re: disable mouse sort order?

[Paul Westell <pwestell shawlink ca>]

> I haven't time to keep up with personally compiled applications. But am
> totally dependent on whatever version of mc I can get from the {insert
> currently booted distro here}

You might be able to get away with adding a single file to 'upgrade' mc.  If you compile --with-ncurses (not slang), and 
--without-gpm (or however they are phrased).

I do see problems if you build on a system which uses libs (glibc, ncurses, gtk+, &c.), or a kernel that are too 
recent.  I think, older is better for compatability.  In any case, just one file each for 32 and 64 bit systems.

No need to remove the existing package,  unless the mc versions are too wildly disparate, they should all use the same 
support files (or with any luck, ignore those that are missing).  You mght rename the binary so that theywillboth 
coexist, although to make it comatable with several distributions it may require some editing (additions to: 
/etc/profile.d/mc-wrapper.sh), and some symlinks for the support files wherever each distribution has placed them.

> But I'm curious, Why do you dislike the -d option? So far I've not had any
> problem with it (when I remember to use it  that is.  And I like the fact
> that when I do bother wrestling my trackballs pointer over to some text I
> want to copy/paste with gpm, I don't have to remember to also hold the
> shift key down. (used to be that when I opened a selected file via:
> vim <alt>+<enter> <enter>

> Then even though I was running inside an mc session without having disabled
> mouse support, I didn't need to hold the shift key to use gpm's clipboard
> to copy text to from another window... But lately having to hold the shift
> key even inside a subprocess, is why I've started to bother with -d...

Imagine, '<shift>+<mousebutton>'.  Will wonders never cease? I have always used '<ctl>+<mousebutton>', which then waits 
for you to confirm with '<enter>', and looses all line-feeds, tabs, and probably other formatting as well in the process.

My experience has been that under constant use (with CLI not GUI), 'mc -d' will sooner or later; crash, hang, lockup, or 
otherwise make 'killall mc' a desirable option.  Compiling without gpm support solved this.  They may have fixed this 
brokenness, ... or not, but it's too late for me either way.

> In part because of my difficulty with rodent's I use a trackball... And it
> doesn't happen to have a wheel button. (And if it did I'd want to disable
> it) I've found that an accidental brush of a working mouse wheel ...

I understand.  My mechanical KVM requires a ps2 device imnterface, which now means special order or second-hand.  I keep 
my soldering gun handy.

I too prefer a track-ball, but since my 'Logitech Track-Man' blew up I have found nothing even remotely useable.  I have 
trouble with the limited lateral range of current track-balls (somewhere under one's thumb), where the ball of the 
'Track-Man' was controlled by my palm.