Top Related Projects
An Emacs framework for the stubborn martian hacker
A community-driven Emacs distribution - The best editor is neither Emacs nor Vim, it's Emacs *and* Vim!
An Emacs configuration bundle with batteries included
Prelude is an enhanced Emacs 25.1+ distribution that should make your experience with Emacs both more pleasant and more powerful.
An Emacs framework for the stubborn martian hacker
Quick Overview
Emacs is a highly customizable, extensible text editor and computing environment. It's known for its powerful features, including a built-in Lisp interpreter, which allows users to modify and extend its functionality. The emacs-mirror/emacs repository on GitHub is a mirror of the official GNU Emacs source code.
Pros
- Extremely customizable and extensible through Emacs Lisp
- Supports a wide range of programming languages and file formats
- Large and active community with numerous packages and extensions available
- Cross-platform compatibility (Windows, macOS, Linux)
Cons
- Steep learning curve for beginners
- Default key bindings can be unintuitive for users accustomed to other editors
- Can be resource-intensive, especially with many packages loaded
- Initial setup and configuration can be time-consuming
Code Examples
- Basic configuration in ~/.emacs or ~/.emacs.d/init.el:
;; Set up package.el to work with MELPA
(require 'package)
(add-to-list 'package-archives
'("melpa" . "https://melpa.org/packages/"))
(package-initialize)
;; Enable line numbers globally
(global-display-line-numbers-mode)
;; Set theme
(load-theme 'tango-dark t)
- Define a custom function:
(defun insert-current-date ()
"Insert the current date at point."
(interactive)
(insert (format-time-string "%Y-%m-%d")))
(global-set-key (kbd "C-c d") 'insert-current-date)
- Configure a major mode for Python development:
(use-package python-mode
:ensure t
:hook (python-mode . lsp-deferred)
:custom
(python-shell-interpreter "python3")
(dap-python-executable "python3")
(dap-python-debugger 'debugpy)
:config
(require 'dap-python))
Getting Started
- Install Emacs from your system's package manager or download from https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/
- Create a configuration file at ~/.emacs or ~/.emacs.d/init.el
- Add basic configuration:
;; Enable package management
(require 'package)
(add-to-list 'package-archives '("melpa" . "https://melpa.org/packages/") t)
(package-initialize)
;; Install use-package
(unless (package-installed-p 'use-package)
(package-refresh-contents)
(package-install 'use-package))
;; Configure use-package
(eval-when-compile
(require 'use-package))
(setq use-package-always-ensure t)
;; Add your custom configurations and package installations here
- Launch Emacs and start exploring its features and customization options
Competitor Comparisons
An Emacs framework for the stubborn martian hacker
Pros of Doomemacs
- Faster startup time and improved performance
- Pre-configured with popular packages and sensible defaults
- Extensive documentation and active community support
Cons of Doomemacs
- Less customizable than vanilla Emacs
- Potential compatibility issues with some Emacs packages
- Steeper learning curve for users new to Doom's conventions
Code Comparison
Emacs
(require 'package)
(add-to-list 'package-archives '("melpa" . "https://melpa.org/packages/") t)
(package-initialize)
(unless package-archive-contents
(package-refresh-contents))
Doomemacs
(doom! :input
:completion
:ui
:editor
:emacs)
The Emacs code snippet shows the basic setup for package management, while the Doomemacs code demonstrates its modular configuration approach using the doom! macro.
A community-driven Emacs distribution - The best editor is neither Emacs nor Vim, it's Emacs *and* Vim!
Pros of Spacemacs
- User-friendly configuration with a focus on ergonomics and mnemonics
- Extensive pre-configured layers for various programming languages and tools
- Active community and frequent updates
Cons of Spacemacs
- Slower startup time due to additional configurations and packages
- Potential conflicts between Spacemacs layers and custom configurations
- Steeper learning curve for users transitioning from vanilla Emacs
Code Comparison
Spacemacs configuration (.spacemacs):
(setq-default
dotspacemacs-configuration-layers
'(
(auto-completion :variables
auto-completion-enable-snippets-in-popup t)
(git :variables
git-magit-status-fullscreen t)
(markdown :variables markdown-live-preview-engine 'vmd)
))
Vanilla Emacs configuration (.emacs or init.el):
(require 'package)
(add-to-list 'package-archives '("melpa" . "https://melpa.org/packages/") t)
(package-initialize)
(use-package company
:ensure t
:config (global-company-mode))
(use-package magit
:ensure t
:bind ("C-x g" . magit-status))
An Emacs configuration bundle with batteries included
Pros of emacs.d
- Pre-configured setup with popular packages and sensible defaults
- Easier for beginners to get started with a fully-featured Emacs environment
- Regular updates and maintenance by an experienced Emacs user
Cons of emacs.d
- Less flexibility compared to building your own configuration from scratch
- May include unnecessary packages or settings for some users
- Potential conflicts with personal preferences or existing configurations
Code Comparison
emacs:
(defun emacs-version (&optional here)
"Return string describing the version of Emacs that is running.
If optional argument HERE is non-nil, insert string at point."
(interactive "P")
(let ((version-string
(format "GNU Emacs %s (build %s, %s)"
emacs-version
emacs-build-number
system-configuration)))
(if here
(insert version-string)
(if (called-interactively-p 'interactive)
(message "%s" version-string)
version-string))))
emacs.d:
(require-package 'diminish)
(require-package 'scratch)
(require-package 'command-log-mode)
(global-set-key (kbd "C-c e") 'eval-buffer)
(provide 'init-utils)
The emacs repository contains the core Emacs source code, while emacs.d is a pre-configured Emacs setup with additional packages and customizations.
Prelude is an enhanced Emacs 25.1+ distribution that should make your experience with Emacs both more pleasant and more powerful.
Pros of Prelude
- Easier setup for beginners with pre-configured settings and packages
- Curated selection of popular and useful packages included out-of-the-box
- Modular structure allows for easy customization and extension
Cons of Prelude
- Less flexible than vanilla Emacs for advanced users who prefer full control
- May include unnecessary packages or configurations for some users
- Potential conflicts with existing Emacs configurations or preferences
Code Comparison
Emacs (initialization):
(package-initialize)
(require 'package)
(add-to-list 'package-archives '("melpa" . "https://melpa.org/packages/") t)
(package-refresh-contents)
Prelude (initialization):
(require 'prelude-packages)
(prelude-require-packages '(some-package another-package))
(require 'prelude-custom)
(prelude-require-package 'zenburn-theme)
(load-theme 'zenburn t)
Emacs is the core editor, providing a highly customizable foundation for users to build upon. Prelude, on the other hand, is a distribution of Emacs that comes pre-configured with a selection of popular packages and settings, aiming to provide a more user-friendly experience out of the box. While Emacs offers maximum flexibility for advanced users, Prelude simplifies the initial setup process and includes a curated set of features that many users find helpful.
An Emacs framework for the stubborn martian hacker
Pros of Doomemacs
- Faster startup time and improved performance
- Pre-configured with popular packages and sensible defaults
- Extensive documentation and active community support
Cons of Doomemacs
- Less customizable than vanilla Emacs
- Potential compatibility issues with some Emacs packages
- Steeper learning curve for users new to Doom's conventions
Code Comparison
Emacs
(require 'package)
(add-to-list 'package-archives '("melpa" . "https://melpa.org/packages/") t)
(package-initialize)
(unless package-archive-contents
(package-refresh-contents))
Doomemacs
(doom! :input
:completion
:ui
:editor
:emacs)
The Emacs code snippet shows the basic setup for package management, while the Doomemacs code demonstrates its modular configuration approach using the doom! macro.
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Copyright (C) 2001-2024 Free Software Foundation, Inc. See the end of the file for license conditions.
This directory tree holds version 31.0.50 of GNU Emacs, the extensible, customizable, self-documenting real-time display editor.
The file INSTALL in this directory says how to build and install GNU Emacs on various systems, once you have unpacked or checked out the entire Emacs file tree.
See the file etc/NEWS for information on new features and other user-visible changes in recent versions of Emacs.
The file etc/PROBLEMS contains information on many common problems that occur in building, installing and running Emacs.
The file CONTRIBUTE contains information on contributing to Emacs as a developer.
You may encounter bugs in this release. If you do, please report them; your bug reports are valuable contributions to the FSF, since they allow us to notice and fix problems on machines we don't have, or in code we don't use often. Please send bug reports to the mailing list bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org. If possible, use M-x report-emacs-bug.
See the "Bugs" section of the Emacs manual for more information on how to report bugs. (The file 'BUGS' in this directory explains how you can find and read that section using the Info files that come with Emacs.) For a list of mailing lists related to Emacs, see https://savannah.gnu.org/mail/?group=emacs. For the complete list of GNU mailing lists, see https://lists.gnu.org/.
The 'etc' subdirectory contains several other files, named in capital letters, which you might consider looking at when installing GNU Emacs.
The file 'configure' is a shell script to acclimate Emacs to the oddities of your processor and operating system. It creates the file 'Makefile' (a script for the 'make' program), which automates the process of building and installing Emacs. See INSTALL for more detailed information.
The file 'configure.ac' is the input used by the autoconf program to construct the 'configure' script.
The shell script 'autogen.sh' generates 'configure' and other files by running Autoconf (which in turn uses GNU m4), and configures files in the .git subdirectory if you are using Git. If you want to use it, you will need to install recent versions of these build tools. This should be needed only if you edit files like 'configure.ac' that specify Emacs's autobuild procedure.
The file 'Makefile.in' is a template used by 'configure' to create 'Makefile'.
The file 'make-dist' is a shell script to build a distribution tar file from the current Emacs tree, containing only those files appropriate for distribution. If you make extensive changes to Emacs, this script will help you distribute your version to others.
There are several subdirectories:
'src' holds the C code for Emacs (the Emacs Lisp interpreter and its primitives, the redisplay code, and some basic editing functions). 'lisp' holds the Emacs Lisp code for Emacs (most everything else). 'leim' holds the original source files for the generated files in lisp/leim. These form the library of Emacs input methods, required to type international characters that can't be directly produced by your keyboard. 'lib' holds source code for libraries used by Emacs and its utilities 'lib-src' holds the source code for some utility programs for use by or with Emacs, like movemail and etags. 'lwlib' holds the sources of the Lucid Widget Library used on X. 'oldXMenu' source files from X11R2 XMenu library, used in non-toolkit builds. 'etc' holds miscellaneous architecture-independent data files Emacs uses, like the tutorial text and tool bar images. The contents of the 'lisp', 'leim', 'info', and 'doc' subdirectories are architecture-independent too. 'info' holds the Info documentation tree for Emacs. 'doc/emacs' holds the source code for the Emacs Manual. If you modify the manual sources, you will need the 'makeinfo' program to produce an updated manual. 'makeinfo' is part of the GNU Texinfo package; you need a suitably recent version of Texinfo. 'doc/lispref' holds the source code for the Emacs Lisp reference manual. 'doc/lispintro' holds the source code for the Introduction to Programming in Emacs Lisp manual. 'msdos' holds configuration files for compiling Emacs under MS-DOS. 'nextstep' holds instructions and some other files for compiling the Nextstep port of Emacs, for GNUstep and macOS Cocoa. 'nt' holds code and documentation for building Emacs on MS-Windows. 'test' holds tests for various aspects of Emacs's functionality. 'modules' holds the modhelp.py helper script. 'admin' holds files used by Emacs developers, and Unicode data files. 'build-aux' holds auxiliary files used during the build. 'm4' holds Autoconf macros used for generating the configure script. 'java' holds the Java code for the Emacs port to Android. 'cross' holds Makefiles and an additional copy of gnulib used to build Emacs for Android devices. 'exec' holds the source code to several helper executables used to run user-installed programs on Android.
Building Emacs on non-Posix platforms requires tools that aren't part of the standard distribution of the OS. The platform-specific README files and installation instructions should list the required tools.
NOTE ON COPYRIGHT YEARS
In copyright notices where the copyright holder is the Free Software Foundation, then where a range of years appears, this is an inclusive range that applies to every year in the range. For example: 2005-2008 represents the years 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008.
This file is part of GNU Emacs.
GNU Emacs is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
GNU Emacs is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.
You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with GNU Emacs. If not, see https://www.gnu.org/licenses/.
Top Related Projects
An Emacs framework for the stubborn martian hacker
A community-driven Emacs distribution - The best editor is neither Emacs nor Vim, it's Emacs *and* Vim!
An Emacs configuration bundle with batteries included
Prelude is an enhanced Emacs 25.1+ distribution that should make your experience with Emacs both more pleasant and more powerful.
An Emacs framework for the stubborn martian hacker
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Introducing Visual Copilot: A new AI model to turn Figma designs to high quality code using your components.
Try Visual Copilot