Re: [PATCH 5/7] PR gdb/15224 , Change the default set history filename to ~/.gdb_history.

[Pedro Alves <palves@redhat.com>]

On 05/22/2013 08:18 PM, Eli Zaretskii wrote:
>> Scripts do have a means get the previous behavior.  Simply adding
>> this to .gdbinit:
> 
> But .gdbinit in the current directory is no longer read by default, so
> I can't, not without restoring the old behavior, which does involve
> using a command that will cause old GDB's to barf.
> 
>> The reasoning for changing the default is that we (Pedro/Jan/Muhammad)
>> believe enabling history by default is a better default that having it
>> disabled by default, as currently.
> 
> Another gratuitous incompatibility.

Sorry, but simply calling changes gratuitous when I've made an
effort to explain why I believe they're good doesn't help.  :-/

The idea is that enabling the feature by default will expose
it to more users, who will benefit from it, most (educated-guessing
here, of course) not being aware GDB presently can already use
history from previous sessions.

> 
>> Couple the fact that ".gdb_history"
>> is a dot/hidden file, with enabling history saving by default, and users
>> could end up with their filesystem littered with random hidden .gdb_history
>> files.  I think GDB shouldn't do that by default.  So in order to enable
>> history saving by default, we believe we should default to ~/.gdb_history
>> instead first.  bash also defaults to saving history under $HOME, and I'd
>> think most other interactive programs/shell do so too.  So it feels like
>> GDB is the odd one out here.
> 
> Being the odd one out is not a reason good enough to change behavior
> that was the default for a long time.

The default has been to not save the history at all.

When weighing the pros and cons, I believe the pros outweigh the cons.

That's just my opinion, and I've just tried to clarify why I have it.

-- 
Pedro Alves