Find another way to get Hexchat version

[GoogleCodeExporter]

So, the developer of Hexchat thought it would be a good idea to make a dialog 
box show up when you run hexchat --version. It no longer prints version info to 
the command line, just shows the stupid gtk dialog box. inxi won't do anything 
until you click "close" in this box. I believe this is version 2.9.4 and up, 
and I don't really see the developer changing it for a sysinfo script that 
isn't his. For version 2.9.4+ you can get the version by reading the first line 
of ~/.config/hexchat/hexchat.conf. Older versions will use 
~/.config/hexchat/xchat.conf. 

Original issue reported on code.google.com by dan...@the-beach.co on 13 Nov 2012 at 1:19

Attachments:

• [Version Information_019.png](https://storage.googleapis.com/google-code-attachments/inxi/issue-40/comment-0/Version Information_019.png)

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Please paste in the contents of:
~/.config/hexchat/hexchat.conf
and if you have it available:
~/.config/hexchat/xchat.conf

A command line opening up a gnome dialogue is a bug and should be reported as 
such to the dev. 

Here's an example of properly done versioning:
firefox --version
Mozilla Firefox 16.0.2

thunderbird --version
Thunderbird 16.0.2

kate --version
Qt: 4.8.2
KDE Development Platform: 4.8.4 (4.8.4)
Kate: 3.8.4

xchat --version
xchat 2.8.8

stop me once you detect the pattern...

I suggest, that while inxi will have to deal with this bug once I have the 
actual contents of those two files, that you also file an upstream bug report 
to hexchat (this isn't an inxi bug, it's a hexchat bug, and applies to any tool 
or person who wants to get the version in the standard way, via the command 
line) and have the behavior be corrected. Xchat doesn't do that, as you see, 
and there's no reason for any app to do that. Clicking the about/help gui menu 
option of course should show an option to show full hexchat version information 
in a gui dialogue.

I'm accepting this only because it is a fact that hexchat switched to that 
buggy and incorrect behavior, which will negatively  impact inxi users.

Original comment by inxi-...@techpatterns.com on 13 Nov 2012 at 7:51

• Changed state: Accepted

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Also, if there is a master config file, /etc/hexchat.conf I'd prefer to read 
that as a global value, not the generated user config files. So if 
/etc/hexchat.conf exists, paste in those contents too if available. 

But above all, file a bug report with hexchat, just because he made a mistake 
and thinks that --version opening up a gtk dialogue is a good idea doesn't mean 
it is. There are norms and standards, and veering from them pointlessly and at 
random makes the linux/free software  desktop just that much less approachable 
to end users and developers, it's a negative thing, that is. 

Original comment by inxi-...@techpatterns.com on 13 Nov 2012 at 7:57

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Uh. What? So if XChat displays --version in stdout and HexChat doesn't, it 
means it's a bug? What makes you think I care about XChat? (I don't) Who the 
hell are you to make such statements? How can you afford such sniffy, 
indoctrinating bullshit? And where is this "standard" defined you're talking 
about anyway? Are you high on something? A LOT of apps don't even have a 
--version flag. If you depend on this ad-hoc "norm" bullshit that's YOUR 
problem, but I am in NO WAY responsible for that, I make whatever changes I 
want in HexChat, and you can gtfo if you think otherwise. If it's too hard for 
you to read the first line of a plain text file, that's not my problem either. 
And no, it wasn't made by mistake, believe it or not, I commit intentionally, 
not by accident, or without "points" (maybe that's the inxi way, dunno). And 
this change is here to stay.

Original comment by bvik...@outlook.com on 14 Nov 2012 at 6:51

[GoogleCodeExporter]

I specifically asked for the syntax and samples for the config files, now I see 
a somewhat hysterical response, without the requested data, from the developer. 
Why am I not surprised? If I type in a console command into a console, 
obviously I want to get back a console response, dugh, why else would I be 
typing in hexchat --version into a darned terminal, with my keyboard? However, 
inxi is all about catering to weird glitches, oddities, and irregularities in 
the linux ecosystem, and I said I'd handle it, if you could just get your 
defensive response tuned down a bit and provide the data I need to patch a 
custom little thing for hexchat only. 

It takes you roughly 5 seconds to paste in the data I requested, ideally the 
/etc config file, as I noted, and then it would take me a some minutes to fix 
and upload to svn the fix. 

I already said, again, that I'd work around your bug and and your decision, and 
to do that, I need to see the the entire plain text file contents, a sample, 
that is. Congratulations, by the way, on being the ONLY irc client out there to 
do this, must be a fluke, right? 

While I am free to note the inanity of your decision, inxi strives to serve 
all, no matter what, within reason, of course. I do however need to get this 
fixed so people foolish enough to use hexchat don't run into the hanging gtk 
dialogue  thing. 

So what, out of curiousity, happens if I type in hexchat --version out of X, in 
a virtual console? Not that I'm goiong to install it to find out, but curious 
minds want to know.

Original comment by inxi-...@techpatterns.com on 14 Nov 2012 at 7:22

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Sorry about the wait. The first line of ~/.config/hexchat/{hexchat,xchat}.conf 
will always be in this format.

version = 2.9.4

However, if hexchat.conf exists, xchat.conf will be outdated, so hexchat.conf 
should be top priority.

Also, there is no system wide config file.

Original comment by dan...@the-beach.co on 14 Nov 2012 at 7:26

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Here's the full file if you absolutely need it. Older versions should be in the 
same format as well.

Original comment by dan...@the-beach.co on 14 Nov 2012 at 7:31

Attachments:

• hexchat.conf

[GoogleCodeExporter]

daniel at the beach, thank you for providing the actual information needed to 
work around this very poor decision, but judging from the developer's response 
here, it's no longer a mystery how such an event could have taken place, and, 
as I noted, inxi is all about working around hordes of oddities and glitches 
and inconsistencies, and providing the end user with the information they 
want/need.

Original comment by inxi-...@techpatterns.com on 14 Nov 2012 at 7:43

[GoogleCodeExporter]

good, thanks, one thing I've learned with inxi is to NEVER make assumptions 
about the contents of output or files. For example, one can't assume the first 
line is version because a use could edit the file. This is, of course, why we 
use the --version output and let the app give us that (text) data as a rule, a 
very fine, and good, rule, but inxi will somwhat grouchily makeup for hexchat's 
odd case, with a somewhat heavy sigh. But version = is unique to that file so 
that's fine.

Original comment by inxi-...@techpatterns.com on 14 Nov 2012 at 7:53

[GoogleCodeExporter]

 hexchat bug fix/work around in place now, 1.8.21 should correct it, although I didn't directly test it, I  just used the supplied config file and emulated in testing mode.

If the ~./hexchat files are missing  (check to see if this works for root user) 
will show N/A message, hexchat is now the ONLY irc app tested that requires 
checking its config files directly to get its version information, nice going 
hexchat author, you're SPECIAL!!! and UNIQUE, good for you!! However, no 
worries, xchat works fine and remains a fine option for users, as it always 
has. So does konversation, and a wide range of other fine irc apps. Obviously 
it's much better to let the app return via -v or --version its version 
information, ie, trust the internal methods of the app, as has been a standard 
unix method for who knows how many decades now. 

Hey, I have a good idea, why not have uname -r pop up a gtk dialogue too!!! 
that would be cool.

Original comment by inxi-...@techpatterns.com on 14 Nov 2012 at 8:41

[GoogleCodeExporter]

sorry, this issue is closed now, all done.

Original comment by inxi-...@techpatterns.com on 14 Nov 2012 at 8:42

• Changed state: Fixed

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Someone has some issues.  And apparently is a very inexperienced developer, oh 
well to each his own.

Original comment by Trash80.v2.0@gmail.com on 15 Nov 2012 at 12:17