Neovim: Support for invoking `nvim -R` as `view`

[amiryal]

When invoked as view, Vim normally switches to read-only mode, as if invoked as vim -R.

Actual behaviour

• Neovim version: NVIM 0.1.3-dev
• Operating system: Debian-based Linux

When the view executable is a symlink to nvim, invoking it simply starts Neovim with no special behaviour.

Steps to reproduce

sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/view view /usr/bin/nvim 60
sudo update-alternatives --config view  # choose nvim
view /some/writeable/file

[fwalch]

This has been removed by https://github.com/neovim/neovim/pull/2008. Also see https://github.com/neovim/neovim/issues/1646.

[amiryal]

Ok, edited the Wiki page accordingly, but still wondering, if Neovim is to be a drop-in replacement, why it wouldn’t implement all of Vim’s interfaces that a user might expect.

[justinmk]

why it wouldn’t implement all of Vim’s interfaces that a user might expect.

It does implement -R. The reason for removing the "view" alias magic is given in the linked issues: it is totally pointless.