Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!rutgers!mit-eddie!KESTREL.ARPA!king From: king@KESTREL.ARPA (Dick King) Newsgroups: comp.emacs Subject: concerning Gnu Emacs backup files Message-ID: <8701100143.AA15865@kestrel.ARPA> Date: Fri, 9-Jan-87 20:43:59 EST Article-I.D.: kestrel.8701100143.AA15865 Posted: Fri Jan 9 20:43:59 1987 Date-Received: Sat, 10-Jan-87 02:24:52 EST Sender: daemon@mit-eddie.MIT.EDU Lines: 30 From: vis!greg@nosc.arpa Return-Receipt-To: vis!greg@nosc.arpa Date: 09 Jan 87 12:38:42 PST (Fri) Date: Sun, 4 Jan 87 22:07:48 EST From: nosc!rms@prep.ai.mit.edu (Richard M. Stallman) To: info-gnu-emacs@prep.ai.mit.edu In-Reply-To: John Foderaro's message of Sun, 04 Jan 87 11:28:08 PST Subject: concerning Gnu Emacs backup files The purpose of backup files is to stay around for a while so you can back out of mistakes. Backup files are not out of date until months have gone by and it is no longer likely you will come across a bug. How can this be? If I make major changes to a file, then go back and put in a missing semicolon, the interesting backup is lost. That's why i put in kept-new-versions as well as kept-old-versions. When you develop affection for a version you delete enough old versions so the treasured version is one of the kept-old-version oldest ones. If you decide you want to keep a third version [assuming kept-old-versions is 2, the default] you either must throw out one or change kept-old-versions [possibly for versions of that file only, in a local variable]. _Greg -dick