diff --git a/CHANGES.txt b/CHANGES.txt
--- a/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/CHANGES.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 Changelog for HLint
 
+1.9.4
+    #81, fixes for GHC 7.9
+    #78, add hints for list patterns
+    #72, make --color the default on Linux
 1.9.3
     #73, fix multithreading and exceptions
 1.9.2
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# HLint [![Build Status](https://travis-ci.org/ndmitchell/hlint.svg)](https://travis-ci.org/ndmitchell/hlint)
+# HLint [![Hackage version](https://img.shields.io/hackage/v/hlint.svg?style=flat)](http://hackage.haskell.org/package/hlint) [![Build Status](http://img.shields.io/travis/ndmitchell/hlint.svg?style=flat)](https://travis-ci.org/ndmitchell/hlint)
 
 HLint is a tool for suggesting possible improvements to Haskell code. These suggestions include ideas such as using alternative functions, simplifying code and spotting redundancies. This document is structured as follows:
 
diff --git a/hlint.cabal b/hlint.cabal
--- a/hlint.cabal
+++ b/hlint.cabal
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 cabal-version:      >= 1.6
 build-type:         Simple
 name:               hlint
-version:            1.9.3
+version:            1.9.4
 license:            BSD3
 license-file:       LICENSE
 category:           Development
diff --git a/src/CmdLine.hs b/src/CmdLine.hs
--- a/src/CmdLine.hs
+++ b/src/CmdLine.hs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {-# LANGUAGE PatternGuards, RecordWildCards, DeriveDataTypeable #-}
 {-# OPTIONS_GHC -fno-warn-missing-fields #-}
 
-module CmdLine(Cmd(..), cmdCpp, CppFlags(..), getCmd, cmdExtensions, cmdHintFiles, exitWithHelp, resolveFile) where
+module CmdLine(Cmd(..), cmdCpp, CppFlags(..), getCmd, cmdExtensions, cmdHintFiles, cmdUseColour, exitWithHelp, resolveFile) where
 
 import Data.Char
 import Data.List
@@ -10,9 +10,11 @@
 import System.Directory
 import System.Exit
 import System.FilePath
+import System.IO (hIsTerminalDevice, stdout)
 import Language.Preprocessor.Cpphs
 import Language.Haskell.Exts.Extension
 import System.Environment
+import System.Info (os)
 
 import Util
 import Paths_hlint
@@ -52,13 +54,27 @@
     | Cpphs CpphsOptions -- ^ The @cpphs@ library is used.
 
 
+-- | When to colour terminal output.
+data ColorMode
+    = Never  -- ^ Terminal output will never be coloured.
+    | Always -- ^ Terminal output will always be coloured.
+    | Auto   -- ^ Terminal output will be coloured if stdout is a terminal.
+      deriving (Show, Typeable, Data)
+
+
+instance Default ColorMode where
+  def = if os == "mingw32"
+          then Never
+          else Auto
+
+
 data Cmd
     = CmdMain
         {cmdFiles :: [FilePath]    -- ^ which files to run it on, nothing = none given
         ,cmdReports :: [FilePath]        -- ^ where to generate reports
         ,cmdGivenHints :: [FilePath]     -- ^ which settignsfiles were explicitly given
         ,cmdWithHints :: [String]        -- ^ hints that are given on the command line
-        ,cmdColor :: Bool                -- ^ color the result
+        ,cmdColor :: ColorMode           -- ^ color the result
         ,cmdIgnore :: [String]           -- ^ the hints to ignore
         ,cmdShowAll :: Bool              -- ^ display all skipped items
         ,cmdExtension :: [String]        -- ^ extensions
@@ -111,7 +127,7 @@
         ,cmdReports = nam "report" &= opt "report.html" &= typFile &= help "Generate a report in HTML"
         ,cmdGivenHints = nam "hint" &= typFile &= help "Hint/ignore file to use"
         ,cmdWithHints = nam "with" &= typ "HINT" &= help "Extra hints to use"
-        ,cmdColor = nam "colour" &= name "color" &= help "Color output (requires ANSI terminal)"
+        ,cmdColor = nam "colour" &= name "color" &= opt Always &= typ "always/never/auto" &= help "Color output (requires ANSI terminal; auto means on when stdout is a terminal; by itself, selects always)"
         ,cmdIgnore = nam "ignore" &= typ "HINT" &= help "Ignore a particular hint"
         ,cmdShowAll = nam "show" &= help "Show all ignored ideas"
         ,cmdExtension = nam "extension" &= typ "EXT" &= help "File extensions to search (default hs/lhs)"
@@ -124,7 +140,7 @@
         ,cmdPath = nam "path" &= help "Directory in which to search for files"
         ,cmdCppDefine = nam_ "cpp-define" &= typ "NAME[=VALUE]" &= help "CPP #define"
         ,cmdCppInclude = nam_ "cpp-include" &= typDir &= help "CPP include path"
-        ,cmdCppFile = nam_ "cpp-file" &= typDir &= help "CPP pre-include file"
+        ,cmdCppFile = nam_ "cpp-file" &= typFile &= help "CPP pre-include file"
         ,cmdCppSimple = nam_ "cpp-simple" &= help "Use a simple CPP (strip # lines)"
         ,cmdCppAnsi = nam_ "cpp-ansi" &= help "Use CPP in ANSI compatibility mode"
         ,cmdJson = nam_ "json" &= help "Display hint data as JSON"
@@ -168,6 +184,15 @@
         ,defines = [(a,drop 1 b) | x <- cmdCppDefine cmd, let (a,b) = break (== '=') x]
         }
     | otherwise = NoCpp
+
+
+-- | Determines whether to use colour or not.
+cmdUseColour :: Cmd -> IO Bool
+cmdUseColour cmd =
+  case cmdColor cmd of
+    Auto   -> hIsTerminalDevice stdout
+    Never  -> return False
+    Always -> return True
 
 
 "." <\> x = x
diff --git a/src/HLint.hs b/src/HLint.hs
--- a/src/HLint.hs
+++ b/src/HLint.hs
@@ -131,7 +131,8 @@
     if cmdJson
         then putStrLn . showIdeasJson $ showideas
         else do
-            showItem <- if cmdColor then showANSI else return show
+            usecolour <- cmdUseColour cmd
+            showItem <- if usecolour then showANSI else return show
             mapM_ (outStrLn . showItem) showideas
             if null showideas then
                 when (cmdReports /= []) $ outStrLn "Skipping writing reports"
diff --git a/src/HSE/Match.hs b/src/HSE/Match.hs
--- a/src/HSE/Match.hs
+++ b/src/HSE/Match.hs
@@ -26,6 +26,13 @@
     view (fromParen -> App _ f x) = App1 f x
     view _ = NoApp1
 
+data PApp_ = NoPApp_ | PApp_ String [Pat_]
+
+instance View Pat_ PApp_ where
+    view (fromPParen -> PApp _ x xs) = PApp_ (fromNamed x) xs
+    view (fromPParen -> PInfixApp _ lhs op rhs) = PApp_ (fromNamed op) [lhs, rhs]
+    view _ = NoPApp_
+
 data PVar_ = NoPVar_ | PVar_ String
 
 instance View Pat_ PVar_ where
@@ -107,6 +114,7 @@
 instance Named (Pat S) where
     fromNamed (PVar _ x) = fromNamed x
     fromNamed (PApp _ x []) = fromNamed x
+    fromNamed (PList _ []) = "[]"
     fromNamed _ = ""
 
     toNamed x | isCtor x = PApp an (toNamed x) []
diff --git a/src/HSE/Util.hs b/src/HSE/Util.hs
--- a/src/HSE/Util.hs
+++ b/src/HSE/Util.hs
@@ -46,6 +46,13 @@
 fromChar :: Exp_ -> Char
 fromChar (Lit _ (Char _ x _)) = x
 
+isPChar :: Pat_ -> Bool
+isPChar (PLit _ Char{}) = True
+isPChar _ = False
+
+fromPChar :: Pat_ -> Char
+fromPChar (PLit _ (Char _ x _)) = x
+
 isString :: Exp_ -> Bool
 isString (Lit _ String{}) = True
 isString _ = False
diff --git a/src/Hint/List.hs b/src/Hint/List.hs
--- a/src/Hint/List.hs
+++ b/src/Hint/List.hs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{-# LANGUAGE ViewPatterns, PatternGuards #-}
+{-# LANGUAGE ViewPatterns, PatternGuards, FlexibleContexts #-}
 
 {-
     Find and match:
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 <TEST>
 yes = 1:2:[] -- [1,2]
 yes = ['h','e','l','l','o'] -- "hello"
+yes (1:2:[]) = 1 -- [1,2]
+yes ['h','e'] = 1 -- "he"
 
 -- [a]++b -> a : b, but only if not in a chain of ++'s
 yes = [x] ++ xs -- x : xs
@@ -33,7 +35,7 @@
 listHint _ _ = listDecl
 
 listDecl :: Decl_ -> [Idea]
-listDecl x = concatMap (listExp False) (childrenBi x) ++ stringType x
+listDecl x = concatMap (listExp False) (childrenBi x) ++ stringType x ++ concatMap listPat (childrenBi x)
 
 -- boolean = are you in a ++ chain
 listExp :: Bool -> Exp_ -> [Idea]
@@ -42,6 +44,9 @@
     where
         res = [warn name x x2 | (name,f) <- checks, Just x2 <- [f b x]]
 
+listPat :: Pat_ -> [Idea]
+listPat x = if null res then concatMap listPat $ children x else [head res]
+    where res = [warn name x x2 | (name,f) <- pchecks, Just x2 <- [f x]]
 
 isAppend (view -> App2 op _ _) = op ~= "++"
 isAppend _ = False
@@ -53,6 +58,21 @@
          ,"Use :" * useCons
          ]
 
+pchecks = let (*) = (,) in
+          ["Use string literal pattern" * usePString
+          ,"Use list literal pattern" * usePList
+          ]
+
+
+usePString (PList _ xs) | xs /= [] && all isPChar xs = Just $ PLit an $ String an s (show s)
+    where s = map fromPChar xs
+usePString _ = Nothing
+
+usePList = fmap (PList an) . f True
+    where
+        f first x | x ~= "[]" = if first then Nothing else Just []
+        f first (view -> PApp_ ":" [a,b]) = (a:) <$> f False b
+        f first _ = Nothing
 
 useString b (List _ xs) | xs /= [] && all isChar xs = Just $ Lit an $ String an s (show s)
     where s = map fromChar xs
diff --git a/src/Hint/Match.hs b/src/Hint/Match.hs
--- a/src/Hint/Match.hs
+++ b/src/Hint/Match.hs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{-# LANGUAGE PatternGuards, ViewPatterns, RelaxedPolyRec, RecordWildCards #-}
+{-# LANGUAGE PatternGuards, ViewPatterns, RelaxedPolyRec, RecordWildCards, FlexibleContexts #-}
 
 {-
 The matching does a fairly simple unification between the two terms, treating
diff --git a/src/Test/Proof.hs b/src/Test/Proof.hs
--- a/src/Test/Proof.hs
+++ b/src/Test/Proof.hs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{-# LANGUAGE RecordWildCards, PatternGuards #-}
+{-# LANGUAGE RecordWildCards, PatternGuards, FlexibleContexts #-}
 
 -- | Check the coverage of the hints given a list of Isabelle theorems
 module Test.Proof(proof) where