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@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ Emacs, the Emacs manual is often the best starting point.
* FAQ notation::
* General questions::
* Getting help::
* Status of Emacs::
* History of Emacs::
* Common requests::
* Bugs and problems::
* Compiling and installing Emacs::
@ -211,11 +211,6 @@ completion, @kbd{?} for a list of possibilities, and @kbd{M-p} and
@kbd{M-n} (or up-arrow and down-arrow) to see previous commands entered.
An Emacs @dfn{command} is an @dfn{interactive} Emacs function.
@cindex @key{Do} key
Your system administrator may have bound other key sequences to invoke
@code{execute-extended-command}. A function key labeled @kbd{Do} is a
good candidate for this, on keyboards that have such a key.
If you need to run non-interactive Emacs functions, see @ref{Evaluating
Emacs Lisp code}.
@ -227,7 +222,7 @@ Emacs Lisp code}.
@cindex Info, finding topics in
When we refer you to some @var{topic} in the Emacs manual, you can
read this manual node inside Emacs (assuming nothing is broken) by
read this manual node inside Emacs by
typing @kbd{C-h i m emacs @key{RET} m @var{topic} @key{RET}}.
This invokes Info, the GNU hypertext documentation browser. If you don't
@ -236,9 +231,8 @@ already know how to use Info, type @kbd{?} from within Info.
If we refer to @var{topic}:@var{subtopic}, type @kbd{C-h i m emacs
@key{RET} m @var{topic} @key{RET} m @var{subtopic} @key{RET}}.
If these commands don't work as expected, your system administrator may
not have installed the Info files, or may have installed them
improperly. In this case you should complain.
(If these commands don't work as expected, your system may be missing
the Info files, or they may not be installed properly.)
If you are reading this FAQ in Info, you can simply press @key{RET} on a
reference to follow it.
@ -358,39 +352,31 @@ recipients the same freedom that you enjoyed.
@node Guidelines for mailing list postings
@section What are appropriate messages for the various Emacs mailing lists?
@cindex Newsgroups, appropriate messages for
@cindex GNU newsgroups, appropriate messages for
@cindex GNU mailing lists, appropriate messages for
@cindex Usenet groups, appropriate messages for
@cindex Mailing lists, appropriate messages for
@cindex Posting messages to mailing lists
@cindex GNU mailing lists
The Emacs mailing lists are described at
There are various Emacs mailing lists, described at
@uref{https://savannah.gnu.org/mail/?group=emacs, the Emacs Savannah
page}.
Messages advocating ``non-free'' software are considered unacceptable
on any of the GNU mailing lists, except for
@url{https://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/gnu-misc-discuss, the
gnu-misc-discuss mailing list} which was created to hold the extensive
flame-wars on the subject.
The main ones are: @code{help-gnu-emacs}, @code{bug-gnu-emacs},
and @code{emacs-devel}.
``Non-free'' software includes any software for which the end user
can't freely modify the source code and exchange enhancements. Be
careful to remove any GNU mailing lists from @samp{Cc:} when posting a
reply that recommends such software.
Messages advocating ``non-free'' software are considered unacceptable on
any of the @code{gnu.*} mailing lists (except for @url{https://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/gnu-misc-discuss, the gnu-misc-discuss mailing list}).
``Non-free'' software includes any software for which the end user can't
freely modify the source code and exchange enhancements. Please
remove GNU mailing lists from the recipients when
posting a reply that recommends such software.
@url{https://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/bug-gnu-emacs, The
bug-gnu-emacs list} is a place where bug reports appear, but we
recommend using the commands @kbd{M-x report-emacs-bug} or @kbd{M-x
submit-emacs-patch} if at all possible (@pxref{Reporting bugs}).
Some GNU mailing lists are gatewayed to (Usenet) newsgroups.
For example, sending an email to
@url{https://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/bug-gnu-emacs, The
bug-gnu-emacs list} has the effect of posting on the newsgroup
@uref{news:gnu.emacs.help}).
@cindex newsgroups
Some of the GNU mailing lists are gatewayed to newsgroups.
The newsgroup @uref{news:comp.emacs} is for discussion of Emacs programs
in general. The newsgroup @uref{news:gnu.emacs.help} (i.e., the
@code{help-gnu-emacs} mailing list) is specifically
for GNU Emacs. It therefore makes no sense to cross-post to both
groups, since only one can be appropriate to any question.
Finally, we recommend reading the
@url{https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/kind-communication.html, GNU Kind
@ -408,6 +394,8 @@ years, although there may be some unintentional gaps in coverage. The
archive can be browsed over the web at
@uref{https://lists.gnu.org/r/, the GNU mail archive}.
@cindex Usenet archives for GNU groups
@cindex Old Usenet postings for GNU groups
Some web-based Usenet search services also archive the @code{gnu.*}
newsgroups.
@ -418,16 +406,13 @@ newsgroups.
@cindex How to submit a bug report
@cindex Reporting bugs
The correct way to report Emacs bugs is to use the command
@kbd{M-x report-emacs-bug}. It sets up a mail buffer with the
essential information and the correct e-mail address,
@email{bug-gnu-emacs@@gnu.org}.
Please see the Emacs manual for information on how to report bugs.
@xref{Checklist, , Checklist for Bug Reports, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}.
Be sure to read the ``Bugs'' section of the Emacs manual before reporting
a bug! The manual describes in detail how to submit a useful bug
report (@pxref{Bugs, , Reporting Bugs, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}).
(@xref{Emacs manual}, if you don't know how to read the manual.)
It is better to report bugs as described there than to ask on the help
mailing list. RMS says:
@quotation
Sending bug reports to
@url{https://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/help-gnu-emacs, the
help-gnu-emacs mailing list} is undesirable because it takes the time
@ -437,10 +422,15 @@ problem. @url{https://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/bug-gnu-emacs,
The bug-gnu-emacs list} reaches a much smaller group of people who are
more likely to know what to do and have expressed a wish to receive
more messages about Emacs than the others.
@end quotation
RMS says it is sometimes fine to post to the help list:
@quotation
If you have reported a bug and you don't hear about a possible fix,
then after a suitable delay (such as a week) it is okay to post on
@code{help-gnu-emacs@@gnu.org} asking if anyone can help you.
the help list asking if anyone can help you.
@end quotation
If you are unsure whether you have found a bug, consider the following
non-exhaustive list, courtesy of RMS:
@ -859,12 +849,9 @@ Emacs news, a history of recent user-visible changes
@end table
More GNU information, including back issues of the @cite{GNU's
Bulletin}, are at
More GNU and FSF information is available at
@uref{https://www.gnu.org/bulletins/bulletins.html} and
@uref{https://www.cs.pdx.edu/~trent/gnu/gnu.html}
@uref{https://www.gnu.org} and @uref{http://www.fsf.org}
@node Help installing Emacs
@section Where can I get help in installing Emacs?
@ -890,12 +877,9 @@ C-f} (@kbd{M-x view-emacs-FAQ}). The very latest version is available
in the Emacs development repository (@pxref{Latest version of Emacs}).
@c ------------------------------------------------------------
@node Status of Emacs
@chapter Status of Emacs
@cindex Status of Emacs
This chapter gives you basic information about Emacs, including the
status of its latest version.
@node History of Emacs
@chapter History of Emacs
@cindex History of Emacs
@menu
* Origin of the term Emacs::
@ -908,6 +892,7 @@ status of its latest version.
* New in Emacs 22::
* New in Emacs 21::
* New in Emacs 20::
* What was XEmacs?::
@end menu
@node Origin of the term Emacs
@ -946,7 +931,6 @@ conventions}).
@cindex Latest version of Emacs
@cindex Development, Emacs
@cindex Repository, Emacs
@cindex Bazaar repository, Emacs
Emacs @value{EMACSVER} is the current version as of this writing. A version
number with two components (e.g., @samp{24.5}) indicates a released
@ -1471,6 +1455,28 @@ several languages in the same document; the ``Customize'' facility for
modifying variables without having to use Lisp; and automatic conversion
of files from Macintosh, Microsoft, and Unix platforms.
@node What was XEmacs?
@section What was XEmacs?
@cindex XEmacs
XEmacs was a branch version of Emacs that is no longer actively
developed. XEmacs last released a new version on January 30, 2009,
and it lacks many important features that exist in Emacs. Since its
development has stopped, we do not expect to see any new releases.
In the past, it was not uncommon for Emacs packages to include code
for compatibility with XEmacs. Nowadays, most built-in and third party
packages have either stopped supporting XEmacs or were developed
exclusively for Emacs.
XEmacs was initially derived from a prerelease version of Emacs 19.
If you want to talk about these two versions and distinguish them,
please call them ``Emacs'' and ``XEmacs.'' To contrast ``XEmacs''
with ``GNU Emacs'' would be misleading, since XEmacs too has its
origin in the work of the GNU Project. Terms such as ``Emacsen'' and
``(X)Emacs'' are not wrong, but they are not very clear, so it
is better to write ``Emacs and XEmacs.''
@c ------------------------------------------------------------
@node Common requests
@chapter Common requests
@ -3376,6 +3382,7 @@ dired, @code{directory-listing-before-filename-regexp}.
@menu
* Installing Emacs::
* Emacs for other operating systems::
* Problems building Emacs::
@end menu
@ -3388,9 +3395,7 @@ dired, @code{directory-listing-before-filename-regexp}.
@cindex Source code, building Emacs from
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 @ref{Emacs for MS-DOS}, which describe where to get non-Unix source
and binaries, and how to install Emacs on those systems.
other operating systems should see @xref{Emacs for other operating systems}.
Most GNU/Linux distributions provide pre-built Emacs packages.
If Emacs is not installed already, you can install it by running (as
@ -3409,20 +3414,20 @@ a list of sites that make them available. On @url{https://ftp.gnu.org},
the main GNU distribution site, sources are available as
@c Don't include VER in the file name, because pretests are not there.
@uref{https://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/emacs/emacs-VERSION.tar.gz}
@uref{https://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/emacs/emacs-VERSION.tar.xz}
(Replace @samp{VERSION} with the relevant version number, e.g., @samp{28.1}.)
@item
Next uncompress and extract the source files. This requires
the @code{gzip} and @code{tar} programs, which are standard utilities.
the @code{xz} and @code{tar} programs, which are standard utilities.
If your system does not have them, these can also be downloaded from
@url{https://ftp.gnu.org}.
GNU @code{tar} can uncompress and extract in a single-step:
@example
tar -zxvf emacs-VERSION.tar.gz
tar -axvf emacs-VERSION.tar.xz
@end example
@item
@ -3436,9 +3441,8 @@ cd emacs-VERSION
make # use Makefile to build components, then Emacs
@end example
If the @code{make} completes successfully, the odds are fairly good that
the build has gone well. (@xref{Problems building Emacs}, if you weren't
successful.)
If the @code{make} completes successfully, you can go on to install it.
(@xref{Problems building Emacs}, if you weren't successful.)
@item
By default, Emacs is installed in @file{/usr/local}. To actually
@ -3453,6 +3457,46 @@ and any Emacs Info files that might be in @file{/usr/local/share/info/}.
@end itemize
@node Emacs for other operating systems
@section Where can I get Emacs for macOS, MS Windows, etc?
@cindex Apple computers, Emacs for
@cindex Macintosh, Emacs for
@cindex macOS, Emacs for
Beginning with version 22.1, Emacs supports macOS natively.
See the file @file{nextstep/INSTALL} in the distribution.
@cindex FAQ for Emacs on MS-Windows
@cindex Emacs for MS-Windows
@cindex Microsoft Windows, Emacs for
There is a separate FAQ for Emacs on MS-Windows,
@pxref{Top,,,efaq-w32,FAQ for Emacs on MS Windows}.
@cindex GNUstep, Emacs for
Beginning with version 23.1, Emacs supports GNUstep natively.
See the file @file{nextstep/INSTALL} in the distribution.
@cindex MS-DOS, Emacs for
@cindex DOS, Emacs for
@cindex Compiling Emacs for DOS
@cindex Emacs for MS-DOS
To build Emacs from source for MS-DOS, see the instructions in the file
@file{msdos/INSTALL} in the distribution. The DOS port builds and runs
on plain DOS, and also on all versions of MS-Windows from version 3.X
onwards, including Windows XP and Vista. Pre-built binaries may be
available at
@uref{http://www.delorie.com/pub/djgpp/current/v2gnu/emacs.README}
For a list of other implementations of Emacs (and Emacs
look-alikes), consult the list of ``Emacs implementations and literature,''
available at
@uref{http://www.finseth.com/emacs.html}
Note that while many of these programs look similar to Emacs, they often
lack certain features, such as the Emacs Lisp extension language.
@node Problems building Emacs
@section What should I do if I have trouble building Emacs?
@cindex Problems building Emacs
@ -3476,22 +3520,16 @@ problem (@pxref{Reporting bugs}).
@cindex Finding Emacs and related packages
@menu
* Finding Emacs on the Internet::
* Downloading Emacs::
* Finding a package with particular functionality::
* Packages that do not come with Emacs::
* Spell-checkers::
* Current GNU distributions::
* What was XEmacs?::
* Emacs for minimalists::
* Emacs for MS-DOS::
* Emacs for MS-Windows::
* Emacs for GNUstep::
* Emacs for macOS::
@end menu
@node Finding Emacs on the Internet
@section Where can I get Emacs on the net?
@cindex Finding Emacs on the Internet
@node Downloading Emacs
@section Downloading Emacs
@cindex Downloading Emacs
Information on downloading Emacs is available at
@ -3507,25 +3545,22 @@ archive sites that make GNU software available.
@cindex Finding an Emacs Lisp package
@cindex Functionality, finding a particular package
First of all, you should check to make sure that the package isn't
already available. For example, typing @kbd{M-x apropos @key{RET}
python @key{RET}} lists all functions and variables containing the
string @samp{python}.
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 (@pxref{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.
The command @kbd{C-h p} (@code{finder-by-keyword}) allows you to browse
the constituent Emacs packages.
the packages that come with Emacs.
For advice on how to find extra packages that are not part of Emacs,
see @ref{Packages that do not come with Emacs}.
Other techniques that might be useful:
Typing @kbd{M-x apropos @key{RET} python @key{RET}} lists all
functions and variables containing the string @samp{python}.
You can look through your computer's lisp directory (@pxref{File-name
conventions}). The Lisp source to most packages contains a short
description of what they do and how they should be used.
@c Note that M-x view-external-packages references this node.
@node Packages that do not come with Emacs
@section Where can I get Emacs Lisp packages that don't come with Emacs?
@ -3615,28 +3650,6 @@ A list of sites mirroring @samp{ftp.gnu.org} can be found at
@uref{https://www.gnu.org/prep/ftp}
@node What was XEmacs?
@section What was XEmacs?
@cindex XEmacs
XEmacs was a branch version of Emacs that is no longer actively
developed. XEmacs last released a new version on January 30, 2009,
and it lacks many important features that exist in Emacs. Since its
development has stopped, we do not expect to see any new releases.
In the past, it was not uncommon for Emacs packages to include code
for compatibility with XEmacs. Nowadays, most built-in and third party
packages have either stopped supporting XEmacs or were developed
exclusively for Emacs.
XEmacs was initially derived from a prerelease version of Emacs 19.
If you want to talk about these two versions and distinguish them,
please call them ``Emacs'' and ``XEmacs.'' To contrast ``XEmacs''
with ``GNU Emacs'' would be misleading, since XEmacs too has its
origin in the work of the GNU Project. Terms such as ``Emacsen'' and
``(X)Emacs'' are not wrong, but they are not very clear, so it
is better to write ``Emacs and XEmacs.''
@node Emacs for minimalists
@section I don't have enough disk space to install Emacs
@cindex Zile
@ -3650,63 +3663,6 @@ information is available from
@uref{https://www.gnu.org/software/zile/}
@node Emacs for MS-DOS
@section Where can I get Emacs for MS-DOS?
@cindex MS-DOS, Emacs for
@cindex DOS, Emacs for
@cindex Compiling Emacs for DOS
@cindex Emacs for MS-DOS
To build Emacs from source for MS-DOS, see the instructions in the file
@file{msdos/INSTALL} in the distribution. The DOS port builds and runs
on plain DOS, and also on all versions of MS-Windows from version 3.X
onwards, including Windows XP and Vista.
The file @file{etc/PROBLEMS} contains some additional information
regarding Emacs under MS-DOS.
A pre-built binary distribution of the old Emacs 24 is available, as
described at
@uref{http://www.delorie.com/pub/djgpp/current/v2gnu/emacs.README}
For a list of other MS-DOS implementations of Emacs (and Emacs
look-alikes), consult the list of ``Emacs implementations and literature,''
available at
@uref{https://www.finseth.com/emacs.html}
Note that while many of these programs look similar to Emacs, they often
lack certain features, such as the Emacs Lisp extension language.
@node Emacs for MS-Windows
@section Where can I get Emacs for Microsoft Windows?
@cindex FAQ for Emacs on MS-Windows
@cindex Emacs for MS-Windows
@cindex Microsoft Windows, Emacs for
There is a separate FAQ for Emacs on MS-Windows,
@pxref{Top,,,efaq-w32,FAQ for Emacs on MS Windows}.
For MS-DOS, @pxref{Emacs for MS-DOS}.
@node Emacs for GNUstep
@section Where can I get Emacs for GNUstep?
@cindex GNUstep, Emacs for
Emacs supports GNUstep natively. See the file @file{nextstep/INSTALL}
in the distribution.
@node Emacs for macOS
@section Where can I get Emacs for macOS?
@cindex Apple computers, Emacs for
@cindex Macintosh, Emacs for
@cindex macOS, Emacs for
Emacs supports macOS natively. See the file @file{nextstep/INSTALL}
in the distribution.
@c ------------------------------------------------------------
@node Key bindings
@chapter Key bindings