fill-column 60)} calls the function @code{setq} to set the variable
@code{fill-column} (@pxref{Filling}) to 60.
- The second argument to @code{setq} is an expression for the new value of
-the variable. This can be a constant, a variable, or a function call
-expression. In @file{.emacs}, constants are used most of the time. They can be:
+ You can set any Lisp variable with @code{setq}, but with certain
+variables @code{setq} won't do what you probably want in the
+@file{.emacs} file. Some variables automatically become buffer-local
+when set with @code{setq}; what you want in @file{.emacs} is to set
+the default value, using @code{setq-default}. Some customizable minor
+mode variables do special things to enable the mode when you set them
+with Customize, but ordinary @code{setq} won't do that; to enable the
+mode in your @file{.emacs} file, call the minor mode command. The
+following section has examples of both of these methods.
+
+ The second argument to @code{setq} is an expression for the new
+value of the variable. This can be a constant, a variable, or a
+function call expression. In @file{.emacs}, constants are used most
+of the time. They can be:
@table @asis
@item Numbers:
(set-language-environment "Latin-1")
@end example
+@need 1500
+@item
+Turn off Line Number mode, a global minor mode.
+
+@example
+(line-number-mode 0)
+@end example
+
@need 1500
@item
Turn on Auto Fill mode automatically in Text mode and related modes.