I've clarified the part where you seem to misunderstand my statement.

Restated, it is that I make no assumptions about where the X server is.

As for non-X environments: if you're in a non-X environment, and do not want to use an X server, then you should not be running X-based programs. HP's "sam" comes to mind again - if I want to run "sam" without the GUI, I have to unset DISPLAY. Maybe HP isn't the epitome of user-friendly unix-based software. Maybe it is. I don't know. But there is precedent for the OP's request, and it is to follow this convention that you don't seem to follow. Just because one person doesn't follow a convention doesn't mean the convention doesn't exist. Sorta like the leading underscores on "private" functions in perl modules...

Update: Noticing that you point out that "A implies B" does not mean "B implies A". However, what you seem to misunderstand is that "A represents B". The DISPLAY variable represents the X-based display. And thus, if you set it and it's set incorrectly, then you have an incorrectly set display, and the program cannot figure out whether this was intentional or not, and would properly, IMO, refuse to run. No point in bringing up an ugly TUI if the user's environment says "I want a GUI".

In reply to Re^3: How to detect X? by Tanktalus
in thread How to detect X? by blazar

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