<<< Date Index >>>     <<< Thread Index >>>

Re: mutt/2560: Mutt chokes on invalid charset in UTF environment



* Derek Martin on Wednesday, November 22, 2006 at 00:15:03 +0100:
> On Tue, Nov 21, 2006 at 08:42:39PM +0100, Vincent Lefevre wrote:
>> On 2006-11-21 15:05:02 +0100, Christian Ebert wrote:
>>>  libiconv-1.10
>> 
>> You should try 1.11 (this is what I'm using, from MacPorts).

I haven't got the time to do this ATM. It would probably mean to
switch from fink to MacPorts, because loads of fink packages
depend on fink's libiconv, or to compile it myself, which would
mean to compile myself the stuff I have currently installed by
fink as well etc. etc.

Mind you, I am not complaining, and apologize if what I wrote
sounded that way. I just want to point out what might happen to a
naive luser like me.

> Even if that works, it doesn't mean someone won't at a later date use
> some encoding that somehow breaks iconv...  I missed the beginning of
> the thread, so I apologize if I don't have a clear understanding of
> what the submitter is seeing,

Actually you have a very clear understanding of what you missed
;)

I am seeing a freeze. The only way out is to Ctrl-Z to force
quit.

> but it sounds like mutt is silently failing and just does
> nothing... 

Exactly.

> Doesn't it seem reasonable that mutt should more gracefully
> handle failed conversions?

You summed up the point I was trying to make.

At the moment the situation from my POV looks like this:

UTF-8 environment + libiconv > 1.10: no prob

UTF-8 environment + libiconv <= 1.10:

1. assumed-charset patch indispensable
   otherwise same symptom on messages with valid charset _names_
   but wrongly declared (bug 2425)

2. mutt chokes on invalid charset name (when iconv fails)

Solutions in order preferred by me ;) :

1. Incorporate assumed-charset patch +
   give a warning when iconv fails, and the possibility to move,
   delete, or call the editor on the message from within Mutt.

2. State in docs/installation instructions that vanilla Mutt
   requires libiconv >= 1.11 to work in an UTF-8 environment.

I can live with the situation as it is, but eg. for someone new
to Mutt, this might be an offputting experience.

c
-- 
_B A U S T E L L E N_ lesen! --->> <http://www.blacktrash.org/baustellen.html>