problems with emacs (or tramp) on FC5 ?

[Eric Brunson]

Chris Jones wrote:
>> Judging from the file name, I'd say Emacs is trying to create a backup
>> file.
>>     
>
> yes, thats what it is doing. The problem is where it is trying to do this...
>
>   
>> I've seen a similar problem with tramp on and off for several
>> years. Emacs tries to save a local backup copy of a remote file to a
>> similar location, and for obvious reasons fails. I think it's a tramp
>> bug, but haven't gone hunting for it.
>>     
>
> Thing is though, I am pretty sure I used the very same tramp version on FC4, 
> and had absolutely no problems there - If it was a tramp bug would I not have 
> seen it as well ? I think backups where created in the correct (remote) 
> place, but I'm not sure ?
>
>   
>> As a workaround, I suppose you could build the directory and give it
>> appropriate permissions, but I haven't tried it. I usually just wait
>> until Emacs gives up trying to create the file, and save work files
>> often.
>>     
>
> For me, it happens after only a few minutes of use, so I would have to save 
> VERY often. Not really a solution. 
>
> I will try creating the path and see what happens...
>
> Chris
>
>   

 From the tramp info page:


      Auto-save and Backup configuration

Explaining auto-save is still to do.

Normally, Emacs writes backup files to the same directory as the 
original files, but this behavior can be changed via the variable 
|backup-directory-alist|. In connection with TRAMP, this can have 
unexpected side effects. Suppose that you specify that all backups 
should go to the directory |~/.emacs.d/backups/|, and then you edit the 
file |/su:root at localhost:/etc/secretfile|. The effect is that the backup 
file will be owned by you and not by root, thus possibly enabling others 
to see it even if they were not intended to see it.

When |backup-directory-alist| is nil (the default), such problems do not 
occur.

If you wish to customize the variable, the workaround is to include 
special settings for TRAMP files. For example, the following statement 
effectively `turns off' the effect of |backup-directory-alist| for TRAMP 
files:

     (require 'tramp)
     (add-to-list 'backup-directory-alist
                  (cons tramp-file-name-regexp nil))