Re: why does git set X in LESS env var?

From: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Date: Oct 12, 2023, 01:39 UTC
Message-ID: <xmqqh6mwipqi.fsf@gitster.g>
In-Reply-To: <20231012000416.GA520855@coredump.intra.peff.net>

Jeff King <peff@peff.net> writes:

Show 6 quoted lines

> ... Digging into the history and
> the changelog, this note is in "changes between less versions 487 and
> 530":
>
>   Don't output terminal init sequence if using -F and file fits on one
>   screen.

;-)

That is really a good one to dig out. So in short, X was needed because we wanted to use F, and we could drop it if everybody is using recent versions of less, but the default to use FX at the same time gives us the same behaviour between both newer and older versions of less.

> ... And as you say, if there are people who really
> care about their LESS options, it is easy for them to override it.

Yup.  I really like the discovery of that changelog entry.

Thanks.