@findex getenv
Inside Emacs, the command @kbd{M-x getenv} gets the value of an
environment variable. @kbd{M-x setenv} sets a variable in the Emacs
-environment. The way to set environment variables outside of Emacs
-depends on the operating system, and especially the shell that you are
-using. For example, here's how to set the environment variable
-@env{ORGANIZATION} to @samp{not very much} using Bash:
+environment. (Environment variable substitutions with @samp{$} work
+in the value just as in file names; see @ref{File Names with $}.)
+
+ The way to set environment variables outside of Emacs depends on the
+operating system, and especially the shell that you are using. For
+example, here's how to set the environment variable @env{ORGANIZATION}
+to @samp{not very much} using Bash:
@example
export ORGANIZATION="not very much"
setenv ORGANIZATION "not very much"
@end example
- When Emacs uses the X Window System, it inherits the use
-of a large number of environment variables from the X libraries. See
-the X documentation for more information.
+ When Emacs is using the X Window System, various environment
+variables that control X work for Emacs as well. See the X
+documentation for more information.
@menu
* General Variables:: Environment variables that all versions of Emacs use.
@table @samp
@item -g @var{width}x@var{height}@r{[@{}+-@r{@}}@var{xoffset}@r{@{}+-@r{@}}@var{yoffset}@r{]]}
@opindex -g
-Specify window size @var{width} and @var{height} (measured in character
+Specify the size @var{width} and @var{height} (measured in character
columns and lines), and positions @var{xoffset} and @var{yoffset}
-(measured in pixels).
+(measured in pixels). This applies to all frames.
@item --geometry=@var{width}x@var{height}@r{[@{}+-@r{@}}@var{xoffset}@r{@{}+-@r{@}}@var{yoffset}@r{]]}
@opindex --geometry