This is ../info/efaq, produced by makeinfo version 4.0f from faq.texi.
INFO-DIR-SECTION Emacs
START-INFO-DIR-ENTRY
* Emacs FAQ: (efaq). Frequently Asked Questions about Emacs.
END-INFO-DIR-ENTRY
Copyright 1994,1995,1996,1997,1998,1999,2000 Reuven M. Lerner
Copyright 1992,1993 Steven Byrnes
Copyright 1990,1991,1992 Joseph Brian Wells
This list of frequently asked questions about GNU Emacs with answers
("FAQ") may be translated into other languages, transformed into other
formats (e.g. Texinfo, Info, WWW, WAIS), and updated with new
information.
The same conditions apply to any derivative of the FAQ as apply to
the FAQ itself. Every copy of the FAQ must include this notice or an
approved translation, information on who is currently maintaining the
FAQ and how to contact them (including their e-mail address), and
information on where the latest version of the FAQ is archived
(including FTP information).
The FAQ may be copied and redistributed under these conditions,
except that the FAQ may not be embedded in a larger literary work
unless that work itself allows free copying and redistribution.
[This version has been somewhat edited from the last-posted version
(as of August 1999) for inclusion in the Emacs distribution.]
File: efaq, Node: Spontaneous entry into isearch-mode, Next: Problems talking to certain hosts, Prev: Termcap/Terminfo entries for Emacs, Up: Bugs and problems
Why does Emacs spontaneously start displaying "I-search:" and beeping?
======================================================================
Your terminal (or something between your terminal and the computer)
is sending `C-s' and `C-q' for flow control, and Emacs is receiving
these characters and interpreting them as commands. (The `C-s'
character normally invokes the `isearch-forward' command.) For
possible solutions, see *Note Handling C-s and C-q with flow control::.
File: efaq, Node: Problems talking to certain hosts, Next: Errors with init files, Prev: Spontaneous entry into isearch-mode, Up: Bugs and problems
Why can't Emacs talk to certain hosts (or certain hostnames)?
=============================================================
The problem may be that Emacs is linked with a wimpier version of
`gethostbyname' than the rest of the programs on the machine. This is
often manifested as a message on startup of "X server not responding.
Check your `DISPLAY' environment variable." or a message of "Unknown
host" from `open-network-stream'.
On a Sun, this may be because Emacs had to be linked with the static
C library. The version of `gethostbyname' in the static C library may
only look in `/etc/hosts' and the NIS (YP) maps, while the version in
the dynamic C library may be smart enough to check DNS in addition to
or instead of NIS. On a Motorola Delta running System V R3.6, the
version of `gethostbyname' in the standard library works, but the one
that works with NIS doesn't (the one you get with -linet). Other
operating systems have similar problems.
Try these options:
* Explicitly add the host you want to communicate with to
`/etc/hosts'.
* Relink Emacs with this line in `src/config.h':
#define LIBS_SYSTEM -lresolv
* Replace `gethostbyname' and friends in `libc.a' with more useful
versions such as the ones in `libresolv.a'. Then relink Emacs.
* If you are actually running NIS, make sure that `ypbind' is
properly told to do DNS lookups with the correct command line
switch.
File: efaq, Node: Errors with init files, Next: Emacs ignores X resources, Prev: Problems talking to certain hosts, Up: Bugs and problems
Why does Emacs say "Error in init file"?
========================================
An error occurred while loading either your `.emacs' file or the
system-wide file `lisp/default.el'. Emacs 21.1 and later pops the
`*Messages*' buffer, and puts there some additional information about
the error, to provide some hints for debugging.
For information on how to debug your `.emacs' file, see *Note
Debugging a customization file::.
It may be the case that you need to load some package first, or use a
hook that will be evaluated after the package is loaded. A common case
of this is explained in *Note Terminal setup code works after Emacs has
begun::.
File: efaq, Node: Emacs ignores X resources, Next: Emacs ignores frame parameters, Prev: Errors with init files, Up: Bugs and problems
Why does Emacs ignore my X resources (my .Xdefaults file)?
==========================================================
As of version 19, Emacs searches for X resources in the files
specified by the following environment variables:
* `XFILESEARCHPATH'
* `XUSERFILESEARCHPATH'
* `XAPPLRESDIR'
This emulates the functionality provided by programs written using
the Xt toolkit.
`XFILESEARCHPATH' and `XUSERFILESEARCHPATH' should be a list of file
names separated by colons. `XAPPLRESDIR' should be a list of directory
names separated by colons.
Emacs searches for X resources:
1. specified on the command line, with the `-xrm RESOURCESTRING'
option,
2. then in the value of the `XENVIRONMENT' environment variable,
- or if that is unset, in the file named
`~/.Xdefaults-HOSTNAME' if it exists (where HOSTNAME is the
name of the machine Emacs is running on),
3. then in the screen-specific and server-wide resource properties
provided by the server,
- or if those properties are unset, in the file named
`~/.Xdefaults' if it exists,
4. then in the files listed in `XUSERFILESEARCHPATH',
- or in files named `LANG/Emacs' in directories listed in
`XAPPLRESDIR' (where LANG is the value of the `LANG'
environment variable), if the `LANG' environment variable is
set,
- or in files named Emacs in the directories listed in
`XAPPLRESDIR'
- or in `~/LANG/Emacs' (if the `LANG' environment variable is
set),
- or in `~/Emacs',
5. then in the files listed in `XFILESEARCHPATH'.
File: efaq, Node: Emacs ignores frame parameters, Next: Emacs takes a long time to visit files, Prev: Emacs ignores X resources, Up: Bugs and problems
Why don't my customizations of the frame parameters work?
=========================================================
This probably happens because you have set the frame parameters in
the variable `initial-frame-alist'. That variable holds parameters
used only for the first frame created when Emacs starts. To customize
the parameters of all frames, change the variable `default-frame-alist'
instead.
These two variables exist because many users customize the initial
frame in a special way. For example, you could determine the position
and size of the initial frame, but would like to control the geometry
of the other frames by individually positioning each one of them.
File: efaq, Node: Emacs takes a long time to visit files, Next: Editing files with $ in the name, Prev: Emacs ignores frame parameters, Up: Bugs and problems
Why does Emacs take 20 seconds to visit a file?
===============================================
Old versions of Emacs (i.e., versions before Emacs 20.x) often
encountered this when the master lock file, `!!!SuperLock!!!', has been
left in the lock directory somehow. Delete it.
Mark Meuer <meuer@geom.umn.edu> says that NeXT NFS has a bug where
an exclusive create succeeds but returns an error status. This can
cause the same problem. Since Emacs's file locking doesn't work over
NFS anyway, the best solution is to recompile Emacs with
`CLASH_DETECTION' undefined.
File: efaq, Node: Editing files with $ in the name, Next: Shell mode loses the current directory, Prev: Emacs takes a long time to visit files, Up: Bugs and problems
How do I edit a file with a `$' in its name?
============================================
When entering a file name in the minibuffer, Emacs will attempt to
expand a `$' followed by a word as an environment variable. To suppress
this behavior, type `$$' instead.
File: efaq, Node: Shell mode loses the current directory, Next: Security risks with Emacs, Prev: Editing files with $ in the name, Up: Bugs and problems
Why does shell mode lose track of the shell's current directory?
================================================================
Emacs has no way of knowing when the shell actually changes its
directory. This is an intrinsic limitation of Unix. So it tries to
guess by recognizing `cd' commands. If you type `cd' followed by a
directory name with a variable reference (`cd $HOME/bin') or with a
shell metacharacter (`cd ../lib*'), Emacs will fail to correctly guess
the shell's new current directory. A huge variety of fixes and
enhancements to shell mode for this problem have been written to handle
this problem. Check the Lisp Code Directory (*note Finding a package
with particular functionality::).
You can tell Emacs the shell's current directory with the command
`M-x dirs'.
File: efaq, Node: Security risks with Emacs, Next: Dired claims that no file is on this line, Prev: Shell mode loses the current directory, Up: Bugs and problems
Are there any security risks in Emacs?
======================================
* The `movemail' incident. (No, this is not a risk.)
In his book `The Cuckoo's Egg', Cliff Stoll describes this in
chapter 4. The site at LBL had installed the `/etc/movemail'
program setuid root. (As of version 19, `movemail' is in your
architecture-specific directory; type `C-h v exec-directory <RET>'
to see what it is.) Since `movemail' had not been designed for
this situation, a security hole was created and users could get
root privileges.
`movemail' has since been changed so that this security hole will
not exist, even if it is installed setuid root. However,
`movemail' no longer needs to be installed setuid root, which
should eliminate this particular risk.
We have heard unverified reports that the 1988 Internet worm took
advantage of this configuration problem.
* The `file-local-variable' feature. (Yes, a risk, but easy to
change.)
There is an Emacs feature that allows the setting of local values
for variables when editing a file by including specially formatted
text near the end of the file. This feature also includes the
ability to have arbitrary Emacs Lisp code evaluated when the file
is visited. Obviously, there is a potential for Trojan horses to
exploit this feature.
Emacs 18 allowed this feature by default; users could disable it by
setting the variable `inhibit-local-variables' to a non-nil value.
As of Emacs 19, Emacs has a list of local variables that create a
security risk. If a file tries to set one of them, it asks the
user to confirm whether the variables should be set. You can also
tell Emacs whether to allow the evaluation of Emacs Lisp code
found at the bottom of files by setting the variable
`enable-local-eval'.
For more information, *note File Variables: (emacs)File Variables.
* Synthetic X events. (Yes, a risk; use `MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1' or
better.)
Emacs accepts synthetic X events generated by the `SendEvent'
request as though they were regular events. As a result, if you
are using the trivial host-based authentication, other users who
can open X connections to your X workstation can make your Emacs
process do anything, including run other processes with your
privileges.
The only fix for this is to prevent other users from being able to
open X connections. The standard way to prevent this is to use a
real authentication mechanism, such as `MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1'. If
using the `xauth' program has any effect, then you are probably
using `MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1'. Your site may be using a superior
authentication method; ask your system administrator.
If real authentication is not a possibility, you may be satisfied
by just allowing hosts access for brief intervals while you start
your X programs, then removing the access. This reduces the risk
somewhat by narrowing the time window when hostile users would
have access, but _does not eliminate the risk_.
On most computers running Unix and X, you enable and disable
access using the `xhost' command. To allow all hosts access to
your X server, use
xhost +
at the shell prompt, which (on an HP machine, at least) produces
the following message:
access control disabled, clients can connect from any host
To deny all hosts access to your X server (except those explicitly
allowed by name), use
xhost -
On the test HP computer, this command generated the following
message:
access control enabled, only authorized clients can connect
File: efaq, Node: Dired claims that no file is on this line, Prev: Security risks with Emacs, Up: Bugs and problems
Dired says, "no file on this line" when I try to do something.
==============================================================
Chances are you're using a localized version of Unix that doesn't
use US date format in dired listings. You can check this by looking at
dired listings or by typing `ls -l' to a shell and looking at the dates
that come out.
Dired uses a regular expression to find the beginning of a file name.
In a long Unix-style directory listing (`ls -l'), the file name starts
after the date. The regexp has thus been written to look for the date,
the format of which can vary on non-US systems.
There are two approaches to solving this. The first one involves
setting things up so that `ls -l' outputs US date format. This can be
done by setting the locale. See your OS manual for more information.
The second approach involves changing the regular expression used by
dired, `dired-move-to-filename-regexp'.
File: efaq, Node: Compiling and installing Emacs, Next: Finding Emacs and related packages, Prev: Bugs and problems, Up: Top
Compiling and installing Emacs
******************************
* Menu:
* Installing Emacs::
* Updating Emacs::
* Problems building Emacs::
* Linking with -lX11 fails::
File: efaq, Node: Installing Emacs, Next: Updating Emacs, Prev: Compiling and installing Emacs, Up: Compiling and installing Emacs
How do I install Emacs?
=======================
This answer is meant for users of Unix and Unix-like systems. Users
of other operating systems should see the series of questions beginning
with *Note Emacs for MS-DOS::, which describe where to get non-Unix
source and binaries, and how to install Emacs on those systems.
For Unix and Unix-like systems, the easiest way is often to compile
it from scratch. You will need:
* Emacs sources. *Note Current GNU distributions::, for a list of
ftp sites that make them available. On `ftp.gnu.org', the main GNU
distribution site, sources are available as
`ftp://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/emacs/emacs-21.2.tar.gz'
The above will obviously change as new versions of Emacs come out.
For instance, when Emacs 21.42 is released, it will most probably
be available as
`ftp://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/emacs/emacs-21.42.tar.gz'
Again, you should use one of the GNU mirror sites (see *Note
Current GNU distributions::, and adjust the URL accordingly) so as
to reduce load on `ftp.gnu.org'.
* `gzip', the GNU compression utility. You can get `gzip' via
anonymous ftp at mirrors of `ftp.gnu.org' sites; it should compile
and install without much trouble on most systems. Once you have
retrieved the Emacs sources, you will probably be able to
uncompress them with the command
gunzip --verbose emacs-21.2.tar.gz
changing the Emacs version (21.2), as necessary. Once `gunzip'
has finished doing its job, a file by the name of `emacs-21.2.tar'
should be in your build directory.
* `tar', the "tape archiving" program, which moves multiple files
into and out of archive files, or "tarfiles". All of the files
comprising the Emacs source come in a single tarfile, and must be
extracted using `tar' before you can build Emacs. Typically, the
extraction command would look like
tar -xvvf emacs-21.2.tar
The `x' indicates that we want to extract files from this tarfile,
the two `v's force verbose output, and the `f' tells `tar' to use
a disk file, rather than one on the tape drive.
If you're using GNU `tar' (available at mirrors of `ftp.gnu.org'),
you can combine this step and the previous one by using the command
tar -zxvvf emacs-21.2.tar.gz
The additional `z' at the beginning of the options list tells GNU
`tar' to uncompress the file with `gunzip' before extracting the
tarfile's components.
At this point, the Emacs sources (all 70+ megabytes of them) should
be sitting in a directory called `emacs-21.2'. On most common Unix and
Unix-like systems, you should be able to compile Emacs (with X Window
system support) with the following commands:
cd emacs-21.2 # change directory to emacs-21.2
./configure # configure Emacs for your particular system
make # use Makefile to build components, then Emacs
If the `make' completes successfully, the odds are fairly good that
the build has gone well. (*Note Problems building Emacs::, if you
weren't successful.)
By default, Emacs is installed in the following directories:
`/usr/local/bin'
binaries.
`/usr/local/share/emacs/21.2'
Lisp code and support files.
`/usr/local/info'
Info documentation.
To install files in those default directories, become the superuser
and type
make install
Note that `make install' will overwrite `/usr/local/bin/emacs' and
any Emacs Info files that might be in `/usr/local/info'.
Much more verbose instructions (with many more hints and suggestions)
come with the Emacs sources, in the file `INSTALL'.
File: efaq, Node: Updating Emacs, Next: Problems building Emacs, Prev: Installing Emacs, Up: Compiling and installing Emacs
How do I update Emacs to the latest version?
============================================
*Note Installing Emacs::, and follow the instructions there for
installation.
Most files are placed in version-specific directories. Emacs 21.2,
for instance, places files in `/usr/local/share/emacs/21.2'.
Upgrading should overwrite only, `/usr/local/bin/emacs' (the Emacs
binary) and documentation in `/usr/local/info'. Back up these files
before you upgrade, and you shouldn't have too much trouble.
File: efaq, Node: Problems building Emacs, Next: Linking with -lX11 fails, Prev: Updating Emacs, Up: Compiling and installing Emacs
What should I do if I have trouble building Emacs?
==================================================
First look in the file `etc/PROBLEMS' (where you unpack the Emacs
source) to see if there is already a solution for your problem. Next,
look for other questions in this FAQ that have to do with Emacs
installation and compilation problems.
If you'd like to have someone look at your problem and help solve it,
see *Note Help installing Emacs::.
If you cannot find a solution in the documentation, send a message to
<bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org>.
Please don't post it to `news:gnu.emacs.help' or send e-mail to
<help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org>. For further guidelines, see *Note Guidelines
for newsgroup postings:: and *Note Reporting bugs::.
File: efaq, Node: Linking with -lX11 fails, Prev: Problems building Emacs, Up: Compiling and installing Emacs
Why does linking Emacs with -lX11 fail?
=======================================
Emacs needs to be linked with the static version of the X11 library,
`libX11.a'. This may be missing.
On OpenWindows, you may need to use `add_services' to add the
"OpenWindows Programmers" optional software category from the CD-ROM.
On HP-UX 8.0, you may need to run `update' again to load the X11-PRG
"fileset". This may be missing even if you specified "all filesets"
the first time. If `libcurses.a' is missing, you may need to load the
"Berkeley Development Option."
David Zuhn <zoo@armadillo.com> says that MIT X builds shared
libraries by default, and only shared libraries, on those platforms that
support them. These shared libraries can't be used when undumping
`temacs' (the last stage of the Emacs build process). To get regular
libraries in addition to shared libraries, add this to `site.cf':
#define ForceNormalLib YES
Other systems may have similar problems. You can always define
`CANNOT_DUMP' and link with the shared libraries instead.
To get the Xmenu stuff to work, you need to find a copy of MIT's
`liboldX.a'.
File: efaq, Node: Finding Emacs and related packages, Next: Major packages and programs, Prev: Compiling and installing Emacs, Up: Top
Finding Emacs and related packages
**********************************
* Menu:
* Finding Emacs on the Internet::
* Finding a package with particular functionality::
* Packages that do not come with Emacs::
* Submitting to the Emacs Lisp Archive::
* Current GNU distributions::
* Difference between Emacs and XEmacs::
* Emacs for MS-DOS::
* Emacs for Windows::
* Emacs for OS/2::
* Emacs for Atari ST::
* Emacs for the Amiga ::
* Emacs for NeXTSTEP::
* Emacs for Apple computers::
* Emacs for VMS and DECwindows::
* Modes for various languages::
* Translating names to IP addresses::
File: efaq, Node: Finding Emacs on the Internet, Next: Finding a package with particular functionality, Prev: Finding Emacs and related packages, Up: Finding Emacs and related packages
Where can I get Emacs on the net (or by snail mail)?
====================================================
Look in the files `etc/DISTRIB' and `etc/FTP' for information on
nearby archive sites and `etc/ORDERS' for mail orders. If you don't
already have Emacs, see *Note Informational files for Emacs::, for how
to get these files.
*Note Installing Emacs::, for information on how to obtain and build
the latest version of Emacs, and see *Note Current GNU distributions::,
for a list of archive sites that make GNU software available.
File: efaq, Node: Finding a package with particular functionality, Next: Packages that do not come with Emacs, Prev: Finding Emacs on the Internet, Up: Finding Emacs and related packages
How do I find a Emacs Lisp package that does XXX?
=================================================
First of all, you should check to make sure that the package isn't
already available. For example, typing `M-x apropos <RET> wordstar
<RET>' lists all functions and variables containing the string
`wordstar'.
It is also possible that the package is on your system, but has not
been loaded. To see which packages are available for loading, look
through your computer's lisp directory (*note File-name conventions::).
The Lisp source to most packages contains a short description of how
they should be loaded, invoked, and configured--so before you use or
modify a Lisp package, see if the author has provided any hints in the
source code.
If a package does not come with Emacs, check the Lisp Code Directory.
The LCD was originally maintained by Dave Brennan <brennan@hal.com>,
but was recently taken over by toby knudsen <toby@world.std.com>, who
maintains `http://www.emacs.org'. The LCD is currently being
reorganized and updated, but you can meanwhile find many packages at
`ftp://ftp.emacs.org/pub'.
For now, you can search through the LCD with `lispdir.el', which is
in the process of being updated. Download it from the LCD, in the
`emacs-lisp-attic/misc' directory, and then evaluate the following Lisp
form (*note Evaluating Emacs Lisp code::):
(setq lisp-code-directory
"/anonymous@ftp.emacs.org:pub/emacs-lisp-attic/emacs-lisp/LCD-datafile.gz"
elisp-archive-host "ftp.emacs.org"
elisp-archive-directory "/pub/emacs-lisp-attic/emacs-lisp/")
Once you have installed `lispdir.el', you can use `M-x
lisp-dir-apropos' to search the listing. For example, `M-x
lisp-dir-apropos <RET> ange-ftp <RET>' produces this output:
GNU Emacs Lisp Code Directory Apropos --- "ange-ftp"
"~/" refers to archive.cis.ohio-state.edu:pub/elisp-archive/
ange-ftp (4.18) 15-Jul-1992
Andy Norman, <ange@hplb.hpl.hp.com>
~/packages/ange-ftp.tar.Z
transparent FTP Support for GNU Emacs
auto-save (1.19) 01-May-1992
Sebastian Kremer, <sk@thp.uni-koeln.de>
~/misc/auto-save.el.Z
Safer autosaving with support for ange-ftp and /tmp
ftp-quik (1.0) 28-Jul-1993
Terrence Brannon, <tb06@pl122f.eecs.lehigh.edu>
~/modes/ftp-quik.el.Z
Quik access to dired'ing of ange-ftp and normal paths
File: efaq, Node: Packages that do not come with Emacs, Next: Submitting to the Emacs Lisp Archive, Prev: Finding a package with particular functionality, Up: Finding Emacs and related packages
Where can I get Emacs Lisp packages that don't come with Emacs?
===============================================================
First, check the Lisp Code Directory to find the name of the package
you are looking for (*note Finding a package with particular
functionality::). Next, check local archives and the Emacs Lisp Archive
to find a copy of the relevant files. If you still haven't found it,
you can send e-mail to the author asking for a copy. If you find Emacs
Lisp code that doesn't appear in the LCD, please submit a copy to the
LCD (*note Submitting to the Emacs Lisp Archive::).
You can access the Emacs Lisp Archive at
`ftp://archive.cis.ohio-state.edu/pub/emacs-lisp/'
or at
`http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/emacs-lisp'
Retrieve and read the file `README' first.
* The archive maintainers do not have time to answer individual
requests for packages or the list of packages in the archive. If
you cannot use FTP or UUCP to access the archive yourself, try to
find a friend who can, but please don't ask the maintainers.
* Any files with names ending in `.Z', `.z', or `.gz' are
compressed, so you should use "binary" mode in FTP to retrieve
them. You should also use binary mode whenever you retrieve any
files with names ending in `.elc'.
File: efaq, Node: Submitting to the Emacs Lisp Archive, Next: Current GNU distributions, Prev: Packages that do not come with Emacs, Up: Finding Emacs and related packages
How do I submit code to the Emacs Lisp Archive?
===============================================
Guidelines and procedures for submission to the archive can be found
in the file `GUIDELINES' in the archive directory (*note Packages that
do not come with Emacs::). It covers documentation, copyrights,
packaging, submission, and the Lisp Code Directory Record. Anonymous
FTP uploads are not permitted. Instead, all submissions are mailed to
<elisp-archive@cis.ohio-state.edu>. The `lispdir.el' package has a
function named `submit-lcd-entry' which will help you with this.
File: efaq, Node: Current GNU distributions, Next: Difference between Emacs and XEmacs, Prev: Submitting to the Emacs Lisp Archive, Up: Finding Emacs and related packages
Where can I get other up-to-date GNU stuff?
===========================================
The most up-to-date official GNU software is normally kept at
`ftp://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu'
Read the files `etc/DISTRIB' and `etc/FTP' for more information.
A list of sites mirroring `ftp.gnu.org' can be found at
`http://www.gnu.org/order/ftp.html'
File: efaq, Node: Difference between Emacs and XEmacs, Next: Emacs for MS-DOS, Prev: Current GNU distributions, Up: Finding Emacs and related packages
What is the difference between Emacs and XEmacs (formerly "Lucid Emacs")?
=========================================================================
First of all, they're both GNU Emacs. XEmacs is just as much a later
version of GNU Emacs as the FSF-distributed version. This FAQ refers to
the latest version to be distributed by the FSF as "Emacs," partly
because the XEmacs maintainers now refer to their product using the
"XEmacs" name, and partly because there isn't any accurate way to
differentiate between the two without getting mired in paragraphs of
legalese and history.
XEmacs, which began life as Lucid Emacs, is based on an early
version of Emacs 19 and Epoch, an X-aware version of Emacs 18.
Emacs (i.e., the version distributed by the FSF) has a larger
installed base and now always contains the MULE multilingual facilities.
XEmacs can do some clever tricks with X and MS-Windows, such as putting
arbitrary graphics in a buffer. Similar facilities have been
implemented for Emacs as part of a new redisplay implementation for
Emacs 21, and are available in the latest Emacs releases. Emacs and
XEmacs each come with Lisp packages that are lacking in the other; RMS
says that the FSF would include more packages that come with XEmacs,
but that the XEmacs maintainers don't always keep track of the authors
of contributed code, which makes it impossible for the FSF to have
certain legal papers signed. (Without these legal papers, the FSF will
not distribute Lisp packages with Emacs.) The two versions have some
significant differences at the Lisp programming level.
Many XEmacs features have found their way into recent versions of
Emacs, and more features can be expected in the future, but there are
still many differences between the two.
The latest stable version of XEmacs as of this writing is 21.1.14;
you can get it at
`ftp://ftp.xemacs.org/pub/xemacs/xemacs-21.1/xemacs-21.1.14.tar.gz'
More information about XEmacs, including a list of frequently asked
questions (FAQ), is available at
`http://www.xemacs.org/'
File: efaq, Node: Emacs for MS-DOS, Next: Emacs for Windows, Prev: Difference between Emacs and XEmacs, Up: Finding Emacs and related packages
Where can I get Emacs for my PC running MS-DOS?
===============================================
A pre-built binary distribution of Emacs is available from the
SimTel.NET archives. This version apparently works under MS-DOS and
Windows (3.X, 9X, ME, NT, and 2000) and supports long file names under
Windows 9X, Windows ME, and Windows 2000. More information is available
from
`http://www.simtel.net/pub/gnu/djgpp/v2gnu/emacs.README'
The binary itself is available in the files `em*.zip' in the
directory
`http://www.simtel.net/pub/gnu/djgpp/v2gnu/'
If you prefer to compile Emacs for yourself, you can do so with the
current distribution directly. You will need a 386 (or better)
processor, and to be running MS-DOS 3.0 or later. According to Eli
Zaretskii <eliz@is.elta.co.il> and Darrel Hankerson
<hankedr@dms.auburn.edu>, you will need the following:
_Compiler_
DJGPP version 1.12 maint 1 or later. Djgpp 2.0 or later is
recommended, since 1.x is very old an unmaintained. Djgpp 2
supports long file names on Windows 9X/ME/2K.
You can get the latest release of DJGPP by retrieving all of the
files in
`http://www.simtel.net/pub/gnu/djgpp/v2*'
_Unpacking program_
The easiest way is to use `djtar' which comes with DJGPP v2.x,
because it can open gzip'ed tarfiles (i.e., those ending with
`.tar.gz') in one step. `Djtar' comes in `djdevNNN.zip' archive
(where NNN is the DJGPP version number), from the URL mentioned
above.
*Warning!* Do *not* use the popular WinZip program to unpack the
Emacs distribution! WinZip is known to corrupt some of the files
by converting them to the DOS CR-LF format, it doesn't always
preserve the directory structure recorded in the compressed Emacs
archive, and commits other atrocities. Some of these problems
could actually prevent Emacs from building successfully!
_make, mv, sed, and rm_
All of these utilities are available at
`http://www.simtel.net/pub/gnu/djgpp/v2gnu'
16-bit utilities can be found in GNUish, at
`http://www.simtel.net/pub/gnu/gnuish'
(`mv' and `rm' are in the Fileutils package, `sed' and `make' are
each one in a separate package named after them.)
The files `INSTALL' (near its end) and `etc/PROBLEMS' in the
directory of the Emacs sources contains some additional information
regarding Emacs under MS-DOS.
For a list of other MS-DOS implementations of Emacs (and Emacs
look-alikes), consult the list of "Emacs implementations and
literature," available at
`ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/comp.emacs/'
Note that while many of these programs look similar to Emacs, they
often lack certain features, such as the Emacs Lisp extension language.
File: efaq, Node: Emacs for Windows, Next: Emacs for OS/2, Prev: Emacs for MS-DOS, Up: Finding Emacs and related packages
Where can I get Emacs for Microsoft Windows
===========================================
For information on Emacs for Windows 95 and NT, read the FAQ
produced by Geoff Voelker <voelker@cs.washington.edu>, available at
`http://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/windows/ntemacs.html'
*Note Emacs for MS-DOS::, for Windows 3.1.
A port of Emacs 20.7 for Windows CE, based on NTEmacs, is available
at
`http://www.rainer-keuchel.de/software.html'
This port was done by Rainer Keuchel <coyxc@rainer-keuchel.de>, and
supports all Emacs features except async subprocesses and menus. You
will need MSVC 6.0 and a Windows CE SDK to build this port.
File: efaq, Node: Emacs for OS/2, Next: Emacs for Atari ST, Prev: Emacs for Windows, Up: Finding Emacs and related packages
Where can I get Emacs for my PC running OS/2?
=============================================
Emacs 20.6 is ported for emx on OS/2 2.0 or 2.1, and is available at
`ftp://hobbes.nmsu.edu/pub/os2/apps/editors/emacs/e206*.zip'
and also at
`http://archiv.leo.org/pub/comp/os/os2/leo/gnu/emacs%2d20/'
Instructions for installation, basic setup, and other useful
information for OS/2 users of Emacs can be found at
`http://userpage.fu-berlin.de/~oheiabbd/emacs/emacs206-os2.html'
File: efaq, Node: Emacs for Atari ST, Next: Emacs for the Amiga, Prev: Emacs for OS/2, Up: Finding Emacs and related packages
Where can I get Emacs for my Atari ST?
======================================
Roland Schäuble reports that Emacs 18.58 running on plain TOS and
MiNT is available at
`ftp://atari.archive.umich.edu/Editors/Emacs-18-58/1858b-d3.zoo'.
File: efaq, Node: Emacs for the Amiga, Next: Emacs for NeXTSTEP, Prev: Emacs for Atari ST, Up: Finding Emacs and related packages
Where can I get Emacs for my Amiga?
===================================
The files you need are available at
`ftp://ftp.wustl.edu/pub/aminet/util/gnu/'
David Gilbert <dgilbert@gamiga.guelphnet.dweomer.org> has released a
beta version of Emacs 19.25 for the Amiga. You can get the binary at
`ftp://ftp.wustl.edu/pub/aminet/util/gnu/a2.0bEmacs-bin.lha'
File: efaq, Node: Emacs for NeXTSTEP, Next: Emacs for Apple computers, Prev: Emacs for the Amiga, Up: Finding Emacs and related packages
Where can I get Emacs for NeXTSTEP?
===================================
Emacs.app is a NeXTSTEP version of Emacs 19.34 which supports colors,
menus, and multiple frames. You can get it from
`ftp://next-ftp.peak.org/pub/next/apps/emacs/Emacs_for_NeXTstep.4.20a1.NIHS.b.tar.gz'
File: efaq, Node: Emacs for Apple computers, Next: Emacs for VMS and DECwindows, Prev: Emacs for NeXTSTEP, Up: Finding Emacs and related packages
Where can I get Emacs for my Apple computer?
============================================
An unofficial port of GNU Emacs 18.59 to the Macintosh is available
at a number of ftp sites, the home being
`ftp://ftp.cs.cornell.edu/pub/parmet/Emacs-1.17.sit.bin'.
A port of Emacs 20.4 is available at
`http://www.cs.hku.hk/~choi/emacs/index.html'.
Beginning with version 21.1, the Macintosh is supported in the
official Emacs distribution; see the files `mac/README' and
`mac/INSTALL' in the Emacs distribution for build instructions.
Apple's forthcoming "OS X" is based largely on NeXTSTEP and OpenStep.
*Note Emacs for NeXTSTEP::, for more details about that version.
File: efaq, Node: Emacs for VMS and DECwindows, Next: Modes for various languages, Prev: Emacs for Apple computers, Up: Finding Emacs and related packages
Where do I get Emacs that runs on VMS under DECwindows?
=======================================================
Up-to-date information about GNU software (including Emacs) for VMS
is available at `http://vms.gnu.org/'.
File: efaq, Node: Modes for various languages, Next: Translating names to IP addresses, Prev: Emacs for VMS and DECwindows, Up: Finding Emacs and related packages
Where can I get modes for Lex, Yacc/Bison, Bourne shell, csh, C++, Objective-C, Pascal, Java, and Awk?
======================================================================================================
Most of these modes are now available in standard Emacs distribution.
To get additional modes, look in the Lisp Code Directory (*note Finding
a package with particular functionality::). For C++, if you use
`lisp-dir-apropos', you must specify the pattern with something like
`M-x lisp-dir-apropos <RET> c\+\+ <RET>'.(1)
Barry Warsaw's `cc-mode' now works for C, C++, Objective-C, and Java
code. You can get the latest version from the Emacs Lisp Archive;
*note Packages that do not come with Emacs:: for details. A FAQ for
`cc-mode' is available at `http://www.python.org/emacs/cc-mode/'.
---------- Footnotes ----------
(1) The backslashes in `\+\+' are required because `M-x
lisp-dir-apropos' expects a regular expression as its argument (*note
Using regular expressions::), and `+' has a special meaning in regular
expressions.
File: efaq, Node: Translating names to IP addresses, Prev: Modes for various languages, Up: Finding Emacs and related packages
What is the IP address of XXX.YYY.ZZZ?
======================================
If you are on a Unix machine, try using the `nslookup' command,
included in the Berkeley BIND package. For example, to find the IP
address of `ftp.gnu.org', you would type `nslookup ftp.gnu.org'.
Your computer should then provide the IP address of that machine.
If your site's nameserver is deficient, you can use IP addresses to
FTP files. You can get this information by e-mail:
To: dns@[134.214.84.25] (to grasp.insa-lyon.fr)
Body: ip XXX.YYY.ZZZ (or "help" for more information
and options - no quotes)
or:
To: resolve@[147.31.254.130] (to laverne.cs.widener.edu)
Body: site XXX.YYY.ZZZ
File: efaq, Node: Major packages and programs, Next: Key bindings, Prev: Finding Emacs and related packages, Up: Top
Major packages and programs
***************************
* Menu:
* VM::
* Supercite::
* Calc::
* VIPER::
* AUC-TeX::
* BBDB::
* Ispell::
* w3-mode::
* EDB::
* Mailcrypt::
* JDE::
* Patch::
File: efaq, Node: VM, Next: Supercite, Prev: Major packages and programs, Up: Major packages and programs
VM (View Mail) -- another mail reader within Emacs, with MIME support
=====================================================================
Author
Kyle Jones <kyle@uunet.uu.net>
Latest version
6.72
Distribution
`ftp://ftp.wonderworks.com/pub/vm/vm.tar.gz'
Informational newsgroup/mailing list
`news:gnu.emacs.vm.info'
Subscription requests to <info-vm-request@uunet.uu.net>
Submissions to <info-vm@uunet.uu.net>
Bug reports newsgroup/mailing list
`news:gnu.emacs.vm.bug'
Subscription requests to <bug-vm-request@uunet.uu.net>
Submissions to <bug-vm@uunet.uu.net>
VM 6 works with Emacs 20.4, and may cause problems with Emacs 20.3
and below. (But note that many people seem to use Emacs 20.3 with VM 6,
without any problems.) Risk-averse users might wish to try VM 5.97,
available from the same FTP site (ftp://ftp.wonderworks.com/pub/vm/).
File: efaq, Node: Supercite, Next: Calc, Prev: VM, Up: Major packages and programs
Supercite -- mail and news citation package within Emacs
========================================================
Author
Barry Warsaw <bwarsaw@cen.com>
Latest version
3.54 (comes bundled with Emacs 20)
Distribution
`http://www.python.org/emacs/supercite.tar.gz'
Mailing list
Subscription requests to <supercite-request@python.org>
Submissions <supercite@python.org>
Superyank is an old version of Supercite.
File: efaq, Node: Calc, Next: VIPER, Prev: Supercite, Up: Major packages and programs
Calc -- poor man's Mathematica within Emacs
===========================================
Author
Dave Gillespie <daveg@csvax.cs.caltech.edu>
Latest version
2.02f
Distribution
`ftp://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/calc/calc-2.02f.tar.gz'
Note that Calc 2.02f needs patching to work with Emacs 21 and later.
Emacs 21.1 and later comes with a package called `calculator.el'.
It doesn't support all the mathematical wizardry offered by Calc, such
as matrices, special functions, and statistics, but is more than
adequate as a replacement for `xcalc' and similar programs.
File: efaq, Node: VIPER, Next: AUC-TeX, Prev: Calc, Up: Major packages and programs
VIPER -- `vi' emulation for Emacs
=================================
Since Emacs 19.29, the preferred `vi' emulation in Emacs is VIPER
(`M-x viper-mode <RET>'), which comes with Emacs. It extends and
supersedes VIP (including VIP 4.3) and provides `vi' emulation at
several levels, from one that closely follows `vi' to one that departs
from `vi' in several significant ways.
For Emacs 19.28 and earlier, the following version of VIP is
generally better than the one distributed with Emacs:
Author
Aamod Sane <sane@cs.uiuc.edu>
Latest version
4.3
Distribution
`ftp://archive.cis.ohio-state.edu/pub/emacs-lisp/modes/vip-mode.tar.Z'
File: efaq, Node: AUC-TeX, Next: BBDB, Prev: VIPER, Up: Major packages and programs
AUC TeX -- enhanced LaTeX mode with debugging facilities
========================================================
Authors
Kresten Krab Thorup <krab@iesd.auc.dk> and
Per Abrahamsen <abraham@dina.kvl.dk>
Latest version
9.9p
Distribution
`ftp://sunsite.auc.dk/packages/auctex/auctex.tar.gz'
Web site
`http://sunsite.auc.dk/auctex/'
Mailing list:
Subscription requests to <auc-tex-request@iesd.auc.dk>
Submissions to <auc-tex@iesd.auc.dk>
Development team is at <auc-tex_mgr@iesd.auc.dk>
File: efaq, Node: BBDB, Next: Ispell, Prev: AUC-TeX, Up: Major packages and programs
BBDB -- personal Info Rolodex integrated with mail/news readers
===============================================================
Maintainer
Matt Simmons <simmonmt@acm.org>
Latest version
2.00
Distribution
`http://www.netcom.com/~simmonmt/bbdb/index.html'
Mailing lists
Subscription requests to <info-bbdb-request@xemacs.org>
Submissions to <info-bbdb@xemacs.org>
Release announcements: <bbdb-announce-request@xemacs.org>
File: efaq, Node: Ispell, Next: w3-mode, Prev: BBDB, Up: Major packages and programs
Ispell -- spell checker in C with interface for Emacs
=====================================================
Author
Geoff Kuenning <geoff@itcorp.com>
Latest version
3.1.20
Distribution
`ftp://ftp.cs.ucla.edu/pub/ispell/ispell-3.1.20.tar.gz'
Web site
`http://fmg-www.cs.ucla.edu/geoff/ispell.html'
* Do not ask Geoff to send you the latest version of Ispell. He does
not have free e-mail.
* This Ispell program is distinct from GNU Ispell 4.0. GNU Ispell
4.0 is no longer a supported product.
File: efaq, Node: w3-mode, Next: EDB, Prev: Ispell, Up: Major packages and programs
w3-mode -- A World Wide Web browser inside of Emacs
===================================================
Author
Bill Perry <wmperry@spry.com>
Latest version
4.0pre.39
Distribution
`ftp://ftp.cs.indiana.edu/pub/elisp/w3/w3.tar.gz'
Mailing lists
Receive announcements from <w3-announce-request@indiana.edu>
Become a beta tester at <w3-beta-request@indiana.edu>
Help to develop `w3-mode' at <w3-dev@indiana.edu>
File: efaq, Node: EDB, Next: Mailcrypt, Prev: w3-mode, Up: Major packages and programs
EDB -- Database program for Emacs; replaces forms editing modes
===============================================================
Author
Michael Ernst <mernst@theory.lcs.mit.edu>
Latest version
1.21
Distribution
`ftp://theory.lcs.mit.edu/pub/emacs/edb'
File: efaq, Node: Mailcrypt, Next: JDE, Prev: EDB, Up: Major packages and programs
Mailcrypt -- PGP interface within Emacs mail and news
=====================================================
Authors
Patrick J. LoPresti <patl@lcs.mit.edu> and Jin S. Choi
<jin@atype.com>
Maintainer
Len Budney <lbudney@pobox.com>
Latest version
3.5.3
Distribution
`http://www.nb.net/~lbudney/linux/software/mailcrypt/mailcrypt-3.5.3.tar.gz'
Web site
`http://www.nb.net/~lbudney/linux/software/mailcrypt.html'
File: efaq, Node: JDE, Next: Patch, Prev: Mailcrypt, Up: Major packages and programs
JDE -- Integrated development environment for Java
==================================================
Author
Paul Kinnucan <paulk@mathworks.com>
Mailing list
jde-subscribe@sunsite.auc.dk
Latest version
2.1.1
Web site
`http://sunsite.auc.dk/jde/'
File: efaq, Node: Patch, Prev: JDE, Up: Major packages and programs
Patch -- program to apply "diffs" for updating files
====================================================
Author
Larry Wall <lwall@wall.org> (with GNU modifications)
Latest version
2.5.4
Distribution
*Note Current GNU distributions::.
File: efaq, Node: Key bindings, Next: Alternate character sets, Prev: Major packages and programs, Up: Top
Key bindings
************
* Menu:
* Binding keys to commands::
* Invalid prefix characters::
* Terminal setup code works after Emacs has begun::
* Using function keys under X::
* Working with function and arrow keys::
* X key translations for Emacs::
* Handling C-s and C-q with flow control::
* Binding C-s and C-q::
* Backspace invokes help::
* stty and Backspace key::
* Swapping keys::
* Producing C-XXX with the keyboard::
* No Meta key::
* No Escape key::
* Compose Character::
* Binding combinations of modifiers and function keys::
* Meta key does not work in xterm::
* ExtendChar key does not work as Meta::
File: efaq, Node: Binding keys to commands, Next: Invalid prefix characters, Prev: Key bindings, Up: Key bindings
How do I bind keys (including function keys) to commands?
=========================================================
Keys can be bound to commands either interactively or in your
`.emacs' file. To interactively bind keys for all modes, type `M-x
global-set-key <RET> KEY CMD <RET>'.
To bind a key just in the current major mode, type `M-x
local-set-key <RET> KEY CMD <RET>'.
*note Key Bindings: (emacs)Key Bindings, for further details.
To make the process of binding keys interactively eaiser, use the
following "trick": First bind the key interactively, then immediately
type `C-x <ESC> <ESC> C-a C-k C-g'. Now, the command needed to bind
the key is in the kill ring, and can be yanked into your `.emacs' file.
If the key binding is global, no changes to the command are required.
For example,
(global-set-key (quote [f1]) (quote help-for-help))
can be placed directly into the `.emacs' file. If the key binding is
local, the command is used in conjunction with the "add-hook" command.
For example, in tex-mode, a local binding might be
(add-hook 'tex-mode-hook
(lambda ()
(local-set-key (quote [f1]) (quote help-for-help))))
* Control characters in key sequences, in the form yanked from the
kill ring are given in their graphic form--i.e., <CTRL> is shown as
`^', <TAB> as a set of spaces (usually 8), etc. You may want to
convert these into their vector or string forms.
* If a prefix key of the character sequence to be bound is already
bound as a complete key, then you must unbind it before the new
binding. For example, if `ESC {' is previously bound:
(global-unset-key [?\e ?{]) ;; or
(local-unset-key [?\e ?{])
* Aside from commands and "lambda lists," a vector or string also
can be bound to a key and thus treated as a macro. For example:
(global-set-key [f10] [?\C-x?\e?\e?\C-a?\C-k?\C-g]) ;; or
(global-set-key [f10] "\C-x\e\e\C-a\C-k\C-g")
File: efaq, Node: Invalid prefix characters, Next: Terminal setup code works after Emacs has begun, Prev: Binding keys to commands, Up: Key bindings
Why does Emacs say "Key sequence XXX uses invalid prefix characters"?
=====================================================================
Usually, one of two things has happened. In one case, the control
character in the key sequence has been misspecified (e.g. `C-f' used
instead of `\C-f' within a Lisp expression). In the other case, a
"prefix key" in the keystroke sequence you were trying to bind was
already bound as a "complete key". Historically, the `ESC [' prefix
was usually the problem, in which case you should evaluate either of
these forms before attempting to bind the key sequence:
(global-unset-key [?\e ?[]) ;; or
(global-unset-key "\e[")