configuration) is set to a name (say richih), use
    /etc/zsh/rcs/zshrc.$ZSHRC_ALT if it is available.

    Do NOT source /etc/zsh/zshrc in that case.
    Do NOT source ~/.zshrc in that case (set $ZDOTDIR to
    ~/.zshrc.$ZSHRC_ALT - that would make ~/.zshrc.$ZSHRC_ALT/.zshrc
    to be sourced; standard zsh mechanism.)

 5. Do the handling of $ZSHRC_ALT, $ZDOTDIR and $fpath in the global
    zshenv (/etc/zsh/zshenv) in a

        if [[ -o interactive ]] ; then
        fi

    Block;

That should be a pretty robust yet very easy to implement way, that
would leave our zshrc completely untouched and hence be still usable
on other systems without a hassle. And the only thing you'd have to
make sure is to set $ZSHRC_ALT before/when calling zsh.

I hope I didn't forget to wrap up one of the steps I did in my head.

Regards, Frank

-- 
In protocol design, perfection has been reached not when there is
nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.
                                                  -- RFC 1925