or have any suggestions, please use @kbd{M-x report-emacs-bug} to report
them.
+This is the version of the FAQ distributed with Emacs @value{VER}, and
+mainly describes that version. Although there is some information on
+older versions, details about very old versions (now only of historical
+interest) have been removed. If you are interested in this, consult
+either the version of the FAQ distributed with older versions of Emacs,
+or the history of this document in the Emacs source repository.
+
+Since Emacs releases are very stable, we recommend always running the
+latest release.
+
+This FAQ is not updated very frequently. When you have a question about
+Emacs, the Emacs manual is often the best starting point.
+
@ifnottex
@insertcopying
@end ifnottex
The newsgroup @uref{news:comp.emacs} is for discussion of Emacs programs
in general. The newsgroup @uref{news:gnu.emacs.help} is specifically
-for GNU Emacs.
+for GNU Emacs. It therefore makes no sense to cross-post to both
+groups, since only one can be appropriate to any question.
Messages advocating ``non-free'' software are considered unacceptable on
any of the @code{gnu.*} newsgroups except for @uref{news:gnu.misc.discuss},
* Evaluating Emacs Lisp code::
* Changing the length of a Tab::
* Inserting text at the beginning of each line::
-* Underlining paragraphs::
* Forcing the cursor to remain in the same column::
* Forcing Emacs to iconify itself::
* Using regular expressions::
runs the function @code{comment-region}, it is a general-purpose
mechanism to comment regions) (@pxref{Changing the included text prefix}).
-@node Underlining paragraphs
-@section How do I insert @samp{_^H} before each character in a region to get an underlined paragraph?
-@cindex Underlining a region of text
-@cindex @code{underline-region}
-
-Mark the region and then type @kbd{M-x underline-region @key{RET}}.
-
@node Forcing the cursor to remain in the same column
@section How do I make Emacs behave like this: when I go up or down, the cursor should stay in the same column even if the line is too short?
@cindex @code{picture-mode}
on DOS and Windows, where the DOS end-of-line (EOL) format is the
default, a backslash (@samp{\}) will appear in the mode line.
-If you are running a version of Emacs before 20.1, get @code{crypt++}
-(@pxref{Packages that do not come with Emacs}). Among other things,
-@code{crypt++} transparently modifies MS-DOS files as they are loaded
-and saved, allowing you to ignore the different conventions that Unix
-and MS-DOS have for delineating the end of a line.
-
@node Filling paragraphs with a single space
@section How can I tell Emacs to fill paragraphs with a single space after each period?
@cindex One space following periods
The file @file{etc/PROBLEMS} in the Emacs distribution lists various
known problems with building and using Emacs on specific platforms;
-type @kbd{C-h C-e} to read it.
+type @kbd{C-h C-p} to read it.
@menu
* Problems with very large files::
* ^M in the shell buffer::
-* Shell process exits abnormally::
-* Problems with Shell Mode on MS-Windows::
+* Problems with Shell Mode::
* Termcap/Terminfo entries for Emacs::
-* Spontaneous entry into isearch-mode::
-* Problems talking to certain hosts::
* Errors with init files::
* Emacs ignores X resources::
* Emacs ignores frame parameters::
-* Emacs takes a long time to visit files::
* Editing files with $ in the name::
* Shell mode loses the current directory::
* Security risks with Emacs::
And in Emacs 22, the maximum buffer size has been increased to
268,435,455 bytes (or 256 MBytes) on 32-bit machines.
+Emacs compiled on a 64-bit machine can handle much larger buffers.
+
@node ^M in the shell buffer
@section How do I get rid of @samp{^M} or echoed commands in my shell buffer?
@cindex Shell buffer, echoed commands and @samp{^M} in
stty -icrnl -onlcr -echo susp ^Z
@end example
-@node Shell process exits abnormally
-@section Why do I get ``Process shell exited abnormally with code 1''?
-@cindex Abnormal exits from @code{shell-mode}
-@cindex @code{shell-mode} exits
-@cindex Process shell exited
-
-The most likely reason for this message is that the @samp{env} program
-is not properly installed. Compile this program for your architecture,
-and install it with @samp{a+x} permission in the architecture-dependent
-Emacs program directory. (You can find what this directory is at your
-site by inspecting the value of the variable @code{exec-directory} by
-typing @kbd{C-h v exec-directory @key{RET}}.)
-
-You should also check for other programs named @samp{env} in your path
-(e.g., SunOS has a program named @file{/usr/bin/env}). We don't
-understand why this can cause a failure and don't know a general
-solution for working around the problem in this case.
-
-The @samp{make clean} command will remove @samp{env} and other vital
-programs, so be careful when using it.
-
-It has been reported that this sometimes happened when Emacs was started
-as an X client from an xterm window (i.e., had a controlling tty) but the
-xterm was later terminated.
-
-See also @samp{PROBLEMS} (in the @file{etc} subdirectory of the
-top-level directory when you unpack the Emacs source) for other
-possible causes of this message.
-
-@node Problems with Shell Mode on MS-Windows
+@node Problems with Shell Mode
@section Why do I get an error message when I try to run @kbd{M-x shell}?
-@cindex Shell Mode, and MS-Windows
+@cindex Shell Mode, problems
@cindex @code{explicit-shell-file-name}
-On MS-Windows, this might happen because Emacs tries to look for the
-shell in a wrong place. The default file name @file{/bin/sh} is
-usually incorrect for non-Unix systems. If you know where your shell
-executable is, set the variable @code{explicit-shell-file-name} in
-your @file{.emacs} file to point to its full file name, like this:
-
-@lisp
-(setq explicit-shell-file-name "d:/shells/bash.exe")
-@end lisp
-
-If you don't know what shell does Emacs use, try the @kbd{M-!}
-command; if that works, put the following line into your
-@file{.emacs}:
-
-@lisp
-(setq explicit-shell-file-name shell-file-name)
-@end lisp
+This might happen because Emacs tries to look for the shell in a wrong
+place. If you know where your shell executable is, set the variable
+@code{explicit-shell-file-name} in your @file{.emacs} file to point to
+its full file name.
@cindex Antivirus programs, and Shell Mode
-Some people have trouble with Shell Mode because of intrusive
-antivirus software; disabling the resident antivirus program solves
-the problems in those cases.
+Some people have trouble with Shell Mode on MS-Windows because of
+intrusive antivirus software; disabling the resident antivirus program
+solves the problems in those cases.
@node Termcap/Terminfo entries for Emacs
@section Where is the termcap/terminfo entry for terminal type @samp{emacs}?
if ("$term" == emacs) set term=dumb
@end example
-@node Spontaneous entry into isearch-mode
-@section Why does Emacs spontaneously start displaying @samp{I-search:} and beeping?
-@cindex Spontaneous entry into isearch-mode
-@cindex isearch-mode, spontaneous entry into
-@cindex Beeping without obvious reason
-
-Your terminal (or something between your terminal and the computer) is
-sending @kbd{C-s} and @kbd{C-q} for flow control, and Emacs is receiving
-these characters and interpreting them as commands. (The @kbd{C-s}
-character normally invokes the @code{isearch-forward} command.) For
-possible solutions, see @ref{Handling C-s and C-q with flow control}.
-
-@node Problems talking to certain hosts
-@section Why can't Emacs talk to certain hosts (or certain hostnames)?
-@cindex Hosts, Emacs cannot talk to
-@cindex @code{gethostbyname}, problematic version
-
-The problem may be that Emacs is linked with a wimpier version of
-@code{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 @samp{DISPLAY} environment variable.'' or a message of
-``Unknown host'' from @code{open-network-stream}.
-
-On a Sun, this may be because Emacs had to be linked with the static C
-library. The version of @code{gethostbyname} in the static C library
-may only look in @file{/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 @code{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:
-
-@itemize @bullet
-
-@item
-Explicitly add the host you want to communicate with to @file{/etc/hosts}.
-
-@item
-Relink Emacs with this line in @file{src/config.h}:
-
-@example
-#define LIBS_SYSTEM -lresolv
-@end example
-
-@item
-Replace @code{gethostbyname} and friends in @file{libc.a} with more
-useful versions such as the ones in @file{libresolv.a}. Then relink
-Emacs.
-
-@item
-If you are actually running NIS, make sure that @code{ypbind} is
-properly told to do DNS lookups with the correct command line switch.
-
-@end itemize
-
@node Errors with init files
@section Why does Emacs say @samp{Error in init file}?
@cindex Error in @file{.emacs}
other frames by individually positioning each one of them.
-@node Emacs takes a long time to visit files
-@section Why does Emacs take 20 seconds to visit a file?
-@cindex Visiting files takes a long time
-@cindex Delay when visiting files
-@cindex Files, take a long time to visit
-
-Old versions of Emacs (i.e., versions before Emacs 20.x) often
-encountered this when the master lock file, @file{!!!SuperLock!!!}, has
-been left in the lock directory somehow. Delete it.
-
-@email{meuer@@geom.umn.edu, Mark Meuer} 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
-@code{CLASH_DETECTION} undefined.
-
@node Editing files with $ in the name
@section How do I edit a file with a @samp{$} in its name?
@cindex Editing files with @samp{$} in the name
@section Dired says, @samp{no file on this line} when I try to do something.
@cindex Dired does not see a file
-@c FIXME: I think this is fixed in Emacs 21, but I didn't have time to
-@c check.
-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 @kbd{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 (@samp{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.
+date. By default, it should understand dates and times regardless of
+the language, but if your directory listing has an unusual format, Dired
+may get confused.
There are two approaches to solving this. The first one involves
-setting things up so that @samp{ls -l} outputs US date format. This can
-be done by setting the locale. See your OS manual for more information.
+setting things up so that @samp{ls -l} outputs a more standard format.
+See your OS manual for more information.
The second approach involves changing the regular expression used by
dired, @code{directory-listing-before-filename-regexp}.
@menu
* Installing Emacs::
-* Updating Emacs::
* Problems building Emacs::
@end menu
@cindex Installing Emacs
@cindex Unix systems, installing Emacs on
@cindex Downloading and installing Emacs
-@cindex Retrieving and installing Emacs
@cindex Building Emacs from source
@cindex Source code, building Emacs from
-@cindex Unpacking and installing 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 @ref{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:
+Most GNU/Linux distributions provide pre-built Emacs packages.
+If Emacs is not installed already, you can install it by running (as
+root) a command such as @samp{yum install emacs} (Red Hat and
+derivatives) or @samp{apt-get install emacs} (Debian and derivatives).
+
+If you want to compile Emacs yourself, read the file @file{INSTALL} in
+the source distribution. In brief:
@itemize @bullet
@item
-Emacs sources. @xref{Current GNU distributions}, for a list of ftp sites
-that make them available. On @file{ftp.gnu.org}, the main GNU
-distribution site, sources are available as
-
-@uref{ftp://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/emacs/emacs-@value{VER}.tar.gz}
+First download the Emacs sources. @xref{Current GNU distributions}, for
+a list of ftp sites that make them available. On @file{ftp.gnu.org},
+the main GNU distribution site, sources are available as
-The above will obviously change as new versions of Emacs come out. For
-instance, when Emacs 24.3 is released, it will most probably be
-available as
+@c Don't include VER in the file name, because pretests are not there.
+@uref{ftp://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/emacs/emacs-VERSION.tar.gz}
-@uref{ftp://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/emacs/emacs-24.3.tar.gz}
+(Replace @samp{VERSION} with the relevant version number, e.g. @samp{23.1}.)
-Again, you should use one of the GNU mirror sites (see @ref{Current GNU
-distributions}, and adjust the URL accordingly) so as to reduce load on
+@item
+Next uncompress and extract the source files. This requires
+the @code{gzip} and @code{tar} programs, which are standard utilities.
+If your system does not have them, these can also be downloaded from
@file{ftp.gnu.org}.
-@item
-@code{gzip}, the GNU compression utility. You can get @code{gzip} via
-anonymous ftp at mirrors of @file{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
+GNU @code{tar} can uncompress and extract in a single-step:
@example
-gunzip --verbose emacs-@value{VER}.tar.gz
+tar -zxvf emacs-VERSION.tar.gz
@end example
-@noindent
-changing the Emacs version (@value{VER}), as necessary. Once
-@code{gunzip} has finished doing its job, a file by the name of
-@file{emacs-@value{VER}.tar} should be in your build directory.
-
@item
-@code{tar}, the @dfn{tape archiving} program, which moves multiple files
-into and out of archive files, or @dfn{tarfiles}. All of the files
-comprising the Emacs source come in a single tarfile, and must be
-extracted using @code{tar} before you can build Emacs. Typically, the
-extraction command would look like
+At this point, the Emacs sources should be sitting in a directory called
+@file{emacs-VERSION}. On most common Unix and Unix-like systems,
+you should be able to compile Emacs with the following commands:
@example
-tar -xvvf emacs-@value{VER}.tar
-@end example
-
-@noindent
-The @samp{x} indicates that we want to extract files from this tarfile,
-the two @samp{v}s force verbose output, and the @samp{f} tells
-@code{tar} to use a disk file, rather than one on the tape drive.
-
-If you're using GNU @code{tar} (available at mirrors of
-@file{ftp.gnu.org}), you can combine this step and the previous one by
-using the command
-
-@example
-tar -zxvvf emacs-@value{VER}.tar.gz
-@end example
-
-@noindent
-The additional @samp{z} at the beginning of the options list tells GNU
-@code{tar} to uncompress the file with @code{gunzip} before extracting
-the tarfile's components.
-
-@end itemize
-
-At this point, the Emacs sources (all 70+ megabytes of them) should be
-sitting in a directory called @file{emacs-@value{VER}}. On most common
-Unix and Unix-like systems, you should be able to compile Emacs (with X
-Window system support) with the following commands:
-
-@example
-cd emacs-@value{VER} # change directory to emacs-@value{VER}
+cd emacs-VERSION
./configure # configure Emacs for your particular system
make # use Makefile to build components, then Emacs
@end example
the build has gone well. (@xref{Problems building Emacs}, if you weren't
successful.)
-By default, Emacs is installed in the following directories:
-
-@table @file
-@item /usr/local/bin
-binaries.
-
-@item /usr/local/share/emacs/@value{VER}
-Lisp code and support files.
-
-@item /usr/local/info
-Info documentation.
-@end table
-
-To install files in those default directories, become the superuser and
-type
+@item
+By default, Emacs is installed in @file{/usr/local}. To actually
+install files, become the superuser and type
@example
make install
@end example
Note that @samp{make install} will overwrite @file{/usr/local/bin/emacs}
-and any Emacs Info files that might be in @file{/usr/local/info}.
-
-Much more verbose instructions (with many more hints and suggestions)
-come with the Emacs sources, in the file @file{INSTALL}.
-
-@node Updating Emacs
-@section How do I update Emacs to the latest version?
-@cindex Updating Emacs
+and any Emacs Info files that might be in @file{/usr/local/share/info/}.
-@xref{Installing Emacs}, and follow the instructions there for
-installation.
-
-Most files are placed in version-specific directories. Emacs
-@value{VER}, for instance, places files in
-@file{/usr/local/share/emacs/@value{VER}}.
-
-Upgrading should overwrite only, @file{/usr/local/bin/emacs} (the Emacs
-binary) and documentation in @file{/usr/local/info}. Back up these
-files before you upgrade, and you shouldn't have too much trouble.
+@end itemize
@node Problems building Emacs
@section What should I do if I have trouble building Emacs?
If you'd like to have someone look at your problem and help solve it,
see @ref{Help installing Emacs}.
-If you cannot find a solution in the documentation, send a message to
-@email{bug-gnu-emacs@@gnu.org}.
-
-Please don't post it to @uref{news:gnu.emacs.help} or send e-mail to
-@email{help-gnu-emacs@@gnu.org}. For further guidelines, see
-@ref{Guidelines for newsgroup postings} and @ref{Reporting bugs}.
+If you cannot find a solution in the documentation, please report the
+problem (@pxref{Reporting bugs}).
@c ------------------------------------------------------------
* Difference between Emacs and XEmacs::
* Emacs for minimalists::
* Emacs for MS-DOS::
-* Emacs for Windows::
+* Emacs for MS-Windows::
* Emacs for GNUstep::
-* Emacs for Apple computers::
+* Emacs for Mac OS X::
@end menu
@node Finding Emacs on the Internet
@node Emacs for MS-DOS
-@section Where can I get Emacs for my PC running 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
-@cindex Tools needed to compile Emacs under DOS
-
-A pre-built binary distribution of Emacs 20 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
-
-@uref{ftp://ftp.delorie.com/pub/djgpp/current/v2gnu/emacs.README}
-
-The binary itself is available in the files @file{em*.zip} in the
-directory
-
-@uref{ftp://ftp.delorie.com/pub/djgpp/current/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
-@email{eliz@@gnu.org, Eli Zaretskii} and
-@email{hankedr@@dms.auburn.edu, Darrel Hankerson}, you will need the
-following:
-
-@table @emph
-
-@item 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
-@uref{ftp://ftp.delorie.com/pub/djgpp/current/v2*}
+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.
-@item Unpacking program
-The easiest way is to use @code{djtar} which comes with DJGPP v2.x,
-because it can open gzip'ed tarfiles (i.e., those ending with
-@file{.tar.gz}) in one step. @code{Djtar} comes in
-@file{djdev@var{nnn}.zip} archive (where @var{nnn} is the DJGPP version
-number), from the URL mentioned above.
-
-@strong{Warning!} Do @strong{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!
-
-@item make, mv, sed, and rm
-All of these utilities are available at
-
-@uref{ftp://ftp.delorie.com/pub/djgpp/current/v2gnu}
-
-16-bit utilities can be found in GNUish, at
-
-@uref{http://www.simtel.net/pub/gnuish/}
-
-@noindent
-(@code{mv} and @code{rm} are in the Fileutils package, @code{sed} and
-@code{make} are each one in a separate package named after them.)
+The file @file{etc/PROBLEMS} contains some additional information
+regarding Emacs under MS-DOS.
-@end table
+A pre-built binary distribution of the old Emacs 20 is available, as
+described at
-The files @file{INSTALL} (near its end) and @file{etc/PROBLEMS} in the
-directory of the Emacs sources contains some additional information
-regarding Emacs under MS-DOS.
+@uref{ftp://ftp.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{ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/comp.emacs/}
+@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 Emacs for Windows
+@node Emacs for MS-Windows
@section Where can I get Emacs for Microsoft Windows?
-@cindex FAQ for NT Emacs
+@cindex FAQ for Emacs on MS-Windows
@cindex Emacs for MS-Windows
@cindex Microsoft Windows, Emacs for
-@cindex Windows 9X, ME, NT, 2K, and CE, Emacs for
-For information on Emacs for Windows 95 and NT, read the FAQ produced by
-@email{voelker@@cs.washington.edu, Geoff Voelker} and currently maintained
-by @email{ramprasad@@gnu.org, Ramprasad B}, available at
-
-@uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/windows/ntemacs.html}
-
-@xref{Emacs for MS-DOS}, for Windows 3.1.
+There is a @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/windows/ntemacs.html,
+separate 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
+@cindex GNUstep, Emacs for
Beginning with version 23.1, Emacs supports GNUstep natively.
+See the file @file{nextstep/INSTALL} in the distribution.
-@node Emacs for Apple computers
-@section Where can I get Emacs for my Apple computer?
+@node Emacs for Mac OS X
+@section Where can I get Emacs for Mac OS X?
@cindex Apple computers, Emacs for
@cindex Macintosh, Emacs for
+@cindex Mac OS X, Emacs for
Beginning with version 22.1, Emacs supports Mac OS X natively.
-
+See the file @file{nextstep/INSTALL} in the distribution.
@c ------------------------------------------------------------
@node Major packages and programs
* Spell-checkers::
* Emacs/W3::
* EDB::
-* JDE::
+* JDEE::
@end menu
@node VM
@uref{http://gnuvola.org/software/edb/, The Emacs Database}
-@node JDE
-@section JDE --- Integrated development environment for Java
+@node JDEE
+@section JDEE --- Integrated development environment for Java
@cindex Java development environment
@cindex Integrated Java development environment
-@cindex JDE
+@cindex JDEE
@uref{http://jdee.sourceforge.net/, A Java Development Environment for Emacs}
* Terminal setup code works after Emacs has begun::
* 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::
@noindent
defines the @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} key sequence.
-@node Handling C-s and C-q with flow control
-@section How do I handle @kbd{C-s} and @kbd{C-q} being used for flow control?
-@cindex Flow control, @kbd{C-s} and @kbd{C-q} with
-@cindex @kbd{C-s} and @kbd{C-q} with flow control
-
-@kbd{C-s} and @kbd{C-q} are used in the XON/XOFF flow control protocol.
-This messes things up when you're using Emacs over a serial line,
-because Emacs binds these keys to commands by default. Because Emacs
-won't honor them as flow control characters, too many of these
-characters are not passed on and overwhelm output buffers. Sometimes,
-intermediate software using XON/XOFF flow control will prevent Emacs
-from ever seeing @kbd{C-s} and @kbd{C-q}.
-
-Possible solutions:
-
-@itemize @bullet
-
-@item
-Disable the use of @kbd{C-s} and @kbd{C-q} for flow control.
-
-You need to determine the cause of the flow control.
-
-@itemize @minus
-
-@item
-your terminal
-
-Your terminal may use XON/XOFF flow control to have time to display
-all the characters it receives. For example, VT series terminals do
-this. It may be possible to turn this off from a setup menu. For
-example, on a VT220 you may select ``No XOFF'' in the setup menu. This
-is also true for some terminal emulation programs on PCs.
-
-When you turn off flow control at the terminal, you will also need to
-turn it off at the other end, which might be at the computer you are
-logged in to or at some terminal server in between.
-
-If you turn off flow control, characters may be lost; using a printer
-connected to the terminal may fail. You may be able to get around
-this problem by modifying the @samp{termcap} entry for your terminal to
-include extra NUL padding characters.
-
-@item
-a modem
-
-If you are using a dialup connection, the modems may be using
-XON/XOFF flow control. It's not clear how to get around this.
-
-@item
-a router or terminal server
-
-Some network box between the terminal and your computer may be using
-XON/XOFF flow control. It may be possible to make it use some other
-kind of flow control. You will probably have to ask your local
-network experts for help with this.
-
-@item
-@code{tty} and/or @code{pty} devices
-
-If your connection to Emacs goes through multiple @code{tty} and/or
-@code{pty} devices, they may be using XON/XOFF flow control even when it
-is not necessary.
-
-@email{eirik@@theory.tn.cornell.edu, Eirik Fuller} writes:
-
-@quotation
-Some versions of @code{rlogin} (and possibly @code{telnet}) do not pass
-flow control characters to the remote system to which they connect. On
-such systems, Emacs on the remote system cannot disable flow control on
-the local system. Sometimes @samp{rlogin -8} will avoid this problem.
-
-One way to cure this is to disable flow control on the local host (the
-one running @code{rlogin}, not the one running @code{rlogind}) using the
-@code{stty} command, before starting the @code{rlogin} process. On many
-systems, @samp{stty start u stop u} will do this.
-
-Some versions of @samp{tcsh} will prevent even this from working. One
-way around this is to start another shell before starting rlogin,
-and issue the @samp{stty} command to disable flow control from that shell.
-@end quotation
-
-Use @samp{stty -ixon} instead of @samp{stty start u stop u} on some systems.
-
-@end itemize
-
-@item
-Make Emacs speak the XON/XOFF flow control protocol.
-
-You can make Emacs treat @kbd{C-s} and @kbd{C-q} as flow control characters by
-evaluating the form
-
-@lisp
-(enable-flow-control)
-@end lisp
-
-@noindent
-to unconditionally enable flow control or
-
-@lisp
-(enable-flow-control-on "vt100" "h19")
-@end lisp
-
-@noindent
-(using your terminal names instead of @samp{vt100} or @samp{h19}) to
-enable selectively. These commands will automatically swap @kbd{C-s}
-and @kbd{C-q} to @kbd{C-\} and @kbd{C-^}. Variables can be used to
-change the default swap keys (@code{flow-control-c-s-replacement} and
-@code{flow-control-c-q-replacement}).
-
-If you are fixing this for yourself, simply put the form in your
-@file{.emacs} file. If you are fixing this for your entire site, the
-best place to put it is in the @file{site-lisp/site-start.el} file.
-(Here @file{site-lisp} is actually a subdirectory of your Emacs
-installation directory, typically @file{/usr/local/share/emacs}.)
-Putting this form in @file{site-lisp/default.el} has the problem that
-if the user's @file{.emacs} file has an error, this will prevent
-@file{default.el} from being loaded and Emacs may be unusable for the
-user, even for correcting their @file{.emacs} file (unless they're
-smart enough to move it to another name).
-
-@code{enable-flow-control} can be invoked interactively as well:
-@kbd{M-x enable-flow-control @key{RET}}.
-
-@end itemize
-
-For further discussion of this issue, read the file @file{etc/PROBLEMS}
-(@pxref{File-name conventions}).
-
-@node Binding C-s and C-q
-@section How do I bind @kbd{C-s} and @kbd{C-q} (or any key) if these keys are filtered out?
-@cindex Binding @kbd{C-s} and @kbd{C-q}
-@cindex @kbd{C-s} and @kbd{C-q}, binding
-
-To bind @kbd{C-s} and @kbd{C-q}, use either @code{enable-flow-control}
-or @code{enable-flow-control-on}. @xref{Handling C-s and C-q with flow
-control}, for usage and implementation details.
-
-To bind other keys, use @code{keyboard-translate}. @xref{Swapping
-keys}, for usage details. To do this for an entire site, you should
-swap the keys in @file{site-lisp/site-start.el}. @xref{Handling C-s
-and C-q with flow control}, for an explanation of why
-@file{site-lisp/default.el} should not be used.
-
-@itemize @bullet
-
-@item
-If you do this for an entire site, the users will be confused by
-the disparity between what the documentation says and how Emacs
-actually behaves.
-
-@end itemize
-
@node Backspace invokes help
@section Why does the @key{Backspace} key invoke help?
@cindex Backspace key invokes help
Does Not Delete, , If @key{DEL} Fails to Delete, emacs, The GNU Emacs
Manual}.
-@node stty and Backspace key
-@section Why doesn't Emacs look at the @file{stty} settings for @key{Backspace} vs. @key{Delete}?
-@cindex @file{stty} and Emacs
-@cindex Backspace and @file{stty}
-@cindex Delete and @file{stty}
-
-Good question!
-
-@c FIXME: RMS explained the reasons for this on emacs-hackers. It's
-@c probably worth putting that explanation here.
-
@node Swapping keys
@section How do I swap two keys?
@cindex Swapping keys
@menu
* Emacs does not display 8-bit characters::
* Inputting eight-bit characters::
-* Kanji and Chinese characters::
* Right-to-left alphabets::
* How to add fonts::
@end menu
Support, emacs}. For more sophisticated methods, @inforef{Input
Methods, Input Methods, emacs}.
-@node Kanji and Chinese characters
-@section Where can I get an Emacs that handles kanji, Chinese, or other Far-Eastern character sets?
-@cindex Kanji, handling with Emacs
-@cindex Chinese, handling with Emacs
-@cindex Japanese, handling with Emacs
-@cindex Korean, handling with Emacs
-
-Emacs 20 and later includes many of the features of MULE, the MULtilingual
-Enhancement to Emacs. @xref{Installing Emacs}, for information on where
-to find and download the latest version of Emacs.
-
@node Right-to-left alphabets
@section Where is an Emacs that can handle Semitic (right-to-left) alphabets?
@cindex Right-to-left alphabets
@cindex Hebrew, handling with Emacs
@cindex Semitic alphabets
@cindex Arabic alphabets
+@cindex Bidirectional text
-Emacs 20 and later supports Hebrew characters (ISO 8859-8), but does not
-yet support right-to-left character entry and display.
+Emacs supports Hebrew characters (ISO 8859-8) since version 20, but does
+not yet support right-to-left character entry and display. The
+@uref{http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/emacs-bidi, emacs-bidi
+mailing list} discusses development of support for this feature.
-@email{joel@@exc.com, Joel M. Hoffman} has written a Lisp package called
-@file{hebrew.el} that allows right-to-left editing of Hebrew. It
-reportedly works out of the box with Emacs 19, but requires patches for
-Emacs 18. Write to Joel if you want the patches or package.
-
-@c FIXME: Should we mention Ehud Karni's package?
-
-@file{hebrew.el} requires a Hebrew screen font, but no other hardware support.
-Joel has a screen font for PCs running MS-DOS or GNU/Linux.
-
-You might also try querying @code{archie} for files named with
-@file{hebrew}; several ftp sites in Israel may also have the necessary
-files.
@node How to add fonts
@section How do I add fonts for use with Emacs?
* Saving a copy of outgoing mail::
* Expanding aliases when sending mail::
* Sorting the messages in an Rmail folder::
-* Rmail writes to /usr/spool/mail::
+* Rmail writes to /var/spool/mail::
* Replying to the sender of a message::
-* MIME with Emacs mail packages::
* Automatically starting a mail or news reader::
* Reading news with Emacs::
* Gnus does not work with NNTP::
-* Viewing articles with embedded underlining::
-* Saving a multi-part Gnus posting::
-* Starting Gnus faster::
+* Making Gnus faster::
* Catching up in all newsgroups::
-* Killing based on nonstandard headers::
-* Catch-up is slow in Gnus::
-* Gnus hangs for a long time::
-* Learning more about Gnus::
@end menu
@node Changing the included text prefix
@cindex Setting the included text character
@cindex Quoting in mail messages
-If you read mail with Rmail or news with Gnus, set the variable
-@code{mail-yank-prefix}. For VM, set @code{vm-included-text-prefix}.
-For mh-e, set @code{mh-ins-buf-prefix}.
+If you read mail with Rmail, set the variable @code{mail-yank-prefix}.
+For Gnus, set @code{message-yank-prefix}. For VM, set
+@code{vm-included-text-prefix}. For mh-e, set @code{mh-ins-buf-prefix}.
-For fancier control of citations, use Supercite (part of Emacs).
+For fancier control of citations, use Supercite (@pxref{Top,, the Supercite
+Manual, sc, The Supercite Manual}).
To prevent Emacs from including various headers of the replied-to
message, set the value of @code{mail-yank-ignored-headers} to an
(setq mail-archive-file-name (expand-file-name "~/outgoing"))
@end lisp
-The output file will be in Unix mail format, which can be read directly
-by VM or Rmail (since Emacs 23).
+The output file will be in Unix mail format.
If you use @code{mh-e}, add an @samp{FCC} or @samp{BCC} field to your
components file.
@cindex Mail alias expansion
@cindex Sending mail with aliases
+@xref{Mail Aliases,, The Emacs Manual, emacs, The Emacs Manual}.
+
@itemize @bullet
@item
-You must separate multiple addresses in the headers of the mail buffer
-with commas. This is because Emacs supports RFC822 standard addresses
-like this one:
-
-@example
-To: Willy Smith <wks@@xpnsv.lwyrs.com>
-@end example
-
-However, you do not need to---and probably should not, unless your
-system's version of @file{/usr/ucb/mail} (a.k.a.@: @code{mailx})
-supports RFC822---separate addresses with commas in your
-@file{~/.mailrc} file.
+Normally, Emacs expands aliases when you send the message.
+To expand them before this, use @kbd{M-x expand-mail-aliases}.
+@c FIXME there should be an interactive rebuild command for this.
@item
Emacs normally only reads the @file{.mailrc} file once per session,
when you start to compose your first mail message. If you edit
-@file{.mailrc}, you can type @kbd{M-x rebuild-mail-abbrevs @key{RET}} to
+@file{.mailrc}, you can type @kbd{M-: (build-mail-aliases) @key{RET}} to
make Emacs reread @file{~/.mailrc}.
@item
@end lisp
Note that the aliases are expanded automatically only after you type
-@key{RET} or a punctuation character (e.g. @kbd{,}). You can force their
+a word-separator character (e.g. @key{RET} or @kbd{,}). You can force their
expansion by moving point to the end of the alias and typing @kbd{C-x a e}
(@kbd{M-x expand-abbrev}).
@end itemize
In Rmail, type @kbd{C-c C-s C-h} to get a list of sorting functions
and their key bindings.
-@node Rmail writes to /usr/spool/mail
-@section Why does Rmail need to write to @file{/usr/spool/mail}?
-@cindex Rmail and @file{/usr/spool/mail}
-@cindex @file{/usr/spool/mail} and Rmail
+@node Rmail writes to /var/spool/mail
+@section Why does Rmail need to write to @file{/var/spool/mail}?
+@cindex Rmail and @file{/var/spool/mail}
+@cindex @file{/var/spool/mail} and Rmail
This is the behavior of the @code{movemail} program which Rmail uses.
This indicates that @code{movemail} is configured to use lock files.
(define-key rmail-mode-map "R" 'rmail-reply)))
@end lisp
-@node MIME with Emacs mail packages
-@section How can I get my favorite Emacs mail package to support MIME?
-@cindex MIME and Emacs mail packages
-@cindex Mail packages and MIME
-@cindex FAQ for MIME and Emacs
-
-Version 6.x of VM supports MIME. @xref{VM}. Gnus supports MIME in mail
-and news messages as of version 5.8.1 (Pterodactyl). Rmail has limited
-support for single-part MIME messages beginning with Emacs 20.3.
-
@node Automatically starting a mail or news reader
@section How do I make Emacs automatically start my mail/news reader?
@cindex Mail reader, starting automatically
@cindex Reading news under Emacs
@cindex Usenet reader in Emacs
@cindex Gnus newsreader
+@cindex FAQ for Gnus
+@cindex Gnus FAQ
+@cindex Learning more about Gnus
+
+Use @kbd{M-x gnus}. For more information on Gnus, @pxref{Top,, the Gnus
+Manual, gnus, The Gnus Manual}, which includes @ref{Frequently Asked
+Questions,, the Gnus FAQ, gnus}.
-Use @kbd{M-x gnus}. It is documented in Info (@pxref{Learning how to do
-something}).
@node Gnus does not work with NNTP
@section Why doesn't Gnus work via NNTP?
(i.e., @kbd{telnet server-machine 119}). The server should give its
version number in the welcome message. Type @kbd{quit} to get out.
-@xref{Spontaneous entry into isearch-mode}, for some additional ideas.
-
-@node Viewing articles with embedded underlining
-@section How do I view news articles with embedded underlining (e.g., ClariNews)?
-@cindex Underlining, embedded in news articles
-@cindex News articles with embedded underlining
-@cindex Embedded underlining in news articles
-
-Underlining appears like this:
-
-@example
-_^Hu_^Hn_^Hd_^He_^Hr_^Hl_^Hi_^Hn_^Hi_^Hn_^Hg
-@end example
-
-@email{abraham@@dina.kvl.dk, Per Abrahamsen} suggests using the following
-code, which uses the underline face to turn such text into true
-underlining, inconjunction with Gnus:
-
-@lisp
-(defun gnus-article-prepare-overstrike ()
- ;; Prepare article for overstrike commands.
- (save-excursion
- (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
- (let ((buffer-read-only nil))
- (goto-char (point-min))
- (while (search-forward "\b" nil t)
- (let ((next (following-char))
- (previous (char-after (- (point) 2))))
- (cond ((eq next previous)
- (delete-region (- (point) 2) (point))
- (put-text-property (point) (1+ (point))
- 'face 'bold))
- ((eq next ?_)
- (delete-region (1- (point)) (1+ (point)))
- (put-text-property (1- (point)) (point)
- 'face 'underline))
- ((eq previous ?_)
- (delete-region (- (point) 2) (point))
- (put-text-property (point) (1+ (point))
- 'face 'underline))))))))
-
-(add-hook 'gnus-article-prepare-hook 'gnus-article-prepare-overstrike)
-@end lisp
-
-Latest versions of Gnus do such a conversion automatically.
-
-If you prefer to do away with underlining altogether, you can
-destructively remove it with @kbd{M-x ununderline-region}; do this
-automatically via
-
-@lisp
-(add-hook 'gnus-article-prepare-hook
- (lambda () (ununderline-region (point-min) (point-max))))
-@end lisp
-
-@node Saving a multi-part Gnus posting
-@section How do I save all the items of a multi-part posting in Gnus?
-@cindex Multi-part postings in Gnus, saving
-@cindex Saving multi-part postings in Gnus
-@cindex Gnus, saving multi-part postings in
-
-Use @code{gnus-uu}. Type @kbd{C-c C-v C-h} in the Gnus summary buffer
-to see a list of available commands.
-
-@node Starting Gnus faster
-@section How do I make Gnus start up faster?
+@node Making Gnus faster
+@section How do I make Gnus faster?
@cindex Faster, starting Gnus
@cindex Starting Gnus faster
@cindex Gnus, starting faster
+@cindex Slow catch up in Gnus
+@cindex Gnus is slow when catching up
+@cindex Crosspostings make Gnus catching up slow
-From the Gnus FAQ (@pxref{Learning more about Gnus}):
+From the Gnus FAQ (@pxref{Reading news with Emacs}):
@quotation
-@email{pktiwari@@eos.ncsu.edu, Pranav Kumar Tiwari} writes: I posted
-the same query recently and I got an answer to it. I am going to
-repeat the answer. What you need is a newer version of gnus, version
-5.0.4+. I am using 5.0.12 and it works fine with me with the
-following settings:
+If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
+few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-check-new-newsgroups nil
- gnus-read-active-file 'some
- gnus-nov-is-evil nil
- gnus-select-method '(nntp gnus-nntp-server))
-@end lisp
+Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
+@code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
+
+Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
+@code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
+summary buffer faster.
@end quotation
@node Catching up in all newsgroups
Leave off the initial @kbd{M-<} if you only want to catch up from point
to the end of the @file{*Newsgroup*} buffer.
-@node Killing based on nonstandard headers
-@section Why can't I kill in Gnus based on the Newsgroups/Keywords/Control headers?
-@cindex Killing articles based on nonstandard headers
-@cindex Newsgroups header, killing articles based on
-@cindex Keywords header, killing articles based on
-@cindex Control header, killing articles based on
-
-Gnus will complain that the @samp{Newsgroups}, @samp{Keywords}, and
-@samp{Control} headers are ``Unknown header'' fields.
-
-For the @samp{Newsgroups} header, there is an easy workaround: kill on the
-@samp{Xref} header instead, which will be present on any cross-posted article
-(as long as your site carries the cross-post group).
-
-If you really want to kill on one of these headers, you can do it like
-this:
-
-@lisp
-(gnus-kill nil "^Newsgroups: .*\\(bad\\.group\\|worse\\.group\\)")
-@end lisp
-
-@node Catch-up is slow in Gnus
-@section Why is catch up slow in Gnus?
-@cindex Slow catch up in Gnus
-@cindex Gnus is slow when catching up
-@cindex Crosspostings make Gnus catching up slow
-
-Because Gnus is marking crosspostings read. You can control this with
-the variable @code{gnus-use-cross-reference}.
-
-@node Gnus hangs for a long time
-@section Why does Gnus hang for a long time when posting?
-@cindex Hangs in Gnus
-@cindex Gnus hangs while posting
-@cindex Posting, Gnus hangs wile
-
-@email{tale@@uunet.uu.net, David Lawrence} explains:
-
-@quotation
-The problem is almost always interaction between NNTP and C News. NNTP
-POST asks C News's @code{inews} to not background itself but rather hang
-around and give its exit status so it knows whether the post was successful.
-(That wait will on some systems not return the exit status of the
-waited for job is a different sort of problem.) It ends up taking a
-long time because @code{inews} is calling @code{relaynews}, which often
-waits for another @code{relaynews} to free the lock on the news system
-so it can file the article.
-
-My preferred solution is to change @code{inews} to not call
-@code{relaynews}, but rather use @code{newsspool}. This loses some
-error-catching functionality, but is for the most part safe as
-@code{inews} will detect a lot of the errors on its own. The C News
-folks have sped up @code{inews}, too, so speed should look better to
-most folks as that update propagates around.
-@end quotation
-
-@node Learning more about Gnus
-@section Where can I find out more about Gnus?
-@cindex FAQ for Gnus
-@cindex Gnus FAQ
-@cindex Learning more about Gnus
-
-For more information on Gnus, @pxref{Top,, the Gnus Manual, gnus, The
-Gnus Manual}, which includes @ref{Frequently Asked Questions,, the Gnus
-FAQ, gnus}.
-
@node Concept index
@unnumbered Concept Index
@printindex cp
projects / emacs.git / commitdiff