[Grml] RC: disable zshrc's share_history feature by default?

[Darshaka Pathirana]

On 03/25/2013 11:39 AM, Michael Prokop wrote:
> * Csillag Tamas [Mon Mar 25, 2013 at 11:31:28AM +0100]:
>> On Mon, Mar 25, 2013 at 11:23:57AM +0100, Michael Prokop wrote:
> 
>>>> On the other hand it is grml where I learned and got used to zsh and this was
>>>> one of its great features. :)

+1

>>>> Maybe the grml distribution and users fetching grml's zsh config from grml.org/zsh
>>>> has a different use case (I am not sure) let me explain:
>>>> On a server there can be more root users operating in parallel
>>>> on a grml live system there is usually one and typing in one shell then the
>>>> capability to see that on the other's history is a great thing.
> 
>>> Yeah, but people use grml-zshrc also outside of Grml, even on
>>> different operating systems. So we don't have to care just about the
>>> Grml live mode use case but also about the more generic one. :)
> 
>> I try to explain a bit what I meant above:
>> Maybe it can make sense to enable this feature on a grml live system and
>> disable otherwise.
> 
> Oh, right - that's another option.
> But I'm afraid that people would be even more confused about the
> inconsistency between the different environments.

Yeah. Two different defaults would be confusing.

That said, I also love that share_history feature!
I am not sure how you guys work but I usually remember my last command
(regardless which terminal I currently use). It often happens that I
get interrupted, switch away from (or even close) the terminal and
when trying to return find myself in a different terminal where I have
no access to my last command....

Or the other way around: I always "expected" to find my last command
across all terminals (long before I found grml default zsh
share_history feature). But as that did not happen I often found
myself issuing the wrong "last" command.

So the same potential "harm" (issuing the wrong "last" command) could
also arise without this setting enabled.

I am sure that there a few people who are annoyed by shared_history
but I am not sure if these people form a majority.

Thinking loud here:
* what about putting a note at the end of the boot process which
informs the user about that fact (if you really think that feature is
that dangerous)?

* what about adding an option to grml-quickconfig to quickly disable
this feature? Hmm, but when thinking about it: the shells on the other
consoles are alreay up and running and when invoking grml-quickconfig
this might be too late. Is there some kind of SIGHUP to tell (all
running) zsh to reload its config?

* do NOT make different settings for grml live-cd and the
grml-config: people who are able to apply grml-config are surely able
to adapt their needs in .zsh.local

And if anybody cares: my vote goes to keep share_history!

JM2C && Regards,
 - Darsha