[IPython-dev] please don't rename old config files by default

[Paul Ivanov]

MinRK, on 2011-07-08 22:09,  wrote:
> This is sound. it's a question of weighing the annoyance of many users
> seeing a warning they may not care about against the possible
> confusion of others when they aren't getting reminded until they
> address the issue.

Thanks Min, good summary, and I think we should *make* the users
care - that way they'll look at the new config and also find all
of the new goodies that live in there! It's a way for the user to
get re-acquainted with his old friend IPython, that's was out
seeing more of the world, learning, getting a bit wiser and more
sophisticated (IPython only drinks red wine now, whereas IPython used
to only drink Jägermeister).

> On Fri, Jul 8, 2011 at 20:25, Paul Ivanov <pivanov314 at gmail.com> wrote:
> > How does this sound:
> > https://github.com/ipython/ipython/pull/565
> 
> Reasonable.  Can others weigh in?
> 
> a) warn about old config until moved out of the way manually and/or
> ignore_old_config is set
> b) warn once and move out of the way, so warnings only appear once -
> set ignore_old_config if you need to keep using 0.10
> c) mysterious door number 3
> 
> Either one seems fine to me.  Fernando and Thomas seemed to prefer b),
> Paul prefers a).

You're kind of tempting me with c), there, but here's my use
cases for b). 

Paul is happily using 0.10.2 and wants to take 0.11 for a test
drive without committing to using it full time. He grabs the
sources, installs them in a temporary location, fires up 0.11,
and is irked by the message that tells him his config files were
just moved without anyone asking him.

He just wants to do something quick right now, and doesn't follow
the instructions right away about creating a new profile. The
sessions grows and instructions for creating a new profile and
the config option to change scroll off the screen. He exits this
session, and fires up ipython, and without a helpful message, he
now has to move the .old files back into place just to get the
helpful "Hi again, old friend, thanks for the offer, but my
tastes have changed a bit, and I don't drink Jägermeister
anymore" message from IPython to appear again.

-- 
Paul Ivanov
314 address only used for lists,  off-list direct email at:
http://pirsquared.org | GPG/PGP key id: 0x0F3E28F7 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: signature.asc
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 198 bytes
Desc: Digital signature
URL: <http://mail.python.org/pipermail/ipython-dev/attachments/20110708/2a3c34d5/attachment.sig>