1 \input texinfo.tex @c -*- mode: texinfo; coding: iso-2022-8 -*-
3 @setfilename ../info/xemacs-faq.info
4 @settitle Frequently asked questions about XEmacs
10 @subtitle Frequently asked questions about XEmacs @* Last Modified: $Date: 2000/09/19 07:50:41 $
12 @author Tony Rossini <rossini@@biostat.washington.edu>
13 @author Ben Wing <ben@@xemacs.org>
14 @author Chuck Thompson <cthomp@@xemacs.org>
15 @author Steve Baur <steve@@xemacs.org>
16 @author Andreas Kaempf <andreas@@sccon.com>
17 @author Christian Nyb@o{} <chr@@mediascience.no>
18 @author Sandra Wambold <wambold@@xemacs.org>
23 @dircategory XEmacs Editor
25 * FAQ: (xemacs-faq). XEmacs FAQ.
29 @node Top, Introduction, (dir), (dir)
31 @unnumbered Introduction
33 This is the guide to the XEmacs Frequently Asked Questions list---a
34 compendium of questions and answers pertaining to one of the finest
35 programs ever written. XEmacs is much more than just a Text Editor.
37 This FAQ is freely redistributable. This FAQ is distributed in the hope
38 that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the
39 implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
41 If you have a Web browser, the official hypertext version is at
45 @uref{http://www.xemacs.org/faq/xemacs-faq.html}
49 This document is available in several different formats:
52 @uref{xemacs-faq.txt, As a single ASCII file}, produced by
53 @code{makeinfo --no-headers}
55 @uref{xemacs-faq.dvi, As a .dvi file}, as used with
56 @uref{http://www.tug.org, TeX.}
58 As a PostScript file @uref{xemacs-faq-a4.ps, in A4 format},
59 as well as in @uref{xemacs-faq-letter.ps, letter format}
61 In html format, @uref{xemacs-faq_1.html, split by chapter}, or in
62 @uref{xemacs-faq.html, one monolithic} document.
64 The canonical version of the FAQ is the texinfo document
65 @uref{xemacs-faq.texi, man/xemacs-faq.texi}.
67 If you do not have makeinfo installed, you may @uref{xemacs-faq.info,
68 download the faq} in info format, and install it in @file{<XEmacs
69 library directory>/info/}. For example in
70 @file{/usr/local/lib/xemacs-20.4/info/}.
78 @c end ifset points to CANONICAL
81 * Introduction:: Introduction, Policy, Credits.
82 * Installation:: Installation and Trouble Shooting.
83 * Customization:: Customization and Options.
84 * Subsystems:: Major Subsystems.
85 * Miscellaneous:: The Miscellaneous Stuff.
86 * MS Windows:: XEmacs on Microsoft Windows.
87 * Current Events:: What the Future Holds.
91 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
93 Introduction, Policy, Credits
95 * Q1.0.1:: What is XEmacs?
96 * Q1.0.2:: What is the current version of XEmacs?
97 * Q1.0.3:: Where can I find it?
98 * Q1.0.4:: Why Another Version of Emacs?
99 * Q1.0.5:: Why Haven't XEmacs and GNU Emacs Merged?
100 * Q1.0.6:: Where can I get help?
101 * Q1.0.7:: Where are the mailing lists archived?
102 * Q1.0.8:: How do you pronounce XEmacs?
103 * Q1.0.9:: What does XEmacs look like?
104 * Q1.0.10:: Is there a port of XEmacs to Microsoft ('95 or NT)?
105 * Q1.0.11:: Is there a port of XEmacs to the Macintosh?
106 * Q1.0.12:: Is there a port of XEmacs to NextStep?
107 * Q1.0.13:: Is there a port of XEmacs to OS/2?
108 * Q1.0.14:: Where can I get a printed copy of the XEmacs users manual?
111 * Q1.1.1:: What is the FAQ editorial policy?
112 * Q1.1.2:: How do I become a Beta Tester?
113 * Q1.1.3:: How do I contribute to XEmacs itself?
116 * Q1.2.1:: Who wrote XEmacs?
117 * Q1.2.2:: Who contributed to this version of the FAQ?
118 * Q1.2.3:: Who contributed to the FAQ in the past?
120 Internationalization:
121 * Q1.3.1:: What is the status of internationalization support aka MULE (including Asian language support?
122 * Q1.3.2:: How can I help with internationalization?
123 * Q1.3.3:: How do I type non-ASCII characters?
124 * Q1.3.4:: Can XEmacs messages come out in a different language?
125 * Q1.3.5:: Please explain the various input methods in MULE/XEmacs
126 * Q1.3.6:: How do I portably code for MULE/XEmacs?
127 * Q1.3.7:: How about Cyrillic Modes?
130 * Q1.4.1:: What is a @file{.emacs} and is there a sample one?
131 * Q1.4.2:: Can I use the same @file{.emacs} with the other Emacs?
132 * Q1.4.3:: Any good XEmacs tutorials around?
133 * Q1.4.4:: May I see an example of a useful XEmacs Lisp function?
134 * Q1.4.5:: And how do I bind it to a key?
135 * Q1.4.6:: What's the difference between a macro and a function?
137 Installation and Trouble Shooting
139 * Q2.0.1:: Running XEmacs without installing.
140 * Q2.0.2:: XEmacs is too big.
141 * Q2.0.3:: Compiling XEmacs with Netaudio.
142 * Q2.0.4:: Problems with Linux and ncurses.
143 * Q2.0.5:: Do I need X11 to run XEmacs?
144 * Q2.0.6:: I'm having strange crashes. What do I do?
145 * Q2.0.7:: Libraries in non-standard locations.
146 * Q2.0.8:: can't resolve symbol _h_errno
147 * Q2.0.9:: Where do I find external libraries?
148 * Q2.0.10:: After I run configure I find a coredump, is something wrong?
149 * Q2.0.11:: XEmacs can't resolve host names.
150 * Q2.0.12:: Why can't I strip XEmacs?
153 * Q2.1.1:: XEmacs just crashed on me!
154 * Q2.1.2:: Cryptic Minibuffer messages.
155 * Q2.1.3:: Translation Table Syntax messages at Startup.
156 * Q2.1.4:: Startup warnings about deducing proper fonts?
157 * Q2.1.5:: XEmacs cannot connect to my X Terminal.
158 * Q2.1.6:: XEmacs just locked up my Linux X server.
159 * Q2.1.7:: HP Alt key as Meta.
160 * Q2.1.8:: got (wrong-type-argument color-instance-p nil)!
161 * Q2.1.9:: XEmacs causes my OpenWindows 3.0 server to crash.
162 * Q2.1.10:: Warnings from incorrect key modifiers.
163 * Q2.1.11:: Can't instantiate image error... in toolbar
164 * Q2.1.12:: Regular Expression Problems on DEC OSF1.
165 * Q2.1.13:: HP/UX 10.10 and @code{create_process} failure
166 * Q2.1.14:: @kbd{C-g} doesn't work for me. Is it broken?
167 * Q2.1.15:: How to debug an XEmacs problem with a debugger.
168 * Q2.1.16:: XEmacs crashes in @code{strcat} on HP/UX 10.
169 * Q2.1.17:: @samp{Marker does not point anywhere}.
170 * Q2.1.18:: [This question intentionally left blank]
171 * Q2.1.19:: XEmacs does not follow the local timezone.
172 * Q2.1.20:: @samp{Symbol's function definition is void: hkey-help-show.}
173 * Q2.1.21:: [This question intentionally left blank]
174 * Q2.1.22:: XEmacs seems to take a really long time to do some things.
175 * Q2.1.23:: Movemail on Linux does not work for XEmacs 19.15 and later.
176 * Q2.1.24:: XEmacs won't start without network. (NEW)
178 Customization and Options
180 * Q3.0.1:: What version of Emacs am I running?
181 * Q3.0.2:: How do I evaluate Elisp expressions?
182 * Q3.0.3:: @code{(setq tab-width 6)} behaves oddly.
183 * Q3.0.4:: How can I add directories to the @code{load-path}?
184 * Q3.0.5:: How to check if a lisp function is defined?
185 * Q3.0.6:: Can I force the output of @code{(face-list)} to a buffer?
186 * Q3.0.7:: Font selections don't get saved after @code{Save Options}.
187 * Q3.0.8:: How do I make a single minibuffer frame?
188 * Q3.0.9:: What is @code{Customize}?
190 X Window System & Resources:
191 * Q3.1.1:: Where is a list of X resources?
192 * Q3.1.2:: How can I detect a color display?
193 * Q3.1.3:: [This question intentionally left blank]
194 * Q3.1.4:: [This question intentionally left blank]
195 * Q3.1.5:: How can I get the icon to just say @samp{XEmacs}?
196 * Q3.1.6:: How can I have the window title area display the full path?
197 * Q3.1.7:: @samp{xemacs -name junk} doesn't work?
198 * Q3.1.8:: @samp{-iconic} doesn't work.
200 Textual Fonts & Colors:
201 * Q3.2.1:: How can I set color options from @file{.emacs}?
202 * Q3.2.2:: How do I set the text, menu and modeline fonts?
203 * Q3.2.3:: How can I set the colors when highlighting a region?
204 * Q3.2.4:: How can I limit color map usage?
205 * Q3.2.5:: My tty supports color, but XEmacs doesn't use them.
206 * Q3.2.6:: Can I have pixmap backgrounds in XEmacs?
209 * Q3.3.1:: How can I make the modeline go away?
210 * Q3.3.2:: How do you have XEmacs display the line number in the modeline?
211 * Q3.3.3:: How do I get XEmacs to put the time of day on the modeline?
212 * Q3.3.4:: How do I turn off current chapter from AUC TeX modeline?
213 * Q3.3.5:: How can one change the modeline color based on the mode used?
215 Multiple Device Support:
216 * Q3.4.1:: How do I open a frame on another screen of my multi-headed display?
217 * Q3.4.2:: Can I really connect to a running XEmacs after calling up over a modem? How?
220 * Q3.5.1:: How can I bind complex functions (or macros) to keys?
221 * Q3.5.2:: How can I stop down-arrow from adding empty lines to the bottom of my buffers?
222 * Q3.5.3:: How do I bind C-. and C-; to scroll one line up and down?
223 * Q3.5.4:: Globally binding @kbd{Delete}?
224 * Q3.5.5:: Scrolling one line at a time.
225 * Q3.5.6:: How to map @kbd{Help} key alone on Sun type4 keyboard?
226 * Q3.5.7:: How can you type in special characters in XEmacs?
227 * Q3.5.8:: Why does @code{(global-set-key [delete-forward] 'delete-char)} complain?
228 * Q3.5.9:: How do I make the Delete key delete forward?
229 * Q3.5.10:: Can I turn on @dfn{sticky} modifier keys?
230 * Q3.5.11:: How do I map the arrow keys?
233 * Q3.6.1:: Is there a way to make the bar cursor thicker?
234 * Q3.6.2:: Is there a way to get back the old block cursor where the cursor covers the character in front of the point?
235 * Q3.6.3:: Can I make the cursor blink?
237 The Mouse and Highlighting:
238 * Q3.7.1:: How can I turn off Mouse pasting?
239 * Q3.7.2:: How do I set control/meta/etc modifiers on mouse buttons?
240 * Q3.7.3:: Clicking the left button does not do anything in buffer list.
241 * Q3.7.4:: How can I get a list of buffers when I hit mouse button 3?
242 * Q3.7.5:: Why does cut-and-paste not work between XEmacs and a cmdtool?
243 * Q3.7.6:: How I can set XEmacs up so that it pastes where the text cursor is?
244 * Q3.7.7:: How do I select a rectangular region?
245 * Q3.7.8:: Why does @kbd{M-w} take so long?
247 The Menubar and Toolbar:
248 * Q3.8.1:: How do I get rid of the menu (or menubar)?
249 * Q3.8.2:: Can I customize the basic menubar?
250 * Q3.8.3:: How do I control how many buffers are listed in the menu @code{Buffers} list?
251 * Q3.8.4:: Resources like @code{Emacs*menubar*font} are not working?
252 * Q3.8.5:: How can I bind a key to a function to toggle the toolbar?
255 * Q3.9.1:: How can I disable the scrollbar?
256 * Q3.9.2:: How can one use resources to change scrollbar colors?
257 * Q3.9.3:: Moving the scrollbar can move the point; can I disable this?
258 * Q3.9.4:: How can I get automatic horizontal scrolling?
261 * Q3.10.1:: How can I turn off or change highlighted selections?
262 * Q3.10.2:: How do I get that typing on an active region removes it?
263 * Q3.10.3:: Can I turn off the highlight during isearch?
264 * Q3.10.4:: How do I turn off highlighting after @kbd{C-x C-p} (mark-page)?
265 * Q3.10.5:: The region disappears when I hit the end of buffer while scrolling.
269 * Q4.0.1:: How do I set up VM to retrieve remote mail using POP?
270 * Q4.0.2:: How do I get VM to filter mail for me?
271 * Q4.0.3:: How can I get VM to automatically check for new mail?
272 * Q4.0.4:: [This question intentionally left blank]
273 * Q4.0.5:: How do I get my outgoing mail archived?
274 * Q4.0.6:: I have various addresses at which I receive mail. How can I tell VM to ignore them when doing a "reply-all"?
275 * Q4.0.7:: Is there a mailing list or FAQ for VM?
276 * Q4.0.8:: Remote mail reading with VM.
277 * Q4.0.9:: rmail or VM gets an error incorporating new mail.
278 * Q4.0.10:: How do I make VM stay in a single frame?
279 * Q4.0.11:: How do I make VM or mh-e display graphical smilies?
280 * Q4.0.12:: Customization of VM not covered in the manual or here.
282 Web browsing with W3:
283 * Q4.1.1:: What is W3?
284 * Q4.1.2:: How do I run W3 from behind a firewall?
285 * Q4.1.3:: Is it true that W3 supports style sheets and tables?
287 Reading Netnews and Mail with Gnus:
288 * Q4.2.1:: GNUS, (ding) Gnus, Gnus 5, September Gnus, Red Gnus, Quassia Gnus, argh!
289 * Q4.2.2:: [This question intentionally left blank]
290 * Q4.2.3:: How do I make Gnus stay within a single frame?
291 * Q4.2.4:: How do I customize the From: line?
294 * Q4.3.1:: How can I read and/or compose MIME messages?
295 * Q4.3.2:: What is TM and where do I get it?
296 * Q4.3.3:: Why isn't this @code{movemail} program working?
297 * Q4.3.4:: Movemail is also distributed by Netscape? Can that cause problems?
298 * Q4.3.5:: Where do I find pstogif (required by tm)?
300 Sparcworks, EOS, and WorkShop:
301 * Q4.4.1:: What is SPARCworks, EOS, and WorkShop
302 * Q4.4.2:: How do I start the Sun Workshop support in XEmacs 21?
305 * Q4.5.1:: What is/was Energize?
308 * Q4.6.1:: What is Infodock?
310 Other Unbundled Packages:
311 * Q4.7.1:: What is AUC TeX? Where do you get it?
312 * Q4.7.2:: Are there any Emacs Lisp Spreadsheets?
313 * Q4.7.3:: [This question intentionally left blank]
314 * Q4.7.4:: Problems installing AUC TeX
315 * Q4.7.5:: Is there a reason for an Emacs package not to be included in XEmacs?
316 * Q4.7.6:: Is there a MatLab mode?
318 The Miscellaneous Stuff
320 * Q5.0.1:: How can I do source code highlighting using font-lock?
321 * Q5.0.2:: I do not like cc-mode. How do I use the old c-mode?
322 * Q5.0.3:: How do I get @samp{More} Syntax Highlighting on by default?
323 * Q5.0.4:: How can I enable auto-indent?
324 * Q5.0.5:: How can I get XEmacs to come up in text/auto-fill mode by default?
325 * Q5.0.6:: How do I start up a second shell buffer?
326 * Q5.0.7:: Telnet from shell filters too much.
327 * Q5.0.8:: Why does edt emulation not work?
328 * Q5.0.9:: How can I emulate VI and use it as my default mode?
329 * Q5.0.10:: [This question intentionally left blank]
330 * Q5.0.11:: How do I turn on filladapt for all buffers?
331 * Q5.0.12:: How do I disable gnuserv from opening a new frame?
332 * Q5.0.13:: How do I start gnuserv so that each subsequent XEmacs is a client?
333 * Q5.0.14:: Strange things are happening in Shell Mode.
334 * Q5.0.15:: Where do I get the latest CC Mode?
335 * Q5.0.16:: I find auto-show-mode disconcerting. How do I turn it off?
336 * Q5.0.17:: How can I get two instances of info?
337 * Q5.0.18:: [This question intentionally left blank]
338 * Q5.0.19:: Is there something better than LaTeX mode?
339 * Q5.0.20:: Is there a way to start a new XEmacs if there's no gnuserv running, and otherwise use gnuclient?
341 Emacs Lisp Programming Techniques:
342 * Q5.1.1:: The difference in key sequences between XEmacs and GNU Emacs?
343 * Q5.1.2:: Can I generate "fake" keyboard events?
344 * Q5.1.3:: Could you explain @code{read-kbd-macro} in more detail?
345 * Q5.1.4:: What is the performance hit of @code{let}?
346 * Q5.1.5:: What is the recommended use of @code{setq}?
347 * Q5.1.6:: What is the typical misuse of @code{setq} ?
348 * Q5.1.7:: I like the @code{do} form of cl, does it slow things down?
349 * Q5.1.8:: I like recursion, does it slow things down?
350 * Q5.1.9:: How do I put a glyph as annotation in a buffer?
351 * Q5.1.10:: @code{map-extents} won't traverse all of my extents!
352 * Q5.1.11:: My elisp program is horribly slow. Is there an easy way to find out where it spends time?
355 * Q5.2.1:: How do I turn off the sound?
356 * Q5.2.2:: How do I get funky sounds instead of a boring beep?
357 * Q5.2.3:: What's NAS, how do I get it?
358 * Q5.2.4:: Sunsite sounds don't play.
361 * Q5.3.1:: How do you make XEmacs indent CL if-clauses correctly?
362 * Q5.3.2:: Fontifying hangs when editing a postscript file.
363 * Q5.3.3:: How can I print WYSIWYG a font-locked buffer?
364 * Q5.3.4:: Getting @kbd{M-x lpr} to work with postscript printer.
365 * Q5.3.5:: How do I specify the paths that XEmacs uses for finding files?
366 * Q5.3.6:: [This question intentionally left blank]
367 * Q5.3.7:: Can I have the end of the buffer delimited in some way?
368 * Q5.3.8:: How do I insert today's date into a buffer?
369 * Q5.3.9:: Are only certain syntactic character classes available for abbrevs?
370 * Q5.3.10:: How can I get those oh-so-neat X-Face lines?
371 * Q5.3.11:: How do I add new Info directories?
372 * Q5.3.12:: What do I need to change to make printing work?
377 * Q6.0.1:: What is the status of the XEmacs port to Windows?
378 * Q6.0.2:: What flavors of MS Windows are supported?
379 * Q6.0.3:: Are binary kits available?
380 * Q6.0.4:: Does XEmacs on MS Windows require an X server to run?
382 Building XEmacs on MS Windows:
383 * Q6.1.1:: I decided to run with X. Where do I get an X server?
384 * Q6.1.2:: What compiler do I need to compile XEmacs?
385 * Q6.1.3:: How do I compile for the native port?
386 * Q6.1.4:: How do I compile for the X port?
387 * Q6.1.5:: How do I compile for Cygnus' Cygwin?
388 * Q6.1.6:: What do I need for Cygwin?
390 Customization and User Interface:
391 * Q6.2.1:: How will the port cope with differences in the Windows user interface?
392 * Q6.2.2:: How do I change fonts in XEmacs on MS Windows?
393 * Q6.2.3:: Where do I put my @file{.emacs} file?
396 * Q6.3.1:: Will XEmacs rename all the win32-* symbols to w32-*?
397 * Q6.3.2:: What are the differences between the various MS Windows emacsen?
398 * Q6.3.3:: What is the porting team doing at the moment?
401 * Q6.4.1:: XEmacs won't start on Windows. (NEW)
405 * Q7.0.1:: What is new in 20.2?
406 * Q7.0.2:: What is new in 20.3?
407 * Q7.0.3:: What is new in 20.4?
408 * Q7.0.4:: Procedural changes in XEmacs development.
412 @node Introduction, Installation, Top, Top
413 @unnumbered 1 Introduction, Policy, Credits
415 Learning XEmacs is a lifelong activity. Even people who have used Emacs
416 for years keep discovering new features. Therefore this document cannot
417 be complete. Instead it is aimed at the person who is either
418 considering XEmacs for their own use, or has just obtained it and is
419 wondering what to do next. It is also useful as a reference to
422 The previous maintainer of the FAQ was @email{rossini@@biostat.washington.edu,
423 Anthony Rossini}, who started it, after getting tired of hearing JWZ
424 complain about repeatedly having to answer questions.
425 @email{ben@@xemacs.org, Ben Wing} and @email{cthomp@@xemacs.org, Chuck
426 Thompson}, the principal authors of XEmacs, then took over and Ben did
427 a massive update reorganizing the whole thing. At which point Anthony
428 took back over, but then had to give it up again. Some of the other
429 contributors to this FAQ are listed later in this document.
431 The previous version was converted to hypertext format, and edited by
432 @email{steve@@xemacs.org, Steven L. Baur}. It was converted back to
433 texinfo by @email{hniksic@@xemacs.org, Hrvoje Niksic}. The FAQ was then
434 maintained by @email{andreas@@sccon.com, Andreas Kaempf}, who passed it
435 on to ChristianNyb@o{}.
437 If you notice any errors or items which should be added or amended to
438 this FAQ please send email to @email{faq@@xemacs.org, Sandra
439 Wambold}. Include @samp{XEmacs FAQ} on the Subject: line.
443 * Q1.0.1:: What is XEmacs?
444 * Q1.0.2:: What is the current version of XEmacs?
445 * Q1.0.3:: Where can I find it?
446 * Q1.0.4:: Why Another Version of Emacs?
447 * Q1.0.5:: Why Haven't XEmacs and GNU Emacs Merged?
448 * Q1.0.6:: Where can I get help?
449 * Q1.0.7:: Where are the mailing lists archived?
450 * Q1.0.8:: How do you pronounce XEmacs?
451 * Q1.0.9:: What does XEmacs look like?
452 * Q1.0.10:: Is there a port of XEmacs to Microsoft ('95 or NT)?
453 * Q1.0.11:: Is there a port of XEmacs to the Macintosh?
454 * Q1.0.12:: Is there a port of XEmacs to NextStep?
455 * Q1.0.13:: Is there a port of XEmacs to OS/2?
456 * Q1.0.14:: Where can I get a printed copy of the XEmacs users manual?
459 * Q1.1.1:: What is the FAQ editorial policy?
460 * Q1.1.2:: How do I become a Beta Tester?
461 * Q1.1.3:: How do I contribute to XEmacs itself?
464 * Q1.2.1:: Who wrote XEmacs?
465 * Q1.2.2:: Who contributed to this version of the FAQ?
466 * Q1.2.3:: Who contributed to the FAQ in the past?
468 Internationalization:
469 * Q1.3.1:: What is the status of internationalization support aka MULE (including Asian language support?
470 * Q1.3.2:: How can I help with internationalization?
471 * Q1.3.3:: How do I type non-ASCII characters?
472 * Q1.3.4:: Can XEmacs messages come out in a different language?
473 * Q1.3.5:: Please explain the various input methods in MULE/XEmacs
474 * Q1.3.6:: How do I portably code for MULE/XEmacs?
475 * Q1.3.7:: How about Cyrillic Modes?
478 * Q1.4.1:: What is a @file{.emacs} and is there a sample one?
479 * Q1.4.2:: Can I use the same @file{.emacs} with the other Emacs?
480 * Q1.4.3:: Any good XEmacs tutorials around?
481 * Q1.4.4:: May I see an example of a useful XEmacs Lisp function?
482 * Q1.4.5:: And how do I bind it to a key?
483 * Q1.4.6:: What's the difference between a macro and a function?
486 @node Q1.0.1, Q1.0.2, Introduction, Introduction
487 @unnumberedsec 1.0: Introduction
488 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.0.1: What is XEmacs?
491 An alternative to GNU Emacs, originally based on an early alpha version
492 of FSF's version 19, and has diverged quite a bit since then. XEmacs
493 was known as Lucid Emacs through version 19.10. Almost all features of
494 GNU Emacs are supported in XEmacs. The maintainers of XEmacs actively
495 track changes to GNU Emacs while also working to add new features.
497 @node Q1.0.2, Q1.0.3, Q1.0.1, Introduction
498 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.0.2: What is the current version of XEmacs?
500 XEmacs versions 21.1.* are releases made from the current stable
501 sources. XEmacs versions 21.2.* are releases made from the development
502 sources. Check at @uref{http://www.xemacs.org} for the current minor
505 XEmacs 19.16 was the last release of v19, released in November, 1997,
506 which was also the last version without international language support.
508 @node Q1.0.3, Q1.0.4, Q1.0.2, Introduction
509 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.0.3: Where can I find it?
511 The canonical source and binaries can be found via anonymous FTP at:
514 @uref{ftp://ftp.xemacs.org/pub/xemacs/}
517 @node Q1.0.4, Q1.0.5, Q1.0.3, Introduction
518 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.0.4: Why Another Version of Emacs?
520 For a detailed description of the differences between GNU Emacs and
521 XEmacs and a detailed history of XEmacs, check out the
523 @uref{http://www.xemacs.org/About/XEmacsVsGNUemacs.html, NEWS file}
526 However, here is a list of some of the reasons why we think you might
534 The XEmacs maintainers are generally more receptive to suggestions than
535 the GNU Emacs maintainers.
538 Many more bundled packages than GNU Emacs
541 Binaries are available for many common operating systems.
544 Face support on TTY's.
550 Better Motif compliance.
553 Some internationalization support (including full MULE support, if
557 Variable-width fonts.
560 Variable-height lines.
563 Marginal annotations.
569 XEmacs can be used as an Xt widget, and can be embedded within another
573 Horizontal and vertical scrollbars (using real toolkit scrollbars).
576 Better APIs (and performance) for attaching fonts, colors, and other
580 The ability to embed arbitrary graphics in a buffer.
583 Completely compatible (at the C level) with the Xt-based toolkits.
586 First production Web Browser supporting Style Sheets.
589 @node Q1.0.5, Q1.0.6, Q1.0.4, Introduction
590 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.0.5: Why Haven't XEmacs and GNU Emacs Merged?
592 There are currently irreconcilable differences in the views about
593 technical, programming, design and organizational matters between RMS
594 and the XEmacs development team which provide little hope for a merge to
595 take place in the short-term future.
597 If you have a comment to add regarding the merge, it is a good idea to
598 avoid posting to the newsgroups, because of the very heated flamewars
599 that often result. Mail your questions to @email{xemacs-beta@@xemacs.org} and
600 @email{bug-gnu-emacs@@prep.ai.mit.edu}.
602 @node Q1.0.6, Q1.0.7, Q1.0.5, Introduction
603 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.0.6: Where can I get help?
605 Probably the easiest way, if everything is installed, is to use Info, by
606 pressing @kbd{C-h i}, or selecting @code{Manuals->Info} from the
607 Help Menu. @kbd{M-x apropos} can be used to look for particular commands.
609 For items not found in the manual, try reading this FAQ
610 @comment , examining the regular GNU Emacs FAQ (which can be
611 @comment found with the Emacs 19 distribution) as well as at
612 @comment @uref{http://www.eecs.nwu.edu/emacs/faq/}
613 and reading the Usenet group comp.emacs.xemacs.
615 If you choose to post to a newsgroup, @strong{please use
616 comp.emacs.xemacs}. Please do not post XEmacs related questions to
619 If you cannot post or read Usenet news, there is a corresponding mailing
620 list which is available. It can be subscribed to by sending a message
621 to @email{xemacs-request@@xemacs.org} with @samp{subscribe} in the
622 body of the message. Send to the list at @email{xemacs@@xemacs.org}.
623 list. To cancel a subscription, you @strong{must} use the
624 xemacs-request address. Send a message with a subject of
625 @samp{unsubscribe} to be removed.
627 @node Q1.0.7, Q1.0.8, Q1.0.6, Introduction
628 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.0.7: Where are the mailing lists archived?
630 The archives can be found at @uref{http://www.xemacs.org/Lists/Archive}
632 @node Q1.0.8, Q1.0.9, Q1.0.7, Introduction
633 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.0.8: How do you pronounce XEmacs?
635 The most common pronounciation is @samp{Eks eemax}.
637 @node Q1.0.9, Q1.0.10, Q1.0.8, Introduction
638 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.0.9: What does XEmacs look like?
640 Screen snapshots are available in the WWW version of the FAQ.
642 @uref{http://www.xemacs.org/faq/xemacs-faq.html}
645 @node Q1.0.10, Q1.0.11, Q1.0.9, Introduction
646 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.0.10: Is there a port of XEmacs to Microsoft ('95 or NT)?
648 Yes, @xref{MS Windows}.
650 @comment Thanks to efforts of many people, coordinated by
651 @comment @email{davidh@@wr.com.au, David Hobley} and @email{marcpa@@cam.org, Marc
652 @comment Paquette}, beta versions of XEmacs now run on 32-bit Windows platforms
653 @comment (NT and 95). The current betas require having an X server to run
654 @comment XEmacs; however, a native NT/95 port is in alpha, thanks to
655 @comment @email{jhar@@tardis.ed.ac.uk, Jonathan Harris}.
657 @comment Although some features are still unimplemented, XEmacs 21.0 will support
660 @comment The NT development is now coordinated by a mailing list at
661 @comment @email{xemacs-nt@@xemacs.org}.
663 @comment If you are willing to contribute or want to follow the progress, mail to
667 @comment @email{xemacs-nt-request@@xemacs.org} to subscribe.
669 @comment Furthermore, Altrasoft is seeking corporate and government sponsors to
670 @comment help fund a fully native port of XEmacs to Windows 95 and NT using
671 @comment full-time, senior-level staff working under a professionally managed
672 @comment project structure. See @uref{http://www.altrasoft.com/, the Altrasoft
673 @comment web site} for more details
674 @comment or contact Altrasoft directly at 1-888-ALTSOFT.
677 @comment The closest existing port is @dfn{Win-Emacs}, which is based on Lucid
678 @comment Emacs 19.6. Available from @uref{http://www.pearlsoft.com/}.
680 @comment There's a port of GNU Emacs (not XEmacs) at
682 @comment @uref{http://www.cs.washington.edu/homes/voelker/ntemacs.html}.
683 @comment @end example
685 @node Q1.0.11, Q1.0.12, Q1.0.10, Introduction
686 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.0.11: Is there a port of XEmacs to the Macintosh?
689 @c There has been a port to the MachTen environment of XEmacs 19.13, but no
690 @c patches have been submitted to the maintainers to get this in the
691 @c mainstream distribution.
693 @c For the MacOS, there is a port of
694 @c @uref{ftp://ftp.cs.cornell.edu/pub/parmet/, Emacs 18.59}.
696 Yes, there is a port of XEmacs 19.14, tested on MacOS 7.6.1 and MacOS
697 8.5.1 by @email{pjarvis@@ispchannel.com, Pitts Jarvis}. It's available
698 at @uref{http://my.ispchannel.com/~pjarvis/xemacs.html}.
700 @node Q1.0.12, Q1.0.13, Q1.0.11, Introduction
701 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.0.12: Is there a port of XEmacs to NextStep?
703 Carl Edman, apparently no longer at @email{cedman@@princeton.edu}, did
704 the port of GNU Emacs to NeXTstep and expressed interest in doing the
705 XEmacs port, but never went any farther.
707 @node Q1.0.13, Q1.0.14, Q1.0.12, Introduction
708 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.0.13: Is there a port of XEmacs to OS/2?
710 No, but Alexander Nikolaev <avn_1251@@mail.ru> is working on it.
712 @node Q1.0.14, Q1.1.1, Q1.0.13, Introduction
713 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.0.14: Where can I obtain a printed copy of the XEmacs users manual?
715 Pre-printed manuals are not available. If you are familiar with
716 TeX, you can generate your own manual from the XEmacs sources.
718 HTML and Postscript versions of XEmacs manuals may be available from the
719 XEmacs web site in the future. Send requests to @email{faq@@xemacs.org}.
721 @node Q1.1.1, Q1.1.2, Q1.0.14, Introduction
722 @unnumberedsec 1.1: Policies
723 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.1.1: What is the FAQ editorial policy?
725 The FAQ is actively maintained and modified regularly. All links should
726 be up to date. Unfortunately, some of the information is out of date --
727 a situation which the FAQ maintainer is working on. All submissions are
728 welcome, please e-mail submissions to @email{faq@@xemacs.org, XEmacs FAQ
731 Please make sure that @samp{XEmacs FAQ} appears on the Subject: line.
732 If you think you have a better way of answering a question, or think a
733 question should be included, we'd like to hear about it. Questions and
734 answers included into the FAQ will be edited for spelling and grammar
735 and will be attributed. Answers appearing without attribution are
736 either from versions of the FAQ dated before May 1996 or are from
737 previous FAQ maintainers. Answers quoted from Usenet news articles will
738 always be attributed, regardless of the author.
740 @node Q1.1.2, Q1.1.3, Q1.1.1, Introduction
741 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.1.2: How do I become a Beta Tester?
743 Send an email message to @email{xemacs-beta-request@@xemacs.org} with
744 the line @samp{subscribe} in the body of the message.
746 Be prepared to get your hands dirty, as beta testers are expected to
747 identify problems as best they can.
749 @node Q1.1.3, Q1.2.1, Q1.1.2, Introduction
750 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.1.3: How do I contribute to XEmacs itself?
752 Ben Wing @email{ben@@xemacs.org} writes:
755 BTW if you have a wish list of things that you want added, you have to
756 speak up about it! More specifically, you can do the following if you
757 want a feature added (in increasing order of usefulness):
761 Make a posting about a feature you want added.
764 Become a beta tester and make more postings about those same features.
767 Convince us that you're going to use the features in some cool and
771 Come up with a clear and well-thought-out API concerning the features.
774 Write the code to implement a feature and send us a patch.
777 (not that we're necessarily requiring you to write the code, but we can
781 @node Q1.2.1, Q1.2.2, Q1.1.3, Introduction
782 @unnumberedsec 1.2: Credits
783 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.2.1: Who wrote XEmacs?
785 XEmacs is the result of the time and effort of many people. The
786 developers responsible for the 19.16/20.x releases are:
789 @item @email{martin@@xemacs.org, Martin Buchholz}
791 <br><img src="mrb.jpeg" alt="Portrait of Martin Buchholz"><br>
795 @item @email{steve@@xemacs.org, Steve Baur}
798 <br><img src="steve.gif" alt="Portrait of Steve Baur"><br>
802 @item @email{hniksic@@xemacs.org, Hrvoje Niksic}
805 <br><img src="hniksic.jpeg" alt="Portrait of Hrvoje Niksic"><br>
810 The developers responsible for the 19.14 release are:
813 @item @email{cthomp@@xemacs.org, Chuck Thompson}
815 <br><img src="cthomp.jpeg" alt="Portrait of Chuck Thompson"><br>
818 Chuck was Mr. XEmacs from 19.11 through 19.14, and is responsible
819 for XEmacs becoming a widely distributed program over the Internet.
821 @item @email{ben@@xemacs.org, Ben Wing}
823 <br><img src="wing.gif" alt="Portrait of Ben Wing"><br>
830 @item @email{jwz@@jwz.org, Jamie Zawinski}
832 <br><img src="jwz.gif" alt="Portrait of Jamie Zawinski"><br>
835 Jamie Zawinski was Mr. Lucid Emacs from 19.0 through 19.10, the last
836 release actually named Lucid Emacs. Richard Mlynarik was crucial to
837 most of those releases.
839 @item @email{mly@@adoc.xerox.com, Richard Mlynarik}
842 Along with many other contributors, partially enumerated in the
843 @samp{About XEmacs} option in the Help menu.
845 @node Q1.2.2, Q1.2.3, Q1.2.1, Introduction
846 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.2.2: Who contributed to this version of the FAQ?
848 The following people contributed valuable suggestions to building this
849 version of the FAQ (listed in alphabetical order):
852 @item @email{steve@@xemacs.org, SL Baur}
854 @item @email{hniksic@@xemacs.org, Hrvoje Niksic}
856 @item @email{Aki.Vehtari@@hut.fi, Aki Vehtari}
860 @node Q1.2.3, Q1.3.1, Q1.2.2, Introduction
861 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.2.3: Who contributed to the FAQ in the past?
863 This is only a partial list, as many names were lost in a hard disk
867 @item @email{binge@@aloft.att.com, Curtis.N.Bingham}
869 @item @email{bruncott@@dormeur.inria.fr, Georges Brun-Cottan}
871 @item @email{rjc@@cogsci.ed.ac.uk, Richard Caley}
873 @item @email{cognot@@ensg.u-nancy.fr, Richard Cognot}
875 @item @email{daku@@nortel.ca, Mark Daku}
877 @item @email{wgd@@martigny.ai.mit.edu, William G. Dubuque}
879 @item @email{eeide@@cs.utah.edu, Eric Eide}
881 @item @email{af@@biomath.jussieu.fr, Alain Fauconnet}
883 @item @email{cflatter@@nrao.edu, Chris Flatters}
885 @item @email{ginsparg@@adra.com, Evelyn Ginsparg}
887 @item @email{hall@@aplcenmp.apl.jhu.edu, Marty Hall}
889 @item @email{dkindred@@cmu.edu, Darrell Kindred}
891 @item @email{dmoore@@ucsd.edu, David Moore}
893 @item @email{arup+@@cmu.edu, Arup Mukherjee}
895 @item @email{nickel@@prz.tu-berlin.de, Juergen Nickelsen}
897 @item @email{powell@@csl.ncsa.uiuc.edu, Kevin R. Powell}
899 @item @email{dworkin@@ccs.neu.edu, Justin Sheehy}
901 @item @email{stig@@hackvan.com, Stig}
903 @item @email{Aki.Vehtari@@hut.fi, Aki Vehtari}
906 @node Q1.3.1, Q1.3.2, Q1.2.3, Introduction
907 @unnumberedsec 1.3: Internationalization
908 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.3.1: What is the status of internationalization support aka MULE (including Asian language support?
910 Both the stable and development versions of XEmacs include
911 internationalization support (aka MULE). MULE currently works on UNIX
912 and Linux systems; work for supporting MULE on Windows operating systems
913 is in progress. Binaries compiled without MULE support run faster than
914 MULE capable XEmacsen.
916 @node Q1.3.2, Q1.3.3, Q1.3.1, Introduction
917 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.3.2: How can I help with internationalization?
919 If you would like to help, you may want to join the
920 @email{xemacs-mule@@xemacs.org} mailing list. Especially needed are
921 people who speak/write languages other than English, who are willing to
922 use XEmacs/MULE regularly, and have some experience with Elisp.
926 @node Q1.3.3, Q1.3.4, Q1.3.2, Introduction
927 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.3.3: How do I type non-ASCII characters?
929 See question 3.5.7 (@pxref{Q3.5.7}) in part 3 of this FAQ.
931 @node Q1.3.4, Q1.3.5, Q1.3.3, Introduction
932 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.3.4: Can XEmacs messages come out in a different language?
934 The message-catalog support has mostly been written but doesn't
935 currently work. The first release of XEmacs 20 will @emph{not} support
936 it. However, menubar localization @emph{does} work. To
937 enable it, add to your @file{Emacs} file entries like this:
940 Emacs*XlwMenu.resourceLabels: True
941 Emacs*XlwMenu.file.labelString: Fichier
942 Emacs*XlwMenu.openInOtherWindow.labelString: In anderem Fenster oeffnen
945 The name of the resource is derived from the non-localized entry by
946 removing punctuation and capitalizing as above.
948 @node Q1.3.5, Q1.3.6, Q1.3.4, Introduction
949 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.3.5: Please explain the various input methods in MULE/XEmacs
951 @email{morioka@@jaist.ac.jp, MORIOKA Tomohiko} writes:
954 Original Mule supports the following input methods: Wnn4, Wnn6, Canna, SJ3
955 and XIM. Interfaces for Wnn and SJ3 uses the @code{egg} user
956 interface. Interface for Canna does not use @samp{egg}. I don't know
957 about XIM. It is to support ATOK, of course, it may work for another
960 Wnn supports Japanese, Chinese and Korean. It is made by OMRON and Kyôto
961 university. It is a powerful and complex system. Wnn4 is free and Wnn6
964 Canna supports only Japanese. It is made by NEC. It is a simple and
965 powerful system. Canna uses only grammar (Wnn uses grammar and
966 probability between words), so I think Wnn is cleverer than Canna,
967 however Canna users made a good grammar and dictionary. So for standard
968 modern Japanese, Canna seems cleverer than Wnn4. In addition, the UNIX
969 version of Canna is free (now there is a Microsoft Windows version).
971 SJ3 supports only Japanese. It is made by Sony. XIM supports was made
972 to use ATOK (a major input method in personal computer world). XIM is
973 the standard for accessing input methods bundled in Japanese versions of
974 Solaris. (XEmacs 20 will support XIM input).
976 Egg consists of following parts:
980 Input character Translation System (ITS) layer.
981 It translates ASCII inputs to Kana/PinYin/Hangul characters.
984 Kana/PinYin/Hangul to Kanji transfer layer.
985 It is interface layer for network Kana-Kanji server (Wnn and Sj3).
988 These input methods are modal, namely there are mode, alphabet mode and
989 Kana-Kanji transfer mode. However there are mode-less input methods for
990 Egg and Canna. @samp{Boiled-egg} is a mode-less input method running on
991 Egg. For Canna, @samp{canna.el} has a tiny boiled-egg like command,
992 @code{(canna-boil)}, and there are some boiled-egg like utilities. In
993 addition, it was planned to make an abstraction for all transfer type
994 input methods. However authors of input methods are busy, so maybe this
995 plan is stopped. Perhaps after Mule merged GNU Emacs will be released,
996 it will be continued.
999 @node Q1.3.6, Q1.3.7, Q1.3.5, Introduction
1000 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.3.6: How do I portably code for MULE/XEmacs?
1002 @email{morioka@@jaist.ac.jp, MORIOKA Tomohiko} writes:
1005 MULE and XEmacs are quite different. So the application
1006 implementor must write separate code for these mule variants.
1008 MULE and the next version of Emacs are similar but the symbols are very
1009 different---requiring separate code as well.
1011 Namely we must support 3 kinds of mule variants and 4 or 5 or 6 kinds of
1012 emacs variants... (;_;) I'm shocked, so I wrote a wrapper package called
1013 @code{emu} to provide a common interface.
1015 I have the following suggestions about dealing with mule variants:
1019 @code{(featurep 'mule)} @code{t} on all mule variants
1022 @code{(boundp 'MULE)} is @code{t} on only MULE. Maybe the next version
1023 of Emacs will not have this symbol.
1026 MULE has a variable @code{mule-version}. Perhaps the next version of
1027 Emacs will have this variable as well.
1030 Following is a sample to distinguish mule variants:
1033 (if (featurep 'mule)
1034 (cond ((boundp 'MULE)
1035 ;; for original Mule
1037 ((string-match "XEmacs" emacs-version)
1038 ;; for XEmacs with Mule
1041 ;; for next version of Emacs
1043 ;; for old emacs variants
1048 @node Q1.3.7, Q1.4.1, Q1.3.6, Introduction
1049 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.3.7: How about Cyrillic Modes?
1051 @email{ilya@@math.ohio-state.edu, Ilya Zakharevich} writes:
1054 There is a cyrillic mode in the file @file{mysetup.zip} in
1058 @uref{ftp://ftp.math.ohio-state.edu/pub/users/ilya/emacs/}. This is a
1059 modification to @email{ava@@math.jhu.ed, Valery Alexeev's} @file{russian.el}
1060 which can be obtained from
1063 @uref{http://ftpsearch.ntnu.no/?query=russian.el.Z}.
1066 @email{d.barsky@@ee.surrey.ac.uk, Dima Barsky} writes:
1069 There is another cyrillic mode for both GNU Emacs and XEmacs by
1070 @email{manin@@camelot.mssm.edu, Dmitrii
1075 @uref{http://kulichki-lat.rambler.ru/centrolit/manin/cyr.el}.
1076 @c Link above, <URL:http://camelot.mssm.edu/~manin/cyr.el> was dead.
1077 @c Changed to russian host instead
1080 @email{rebecca.ore@@op.net, Rebecca Ore} writes:
1083 The fullest resource I found on Russian language use (in and out of
1084 XEmacs) is @uref{http://sunsite.oit.unc.edu/sergei/Software/Software.html}
1087 @node Q1.4.1, Q1.4.2, Q1.3.7, Introduction
1088 @unnumberedsec 1.4: Getting Started, Backing up & Recovery
1089 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.4.1: What is a @file{.emacs} and is there a sample one?
1091 The @file{.emacs} file is used to customize XEmacs to your tastes. No
1092 two are alike, nor are they expected to be alike, but that's the point.
1093 The XEmacs distribution contains an excellent starter example in the etc
1094 directory called @file{sample.emacs}. Copy this file from there to your
1095 home directory and rename it @file{.emacs}. Then edit it to suit.
1097 Starting with 19.14, you may bring the @file{sample.emacs} into an
1098 XEmacs buffer by selecting @samp{Help->Sample .emacs} from the menubar.
1099 To determine the location of the @file{etc} directory type the command
1100 @kbd{C-h v data-directory @key{RET}}.
1102 @node Q1.4.2, Q1.4.3, Q1.4.1, Introduction
1103 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.4.2: Can I use the same @file{.emacs} with the other Emacs?
1105 Yes. The sample @file{.emacs} included in the XEmacs distribution will
1106 show you how to handle different versions and flavors of Emacs.
1108 @node Q1.4.3, Q1.4.4, Q1.4.2, Introduction
1109 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.4.3: Any good tutorials around?
1111 There's the XEmacs tutorial available from the Help Menu under
1112 @samp{Basics->Tutorials}, or by typing @kbd{C-h t}. To check whether
1113 it's available in a non-english language, type @kbd{C-u C-h t TAB}, type
1114 the first letters of your preferred language, then type @key{RET}.
1116 @comment There's an Emacs Lisp tutorial at
1119 @comment @uref{ftp://prep.ai.mit.edu/pub/gnu/emacs-lisp-intro-1.04.tar.gz}.
1120 @comment @end example
1122 @comment @email{erik@@petaxp.rug.ac.be, Erik Sundermann} has made a tutorial web
1127 @comment @uref{http://petaxp.rug.ac.be/~erik/xemacs/}.
1129 @node Q1.4.4, Q1.4.5, Q1.4.3, Introduction
1130 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.4.4: May I see an example of a useful XEmacs Lisp function?
1132 The following function does a little bit of everything useful. It does
1133 something with the prefix argument, it examines the text around the
1134 cursor, and it's interactive so it may be bound to a key. It inserts
1135 copies of the current word the cursor is sitting on at the cursor. If
1136 you give it a prefix argument: @kbd{C-u 3 M-x double-word} then it will
1140 (defun double-word (count)
1141 "Insert a copy of the current word underneath the cursor"
1143 (let (here there string)
1148 (setq there (point))
1149 (setq string (buffer-substring here there)))
1155 The best way to see what is going on here is to let XEmacs tell you.
1156 Put the code into an XEmacs buffer, and do a @kbd{C-h f} with the cursor
1157 sitting just to the right of the function you want explained. Eg. move
1158 the cursor to the SPACE between @code{interactive} and @samp{"*p"} and
1159 hit @kbd{C-h f} to see what the function @code{interactive} does. Doing
1160 this will tell you that the @code{*} requires a writable buffer, and
1161 @code{p} converts the prefix argument to a number, and
1162 @code{interactive} allows you to execute the command with @kbd{M-x}.
1164 @node Q1.4.5, Q1.4.6, Q1.4.4, Introduction
1165 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.4.5: And how do I bind it to a key?
1167 To bind to a key do:
1170 (global-set-key "\C-cd" 'double-word)
1173 Or interactively, @kbd{M-x global-set-key} and follow the prompts.
1175 @node Q1.4.6, , Q1.4.5, Introduction
1176 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.4.6: What's the difference between a macro and a function?
1178 Quoting from the Lisp Reference (a.k.a @dfn{Lispref}) Manual:
1180 @dfn{Macros} enable you to define new control constructs and other
1181 language features. A macro is defined much like a function, but instead
1182 of telling how to compute a value, it tells how to compute another Lisp
1183 expression which will in turn compute the value. We call this
1184 expression the @dfn{expansion} of the macro.
1186 Macros can do this because they operate on the unevaluated expressions
1187 for the arguments, not on the argument values as functions do. They can
1188 therefore construct an expansion containing these argument expressions
1191 Do not confuse the two terms with @dfn{keyboard macros}, which are
1192 another matter, entirely. A keyboard macro is a key bound to several
1193 other keys. Refer to manual for details.
1195 @node Installation, Customization, Introduction, Top
1196 @unnumbered 2 Installation and Trouble Shooting
1198 This is part 2 of the XEmacs Frequently Asked Questions list. This
1199 section is devoted to Installation, Maintenance and Trouble Shooting.
1203 * Q2.0.1:: Running XEmacs without installing.
1204 * Q2.0.2:: XEmacs is too big.
1205 * Q2.0.3:: Compiling XEmacs with Netaudio.
1206 * Q2.0.4:: Problems with Linux and ncurses.
1207 * Q2.0.5:: Do I need X11 to run XEmacs?
1208 * Q2.0.6:: I'm having strange crashes. What do I do?
1209 * Q2.0.7:: Libraries in non-standard locations.
1210 * Q2.0.8:: can't resolve symbol _h_errno
1211 * Q2.0.9:: Where do I find external libraries?
1212 * Q2.0.10:: After I run configure I find a coredump, is something wrong?
1213 * Q2.0.11:: XEmacs can't resolve host names.
1214 * Q2.0.12:: Why can't I strip XEmacs?
1217 * Q2.1.1:: XEmacs just crashed on me!
1218 * Q2.1.2:: Cryptic Minibuffer messages.
1219 * Q2.1.3:: Translation Table Syntax messages at Startup.
1220 * Q2.1.4:: Startup warnings about deducing proper fonts?
1221 * Q2.1.5:: XEmacs cannot connect to my X Terminal.
1222 * Q2.1.6:: XEmacs just locked up my Linux X server.
1223 * Q2.1.7:: HP Alt key as Meta.
1224 * Q2.1.8:: got (wrong-type-argument color-instance-p nil)!
1225 * Q2.1.9:: XEmacs causes my OpenWindows 3.0 server to crash.
1226 * Q2.1.10:: Warnings from incorrect key modifiers.
1227 * Q2.1.11:: Can't instantiate image error... in toolbar
1228 * Q2.1.12:: Regular Expression Problems on DEC OSF1.
1229 * Q2.1.13:: HP/UX 10.10 and @code{create_process} failure
1230 * Q2.1.14:: @kbd{C-g} doesn't work for me. Is it broken?
1231 * Q2.1.15:: How to debug an XEmacs problem with a debugger.
1232 * Q2.1.16:: XEmacs crashes in @code{strcat} on HP/UX 10.
1233 * Q2.1.17:: @samp{Marker does not point anywhere}.
1234 * Q2.1.18:: [This question intentionally left blank]
1235 * Q2.1.19:: XEmacs does not follow the local timezone.
1236 * Q2.1.20:: @samp{Symbol's function definition is void: hkey-help-show.}
1237 * Q2.1.21:: [This question intentionally left blank]
1238 * Q2.1.22:: XEmacs seems to take a really long time to do some things.
1239 * Q2.1.23:: Movemail on Linux does not work for XEmacs 19.15 and later.
1240 * Q2.1.24:: XEmacs won't start without network. (NEW)
1243 @node Q2.0.1, Q2.0.2, Installation, Installation
1244 @unnumberedsec 2.0: Installation
1245 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.0.1: Running XEmacs without installing
1247 How can I just try XEmacs without installing it?
1249 XEmacs will run in place without requiring installation and copying of
1250 the Lisp directories, and without having to specify a special build-time
1251 flag. It's the copying of the Lisp directories that requires so much
1252 space. XEmacs is largely written in Lisp.
1254 A good method is to make a shell alias for xemacs:
1257 alias xemacs=/i/xemacs-20.2/src/xemacs
1260 (You will obviously use whatever directory you downloaded the source
1261 tree to instead of @file{/i/xemacs-20.2}).
1263 This will let you run XEmacs without massive copying.
1265 @node Q2.0.2, Q2.0.3, Q2.0.1, Installation
1266 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.0.2: XEmacs is too big
1268 The space required by the installation directories can be
1269 reduced dramatically if desired. Gzip all the .el files. Remove all
1270 the packages you'll never want to use. Remove the TexInfo manuals.
1271 Remove the Info (and use just hardcopy versions of the manual). Remove
1272 most of the stuff in etc. Remove or gzip all the source code. Gzip or
1273 remove the C source code. Configure it so that copies are not made of
1276 These are all Emacs Lisp source code and bytecompiled object code. You
1277 may safely gzip everything named *.el here. You may remove any package
1278 you don't use. @emph{Nothing bad will happen if you delete a package
1279 that you do not use}. You must be sure you do not use it though, so be
1280 conservative at first.
1282 Possible candidates for deletion include w3, games, hyperbole, mh-e,
1283 hm-html-menus, vm, viper, oobr, gnus, etc. Ask yourself, @emph{Do I
1284 ever want to use this package?} If the answer is no, then it is a
1285 candidate for removal.
1287 First, gzip all the .el files. Then go about package by package and
1288 start gzipping the .elc files. Then run XEmacs and do whatever it is
1289 you normally do. If nothing bad happens, then delete the directory. Be
1290 conservative about deleting directories, and it would be handy to have a
1291 backup around in case you get too zealous.
1293 @file{prim}, @file{modes}, @file{packages}, and @file{utils} are four
1294 directories you definitely do @strong{not} want to delete, although
1295 certain packages can be removed from them if you do not use them.
1297 Online texinfo sources in the @file{info} can either be compressed them
1298 or remove them. In either case, @kbd{C-h i} (info mode) will no longer
1301 @node Q2.0.3, Q2.0.4, Q2.0.2, Installation
1302 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.0.3: Compiling XEmacs with Netaudio.
1304 What is the best way to compile XEmacs with the netaudio system, since I
1305 have got the netaudio system compiled but installed at a weird place, I
1306 am not root. Also in the READMEs it does not say anything about
1307 compiling with the audioserver?
1309 You should only need to add some stuff to the configure command line.
1310 To tell it to compile in netaudio support: @samp{--with-sound=both}, or
1311 @samp{--with-sound=nas} if you don't want native sound support for some
1312 reason.) To tell it where to find the netaudio includes and libraries:
1315 --site-libraries=WHATEVER
1316 --site-includes=WHATEVER
1319 Then (fingers crossed) it should compile and it will use netaudio if you
1320 have a server running corresponding to the X server. The netaudio server
1321 has to be there when XEmacs starts. If the netaudio server goes away and
1322 another is run, XEmacs should cope (fingers crossed, error handling in
1323 netaudio isn't perfect).
1325 BTW, netaudio has been renamed as it has a name clash with something
1326 else, so if you see references to NAS or Network Audio System, it's the
1327 same thing. It also might be found at
1328 @uref{ftp://ftp.x.org/contrib/audio/nas/}.
1330 @node Q2.0.4, Q2.0.5, Q2.0.3, Installation
1331 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.0.4: Problems with Linux and ncurses.
1333 On Linux 1.3.98 with termcap 2.0.8 and the ncurses that came with libc
1334 5.2.18, XEmacs 20.0b20 is unable to open a tty device:
1338 Initialization error:
1342 Terminal type `xterm' undefined (or can't access database?)
1345 @email{ben@@xemacs.org, Ben Wing} writes:
1348 Your ncurses configuration is messed up. Your /usr/lib/terminfo is a
1349 bad pointer, perhaps to a CD-ROM that is not inserted.
1352 @node Q2.0.5, Q2.0.6, Q2.0.4, Installation
1353 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.0.5: Do I need X11 to run XEmacs?
1355 No. The name @dfn{XEmacs} is unfortunate in the sense that it is
1356 @strong{not} an X Window System-only version of Emacs. XEmacs has
1357 full color support on a color-capable character terminal.
1359 @node Q2.0.6, Q2.0.7, Q2.0.5, Installation
1360 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.0.6: I'm having strange crashes. What do I do?
1362 There have been a variety of reports of crashes due to compilers with
1363 buggy optimizers. Please see the @file{PROBLEMS} file that comes with
1364 XEmacs to read what it says about your platform.
1366 @node Q2.0.7, Q2.0.8, Q2.0.6, Installation
1367 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.0.7: Libraries in non-standard locations
1369 I have x-faces, jpeg, xpm etc. all in different places. I've tried
1370 space-separated, comma-separated, several --site-libraries, all to no
1374 --site-libraries='/path/one /path/two /path/etc'
1377 @node Q2.0.8, Q2.0.9, Q2.0.7, Installation
1378 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.0.8: can't resolve symbol _h_errno
1380 You are using the Linux/ELF distribution of XEmacs 19.14, and your ELF
1381 libraries are out of date. You have the following options:
1385 Upgrade your libc to at least 5.2.16 (better is 5.2.18, 5.3.12, or
1389 Patch the XEmacs binary by replacing all occurrences of
1390 @samp{_h_errno^@@} with
1394 @samp{h_errno^@@^@@}. Any version of Emacs will
1395 suffice. If you don't understand how to do this, don't do it.
1398 Rebuild XEmacs yourself---any working ELF version of libc should be
1402 @email{hniksic@@xemacs.org, Hrvoje Niksic} writes:
1405 Why not use a Perl one-liner for No. 2?
1408 perl -pi -e 's/_h_errno\0/h_errno\0\0/g' \
1409 /usr/local/bin/xemacs-19.14
1412 NB: You @emph{must} patch @file{/usr/local/bin/xemacs-19.14}, and not
1413 @file{xemacs} because @file{xemacs} is a link to @file{xemacs-19.14};
1414 the Perl @samp{-i} option will cause unwanted side-effects if applied to
1418 @email{steve@@xemacs.org, SL Baur} writes:
1421 If you build against a recent libc-5.4 (late enough to have caused
1422 problems earlier in the beta cycle) and then run with an earlier version
1427 xemacs: can't resolve symbol '__malloc_hook'
1428 zsh: 7942 segmentation fault (core dumped) xemacs
1431 (Example binary compiled against libc-5.4.23 and run with libc-5.4.16).
1433 The solution is to upgrade to at least libc-5.4.23. Sigh. Drat.
1436 @node Q2.0.9, Q2.0.10, Q2.0.8, Installation
1437 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.0.9: Where do I find external libraries?
1439 All external libraries used by XEmacs can be found at the XEmacs FTP
1444 @uref{ftp://ftp.xemacs.org/pub/xemacs/aux/}.
1446 @c Changed June Link above, <URL:ftp://ftp.xemacs.org/pub/aux/> was dead.
1447 @c This list is a pain in the you-know-what to keep in synch with the
1449 The canonical locations (at the time of this writing) are as follows:
1453 @uref{ftp://ftp.uu.net/graphics/jpeg/}. Version 6a is current.
1454 @c Check from host with legal IP address
1456 @uref{ftp://ftp.x.org/contrib/libraries/}. Version 3.4j is current.
1457 Older versions of this package are known to cause XEmacs crashes.
1460 @uref{ftp://ftp.sgi.com/graphics/tiff/}. v3.4 is current. The latest
1461 beta is v3.4b035. There is a HOWTO here.
1464 @uref{ftp://ftp.uu.net/graphics/png/}. 0.89c is current. XEmacs
1465 requires a fairly recent version to avoid using temporary files.
1466 @c Check from host with legal IP address
1468 @uref{ftp://swrinde.nde.swri.edu/pub/png/src/}
1471 @uref{ftp://ftp.cs.indiana.edu/pub/faces/compface/}. This library has
1472 been frozen for about 6 years, and is distributed without version
1473 numbers. @emph{It should be compiled with the same options that X11 was
1474 compiled with on your system}. The version of this library at
1475 XEmacs.org includes the @file{xbm2xface.pl} script, written by
1476 @email{stig@@hackvan.com}, which may be useful when generating your own xface.
1479 @uref{ftp://ftp.x.org/contrib/audio/nas/}.
1480 Version 1.2p5 is current. There is a FAQ here.
1483 @node Q2.0.10, Q2.0.11, Q2.0.9, Installation
1484 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.0.10: After I run configure I find a core dump, is something wrong?
1486 Not necessarily. If you have GNU sed 3.0 you should downgrade it to
1487 2.05. From the @file{README} at prep.ai.mit.edu:
1490 sed 3.0 has been withdrawn from distribution. It has major revisions,
1491 which mostly seem to be improvements; but it turns out to have bugs too
1492 which cause trouble in some common cases.
1494 Tom Lord won't be able to work fixing the bugs until May. So in the
1495 mean time, we've decided to withdraw sed 3.0 from distribution and make
1496 version 2.05 once again the recommended version.
1499 It has also been observed that the vfork test on Solaris will leave a
1502 @node Q2.0.11, Q2.0.12, Q2.0.10, Installation
1503 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.0.11: XEmacs doesn't resolve hostnames.
1505 This is the result of a long-standing problem with SunOS and the fact
1506 that stock SunOS systems do not ship with DNS resolver code in libc.
1508 @email{ckd@@loiosh.kei.com, Christopher Davis} writes:
1511 That's correct [The SunOS 4.1.3 precompiled binaries don't do name
1512 lookup]. Since Sun figured that everyone used NIS to do name lookups
1513 (that DNS thing was apparently only a passing fad, right?), the stock
1514 SunOS 4.x systems don't have DNS-based name lookups in libc.
1516 This is also why Netscape ships two binaries for SunOS 4.1.x.
1518 The best solution is to compile it yourself; the configure script will
1519 check to see if you've put DNS in the shared libc and will then proceed
1520 to link against the DNS resolver library code.
1523 @node Q2.0.12, Q2.1.1, Q2.0.11, Installation
1524 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.0.12: Why can't I strip XEmacs?
1526 @email{cognot@@fronsac.ensg.u-nancy.fr, Richard Cognot} writes:
1529 Because of the way XEmacs (and every other Emacsen, AFAIK) is built. The
1530 link gives you a bare-boned emacs (called temacs). temacs is then run,
1531 preloading some of the lisp files. The result is then dumped into a new
1532 executable, named xemacs, which will contain all of the preloaded lisp
1535 Now, during the dump itself, the executable (code+data+symbols) is
1536 written on disk using a special unexec() function. This function is
1537 obviously heavily system dependent. And on some systems, it leads to an
1538 executable which, although valid, cannot be stripped without damage. If
1539 memory serves, this is especially the case for AIX binaries. On other
1540 architecture it might work OK.
1542 The Right Way to strip the emacs binary is to strip temacs prior to
1543 dumping xemacs. This will always work, although you can do that only if
1544 you install from sources (as temacs is @file{not} part of the binary
1548 @email{nat@@nataa.fr.eu.org, Nat Makarevitch} writes:
1555 [ ./configure; make ]
1567 cp src/xemacs /usr/local/bin/xemacs
1570 cp lib-src/DOC-19.16-XEmacs
1574 /usr/local/lib/xemacs-19.16/i586-unknown-linuxaout
1578 @node Q2.1.1, Q2.1.2, Q2.0.12, Installation
1579 @unnumberedsec 2.1: Trouble Shooting
1580 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.1: Help! XEmacs just crashed on me!
1582 First of all, don't panic. Whenever XEmacs crashes, it tries extremely
1583 hard to auto-save all of your files before dying. (The main time that
1584 this will not happen is if the machine physically lost power or if you
1585 killed the XEmacs process using @code{kill -9}). The next time you try
1586 to edit those files, you will be informed that a more recent auto-save
1587 file exists. You can use @kbd{M-x recover-file} to retrieve the
1588 auto-saved version of the file.
1590 Starting with 19.14, you may use the command @kbd{M-x recover-session}
1591 after a crash to pick up where you left off.
1593 Now, XEmacs is not perfect, and there may occasionally be times, or
1594 particular sequences of actions, that cause it to crash. If you can
1595 come up with a reproducible way of doing this (or even if you have a
1596 pretty good memory of exactly what you were doing at the time), the
1597 maintainers would be very interested in knowing about it. Post a
1598 message to comp.emacs.xemacs or send mail to @email{crashes@@xemacs.org}.
1599 Please note that the @samp{crashes} address is exclusively for crash
1602 If at all possible, include a stack backtrace of the core dump that was
1603 produced. This shows where exactly things went wrong, and makes it much
1604 easier to diagnose problems. To do this, you need to locate the core
1605 file (it's called @file{core}, and is usually sitting in the directory
1606 that you started XEmacs from, or your home directory if that other
1607 directory was not writable). Then, go to that directory and execute a
1611 gdb `which xemacs` core
1614 and then issue the command @samp{where} to get the stack backtrace. You
1615 might have to use @code{dbx} or some similar debugger in place of
1616 @code{gdb}. If you don't have any such debugger available, complain to
1617 your system administrator.
1619 It's possible that a core file didn't get produced, in which case you're
1620 out of luck. Go complain to your system administrator and tell him not
1621 to disable core files by default. Also @xref{Q2.1.15}, for tips and
1622 techniques for dealing with a debugger.
1624 When making a problem report make sure that:
1628 Report @strong{all} of the information output by XEmacs during the
1632 You mention what O/S & Hardware you are running XEmacs on.
1635 What version of XEmacs you are running.
1638 What build options you are using.
1641 If the problem is related to graphics, we will also need to know what
1642 version of the X Window System you are running, and what window manager
1646 If the problem happened on a tty, please include the terminal type.
1649 @node Q2.1.2, Q2.1.3, Q2.1.1, Installation
1650 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.2: Cryptic Minibuffer messages.
1652 When I try to use some particular option of some particular package, I
1653 get a cryptic error in the minibuffer.
1655 If you can't figure out what's going on, select Options/General
1656 Options/Debug on Error from the Menubar and then try and make the error
1657 happen again. This will give you a backtrace that may be enlightening.
1658 If not, try reading through this FAQ; if that fails, you could try
1659 posting to comp.emacs.xemacs (making sure to include the backtrace) and
1660 someone may be able to help. If you can identify which Emacs lisp
1661 source file the error is coming from you can get a more detailed stack
1662 backtrace by doing the following:
1666 Visit the .el file in an XEmacs buffer.
1669 Issue the command @kbd{M-x eval-current-buffer}.
1672 Reproduce the error.
1675 Depending on the version of XEmacs, you may either select Edit->Show
1676 Messages (19.13 and earlier) or Help->Recent Keystrokes/Messages (19.14
1677 and later) from the menubar to see the most recent messages. This
1678 command is bound to @kbd{C-h l} by default.
1680 @node Q2.1.3, Q2.1.4, Q2.1.2, Installation
1681 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.3: Translation Table Syntax messages at Startup
1683 I get tons of translation table syntax error messages during startup.
1684 How do I get rid of them?
1686 There are two causes of this problem. The first usually only strikes
1687 people using the prebuilt binaries. The culprit in both cases is the
1688 file @file{XKeysymDB}.
1692 The binary cannot find the @file{XKeysymDB} file. The location is
1693 hardcoded at compile time so if the system the binary was built on puts
1694 it a different place than your system does, you have problems. To fix,
1695 set the environment variable @var{XKEYSYMDB} to the location of the
1696 @file{XKeysymDB} file on your system or to the location of the one
1697 included with XEmacs which should be at
1701 @file{<xemacs_root_directory>/lib/xemacs-19.16/etc/XKeysymDB}.
1704 The binary is finding the XKeysymDB but it is out-of-date on your system
1705 and does not contain the necessary lines. Either ask your system
1706 administrator to replace it with the one which comes with XEmacs (which
1707 is the stock R6 version and is backwards compatible) or set your
1708 @var{XKEYSYMDB} variable to the location of XEmacs's described above.
1711 @node Q2.1.4, Q2.1.5, Q2.1.3, Installation
1712 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.4: Startup warnings about deducing proper fonts?
1714 How can I avoid the startup warnings about deducing proper fonts?
1716 This is highly dependent on your installation, but try with the
1717 following font as your base font for XEmacs and see what it does:
1720 -adobe-courier-medium-r-*-*-*-120-*-*-*-*-iso8859-1
1723 More precisely, do the following in your resource file:
1726 Emacs.default.attributeFont: \
1727 -adobe-courier-medium-r-*-*-*-120-*-*-*-*-iso8859-1
1730 If you just don't want to see the @samp{*Warnings*} buffer at startup
1731 time, you can set this:
1734 (setq display-warning-minimum-level 'error)
1737 The buffer still exists; it just isn't in your face.
1739 @node Q2.1.5, Q2.1.6, Q2.1.4, Installation
1740 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.5: XEmacs cannot connect to my X Terminal!
1742 Help! I can not get XEmacs to display on my Envizex X-terminal!
1744 Try setting the @var{DISPLAY} variable using the numeric IP address of
1745 the host you are running XEmacs from.
1747 @node Q2.1.6, Q2.1.7, Q2.1.5, Installation
1748 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.6: XEmacs just locked up my Linux X server!
1750 There have been several reports of the X server locking up under Linux.
1751 In all reported cases removing speedo and scaled fonts from the font
1752 path corrected the problem. This can be done with the command
1755 It is possible that using a font server may also solve the problem.
1757 @node Q2.1.7, Q2.1.8, Q2.1.6, Installation
1758 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.7: HP Alt key as Meta.
1760 How can I make XEmacs recognize the Alt key of my HP workstation as a
1763 Put the following line into a file and load it with xmodmap(1) before
1767 remove Mod1 = Mode_switch
1770 @node Q2.1.8, Q2.1.9, Q2.1.7, Installation
1771 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.8: got (wrong-type-argument color-instance-p nil)
1773 @email{nataliek@@rd.scitec.com.au, Natalie Kershaw} writes:
1776 I am trying to run xemacs 19.13 under X11R4. Whenever I move the mouse I
1777 get the following error. Has anyone seen anything like this? This
1778 doesn't occur on X11R5.
1782 (error "got (wrong-type-argument color-instance-p nil)
1783 and I don't know why!")
1787 @email{map01kd@@gold.ac.uk, dinos} writes:
1790 I think this is due to undefined resources; You need to define color
1791 backgrounds and foregrounds into your @file{.../app-defaults/Emacs}
1795 *Foreground: Black ;everything will be of black on grey95,
1796 *Background: Grey95 ;unless otherwise specified.
1797 *cursorColor: Red3 ;red3 cursor with grey95 border.
1798 *pointerColor: Red3 ;red3 pointer with grey95 border.
1802 Natalie Kershaw adds:
1805 What fixed the problem was adding some more colors to the X color
1806 database (copying the X11R5 colors over), and also defining the
1807 following resources:
1810 xemacs*cursorColor: black
1811 xemacs*pointerColor: black
1814 With the new colors installed the problem still occurs if the above
1815 resources are not defined.
1817 If the new colors are not present then an additional error occurs on
1818 XEmacs startup, which says @samp{Color Red3} not defined.
1821 @node Q2.1.9, Q2.1.10, Q2.1.8, Installation
1822 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.9: XEmacs causes my OpenWindows 3.0 server to crash.
1824 The OpenWindows 3.0 server is incredibly buggy. Your best bet is to
1825 replace it with one from the generic MIT X11 release. You might also
1826 try disabling parts of your @file{.emacs}, like enabling background
1829 @node Q2.1.10, Q2.1.11, Q2.1.9, Installation
1830 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.10: Warnings from incorrect key modifiers.
1832 The following information comes from the @file{PROBLEMS} file that comes
1835 If you're having troubles with HP/UX it is because HP/UX defines the
1836 modifiers wrong in X. Here is a shell script to fix the problem; be
1837 sure that it is run after VUE configures the X server.
1841 xmodmap 2> /dev/null - << EOF
1842 keysym Alt_L = Meta_L
1843 keysym Alt_R = Meta_R
1848 keysym Mode_switch = NoSymbol
1850 keysym Meta_R = Mode_switch
1851 add mod2 = Mode_switch
1855 @node Q2.1.11, Q2.1.12, Q2.1.10, Installation
1856 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.11: @samp{Can't instantiate image error...} in toolbar
1859 @email{expt@@alanine.ram.org, Dr. Ram Samudrala} writes:
1861 I just installed the XEmacs (20.4-2) RPMS that I downloaded from
1862 @uref{http://www.xemacs.org/}. Everything works fine, except that when
1863 I place my mouse over the toolbar, it beeps and gives me this message:
1866 Can't instantiate image (probably cached):
1867 [xbm :mask-file "/usr/include/X11/bitmaps/leftptrmsk :mask-data
1868 (16 16 <strange control characters> ...
1871 @email{kyle_jones@@wonderworks.com, Kyle Jones} writes:
1873 This is problem specific to some Chips and Technologies video
1874 chips, when running XFree86. Putting
1876 @code{Option "sw_cursor"}
1878 in @file{XF86Config} gets rid of the problem.
1881 @node Q2.1.12, Q2.1.13, Q2.1.11, Installation
1882 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.12: Problems with Regular Expressions on DEC OSF1.
1884 I have xemacs 19.13 running on an alpha running OSF1 V3.2 148 and ispell
1885 would not run because it claimed the version number was incorrect
1886 although it was indeed OK. I traced the problem to the regular
1889 @email{douglask@@dstc.edu.au, Douglas Kosovic} writes:
1892 Actually it's a DEC cc optimization bug that screws up the regexp
1895 Rebuilding using the @samp{-migrate} switch for DEC cc (which uses a
1896 different sort of optimization) works fine.
1899 See @file{xemacs-19_13-dunix-3_2c.patch} at the following URL on how to
1900 build with the @samp{-migrate} flag:
1903 @uref{http://www-digital.cern.ch/carney/emacs/emacs.html}
1904 @c Link above, <URL:http://www-digital.cern.ch/carney/emacs/emacs.html> is
1905 @c dead. And the directory `carney' is empty.
1911 NOTE: There have been a variety of other problems reported that are
1912 fixed in this fashion.
1914 @node Q2.1.13, Q2.1.14, Q2.1.12, Installation
1915 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.13: HP/UX 10.10 and @code{create_process} failure.
1917 @email{Dave.Carrigan@@ipl.ca, Dave Carrigan} writes:
1920 With XEmacs 19.13 and HP/UX 10.10, anything that relies on the
1921 @code{create_process} function fails. This breaks a lot of things
1922 (shell-mode, compile, ange-ftp, to name a few).
1925 @email{johnson@@dtc.hp.com, Phil Johnson} writes:
1928 This is a problem specific to HP-UX 10.10. It only occurs when XEmacs
1929 is compiled for shared libraries (the default), so you can work around
1930 it by compiling a statically-linked binary (run configure with
1931 @samp{--dynamic=no}).
1933 I'm not sure whether the problem is with a particular shared library or
1934 if it's a kernel problem which crept into 10.10.
1937 @email{cognot@@ensg.u-nancy.fr, Richard Cognot} writes:
1940 I had a few problems with 10.10. Apparently, some of them were solved by
1941 forcing a static link of libc (manually).
1944 @node Q2.1.14, Q2.1.15, Q2.1.13, Installation
1945 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.14: @kbd{C-g} doesn't work for me. Is it broken?
1947 @email{ben@@xemacs.org, Ben Wing} writes:
1950 @kbd{C-g} does work for most people in most circumstances. If it
1951 doesn't, there are only two explanations:
1955 The code is wrapped with a binding of @code{inhibit-quit} to
1956 @code{t}. @kbd{Ctrl-Shift-G} should still work, I think.
1959 SIGIO is broken on your system, but BROKEN_SIGIO isn't defined.
1962 To test #2, try executing @code{(while t)} from the @samp{*scratch*}
1963 buffer. If @kbd{C-g} doesn't interrupt, then you're seeing #2.
1966 @email{terra@@diku.dk, Morten Welinder} writes:
1969 On some (but @emph{not} all) machines a hung XEmacs can be revived by
1970 @code{kill -FPE <pid>}. This is a hack, of course, not a solution.
1971 This technique works on a Sun4 running 4.1.3_U1. To see if it works for
1972 you, start another XEmacs and test with that first. If you get a core
1973 dump the method doesn't work and if you get @samp{Arithmetic error} then
1977 @node Q2.1.15, Q2.1.16, Q2.1.14, Installation
1978 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.15: How to Debug an XEmacs problem with a debugger
1980 If XEmacs does crash on you, one of the most productive things you can
1981 do to help get the bug fixed is to poke around a bit with the debugger.
1982 Here are some hints:
1986 First of all, if the crash is at all reproducible, consider very
1987 strongly recompiling your XEmacs with debugging symbols, with no
1988 optimization, and with the configure options @samp{--debug=yes} and
1989 @samp{--error-checking=all}. This will make your XEmacs run somewhat
1990 slower but make it a lot more likely to catch the problem earlier
1991 (closer to its source), and a lot easier to determine what's going on
1995 If you're able to run XEmacs under a debugger and reproduce the crash
1996 (if it's inconvenient to do this because XEmacs is already running or is
1997 running in batch mode as part of a bunch of scripts, consider attaching
1998 to the existing process with your debugger; most debuggers let you do
1999 this by substituting the process ID for the core file when you invoke
2000 the debugger from the command line, or by using the @code{attach}
2001 command or something similar), here are some things you can do:
2004 If XEmacs is hitting an assertion failure, put a breakpoint on
2005 @code{assert_failed()}.
2008 If XEmacs is hitting some weird Lisp error that's causing it to crash
2009 (e.g. during startup), put a breakpoint on @code{signal_1()}---this is
2010 declared static in eval.c.
2013 Internally, you will probably see lots of variables that hold objects of
2014 type @code{Lisp_Object}. These are exactly what they appear to be,
2015 i.e. references to Lisp objects. Printing them out with the debugger
2016 probably won't be too useful---you'll likely just see a number. To
2017 decode them, do this:
2020 call debug_print (OBJECT)
2023 where @var{OBJECT} is whatever you want to decode (it can be a variable,
2024 a function call, etc.). This will print out a readable representation
2025 on the TTY from which the xemacs process was invoked.
2028 If you want to get a Lisp backtrace showing the Lisp call
2032 call debug_backtrace ()
2036 Using @code{debug_print} and @code{debug_backtrace} has two
2037 disadvantages - it can only be used with a running xemacs process, and
2038 it cannot display the internal C structure of a Lisp Object. Even if
2039 all you've got is a core dump, all is not lost.
2041 If you're using GDB, there are some macros in the file
2042 @file{src/.gdbinit} in the XEmacs source distribution that should make
2043 it easier for you to decode Lisp objects. This file is automatically
2044 read by gdb if gdb is run in the directory where xemacs was built, and
2045 contains these useful macros to inspect the state of xemacs:
2049 Usage: pobj lisp_object @*
2050 Print the internal C representation of a lisp object.
2053 Usage: xtype lisp_object @*
2054 Print the Lisp type of a lisp object.
2058 Print the current Lisp stack trace.
2059 Requires a running xemacs process.
2062 Usage: ldp lisp_object @*
2063 Print a Lisp Object value using the Lisp printer.
2064 Requires a running xemacs process.
2067 Usage: run-temacs @*
2068 Run temacs interactively, like xemacs.
2069 Use this with debugging tools (like purify) that cannot deal with dumping,
2070 or when temacs builds successfully, but xemacs does not.
2073 Usage: dump-temacs @*
2074 Run the dumping part of the build procedure.
2075 Use when debugging temacs, not xemacs!
2076 Use this when temacs builds successfully, but xemacs does not.
2079 Usage: check-xemacs @*
2080 Run the test suite. Equivalent to 'make check'.
2083 Usage: check-temacs @*
2084 Run the test suite on temacs. Equivalent to 'make check-temacs'.
2085 Use this with debugging tools (like purify) that cannot deal with dumping,
2086 or when temacs builds successfully, but xemacs does not.
2089 If you are using Sun's @file{dbx} debugger, there is an equivalent file
2090 @file{src/.dbxrc}, which defines the same commands for dbx.
2093 If you're using a debugger to get a C stack backtrace and you're seeing
2094 stack traces with some of the innermost frames mangled, it may be due to
2095 dynamic linking. (This happens especially under Linux.) Consider
2096 reconfiguring with @samp{--dynamic=no}. Also, sometimes (again under
2097 Linux), stack backtraces of core dumps will have the frame where the
2098 fatal signal occurred mangled; if you can obtain a stack trace while
2099 running the XEmacs process under a debugger, the stack trace should be
2102 @email{1CMC3466@@ibm.mtsac.edu, Curtiss} suggests upgrading to ld.so version 1.8
2103 if dynamic linking and debugging is a problem on Linux.
2106 If you're using a debugger to get a C stack backtrace and you're
2107 getting a completely mangled and bogus stack trace, it's probably due to
2108 one of the following:
2112 Your executable has been stripped. Bad news. Tell your sysadmin not to
2113 do this---it doesn't accomplish anything except to save a bit of disk
2114 space, and makes debugging much much harder.
2117 Your stack is getting trashed. Debugging this is hard; you have to do a
2118 binary-search type of narrowing down where the crash occurs, until you
2119 figure out exactly which line is causing the problem. Of course, this
2120 only works if the bug is highly reproducible.
2123 If your stack trace has exactly one frame in it, with address 0x0, this
2124 could simply mean that XEmacs attempted to execute code at that address,
2125 e.g. through jumping to a null function pointer. Unfortunately, under
2126 those circumstances, GDB under Linux doesn't know how to get a stack
2127 trace. (Yes, this is the third Linux-related problem I've mentioned. I
2128 have no idea why GDB under Linux is so bogus. Complain to the GDB
2129 authors, or to comp.os.linux.development.system). Again, you'll have to
2130 use the narrowing-down process described above.
2133 If you compiled 19.14 with @samp{--debug} (or by default in later
2134 versions), you will get a Lisp backtrace output when XEmacs crashes, so
2135 you'll have something useful.
2140 If you compile with the newer gcc variants gcc-2.8 or egcs, you will
2141 also need gdb 4.17 or above. Earlier releases of gdb can't handle the
2142 debug information generated by the newer compilers.
2145 In versions of XEmacs before 21.2.27, @file{src/.gdbinit} was named
2146 @file{src/gdbinit}. This had the disadvantage of not being sourced
2147 automatically by gdb, so you had to set that up yourself.
2151 @node Q2.1.16, Q2.1.17, Q2.1.15, Installation
2152 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.16: XEmacs crashes in @code{strcat} on HP/UX 10
2154 From the problems database (through
2155 the former address http://support.mayfield.hp.com/):
2158 Problem Report: 5003302299
2161 System/Model: 9000/700
2162 Product Name: HPUX S800 10.0X
2163 Product Vers: 9245XB.10.00
2165 Description: strcat(3C) may read beyond
2166 end of source string, can cause SIGSEGV
2169 *** PROBLEM TEXT ***
2170 strcat(3C) may read beyond the source string onto an unmapped page,
2171 causing a segmentation violation.
2174 @node Q2.1.17, Q2.1.18, Q2.1.16, Installation
2175 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.17: @samp{Marker does not point anywhere}
2177 As with other errors, set @code{debug-on-error} to @code{t} to get the
2178 backtrace when the error occurs. Specifically, two problems have been
2179 reported (and fixed).
2183 A problem with line-number-mode in XEmacs 19.14 affected a large number
2184 of other packages. If you see this error message, turn off
2188 A problem with some early versions of Gnus 5.4 caused this error.
2192 @node Q2.1.18, Q2.1.19, Q2.1.17, Installation
2193 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.18: removed
2195 @node Q2.1.19, Q2.1.20, Q2.1.18, Installation
2196 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.19: XEmacs does not follow the local timezone.
2198 When using one of the prebuilt binaries many users have observed that
2199 XEmacs uses the timezone under which it was built, but not the timezone
2200 under which it is running. The solution is to add:
2203 (set-time-zone-rule "MET")
2206 to your @file{.emacs} or the @file{site-start.el} file if you can.
2207 Replace @code{MET} with your local timezone.
2209 @node Q2.1.20, Q2.1.21, Q2.1.19, Installation
2210 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.20: @samp{Symbol's function definition is void: hkey-help-show.}
2212 This is a problem with a partially loaded hyperbole. Try adding:
2215 (require 'hmouse-drv)
2218 where you load hyperbole and the problem should go away.
2220 @node Q2.1.21, Q2.1.22, Q2.1.20, Installation
2221 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.21: [This question intentionally left blank]
2223 @node Q2.1.22, Q2.1.23, Q2.1.21, Installation
2224 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.22: XEmacs seems to take a really long time to do some things
2226 @email{dmoore@@ucsd.edu, David Moore} writes:
2229 Two things you can do:
2233 When you see it going mad like this, you might want to use gdb from an
2234 'xterm' to attach to the running process and get a stack trace. To do
2238 gdb /path/to/xemacs/xemacs ####
2241 Where @code{####} is the process id of your xemacs, instead of
2242 specifying the core. When gdb attaches, the xemacs will stop [1] and
2243 you can type `where' in gdb to get a stack trace as usual. To get
2244 things moving again, you can just type `quit' in gdb. It'll tell you
2245 the program is running and ask if you want to quit anyways. Say 'y' and
2246 it'll quit and have your emacs continue from where it was at.
2250 Turn on debug-on-quit early on. When you think things are going slow
2251 hit C-g and it may pop you in the debugger so you can see what routine
2252 is running. Press `c' to get going again.
2254 debug-on-quit doesn't work if something's turned on inhibit-quit or in
2255 some other strange cases.
2258 @node Q2.1.23, Q2.1.24, Q2.1.22, Installation
2259 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.23: Movemail on Linux does not work for XEmacs 19.15 and later.
2261 Movemail used to work fine in 19.14 but has stopped working in 19.15
2262 and 20.x. I am using Linux.
2264 @email{steve@@xemacs.org, SL Baur} writes:
2267 Movemail on Linux used to default to using flock file locking. With
2268 19.15 and later versions it now defaults to using @code{.lock} file
2269 locking. If this is not appropriate for your system, edit src/s/linux.h
2270 and uncomment the line that reads:
2273 #define MAIL_USE_FLOCK
2277 @node Q2.1.24, , Q2.1.23, Installation
2278 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.24: XEmacs won't start without network. (NEW)
2280 If XEmacs starts when you're on the network, but fails when you're not
2281 on the network, you may be missing a "localhost" entry in your
2282 @file{/etc/hosts} file. The file should contain an entry like:
2288 Add that line, and XEmacs will be happy.
2290 @node Customization, Subsystems, Installation, Top
2291 @unnumbered 3 Customization and Options
2293 This is part 3 of the XEmacs Frequently Asked Questions list. This
2294 section is devoted to Customization and screen settings.
2297 Customization---Emacs Lisp and @file{.emacs}:
2298 * Q3.0.1:: What version of Emacs am I running?
2299 * Q3.0.2:: How do I evaluate Elisp expressions?
2300 * Q3.0.3:: @code{(setq tab-width 6)} behaves oddly.
2301 * Q3.0.4:: How can I add directories to the @code{load-path}?
2302 * Q3.0.5:: How to check if a lisp function is defined?
2303 * Q3.0.6:: Can I force the output of @code{(face-list)} to a buffer?
2304 * Q3.0.7:: Font selections don't get saved after @code{Save Options}.
2305 * Q3.0.8:: How do I make a single minibuffer frame?
2306 * Q3.0.9:: What is @code{Customize}?
2308 X Window System & Resources:
2309 * Q3.1.1:: Where is a list of X resources?
2310 * Q3.1.2:: How can I detect a color display?
2311 * Q3.1.3:: [This question intentionally left blank]
2312 * Q3.1.4:: [This question intentionally left blank]
2313 * Q3.1.5:: How can I get the icon to just say @samp{XEmacs}?
2314 * Q3.1.6:: How can I have the window title area display the full path?
2315 * Q3.1.7:: @samp{xemacs -name junk} doesn't work?
2316 * Q3.1.8:: @samp{-iconic} doesn't work.
2318 Textual Fonts & Colors:
2319 * Q3.2.1:: How can I set color options from @file{.emacs}?
2320 * Q3.2.2:: How do I set the text, menu and modeline fonts?
2321 * Q3.2.3:: How can I set the colors when highlighting a region?
2322 * Q3.2.4:: How can I limit color map usage?
2323 * Q3.2.5:: My tty supports color, but XEmacs doesn't use them.
2324 * Q3.2.6:: Can I have pixmap backgrounds in XEmacs?
2327 * Q3.3.1:: How can I make the modeline go away?
2328 * Q3.3.2:: How do you have XEmacs display the line number in the modeline?
2329 * Q3.3.3:: How do I get XEmacs to put the time of day on the modeline?
2330 * Q3.3.4:: How do I turn off current chapter from AUC TeX modeline?
2331 * Q3.3.5:: How can one change the modeline color based on the mode used?
2333 3.4 Multiple Device Support:
2334 * Q3.4.1:: How do I open a frame on another screen of my multi-headed display?
2335 * Q3.4.2:: Can I really connect to a running XEmacs after calling up over a modem? How?
2338 * Q3.5.1:: How can I bind complex functions (or macros) to keys?
2339 * Q3.5.2:: How can I stop down-arrow from adding empty lines to the bottom of my buffers?
2340 * Q3.5.3:: How do I bind C-. and C-; to scroll one line up and down?
2341 * Q3.5.4:: Globally binding @kbd{Delete}?
2342 * Q3.5.5:: Scrolling one line at a time.
2343 * Q3.5.6:: How to map @kbd{Help} key alone on Sun type4 keyboard?
2344 * Q3.5.7:: How can you type in special characters in XEmacs?
2345 * Q3.5.8:: Why does @code{(global-set-key [delete-forward] 'delete-char)} complain?
2346 * Q3.5.9:: How do I make the Delete key delete forward?
2347 * Q3.5.10:: Can I turn on @dfn{sticky} modifier keys?
2348 * Q3.5.11:: How do I map the arrow keys?
2351 * Q3.6.1:: Is there a way to make the bar cursor thicker?
2352 * Q3.6.2:: Is there a way to get back the old block cursor where the cursor covers the character in front of the point?
2353 * Q3.6.3:: Can I make the cursor blink?
2355 The Mouse and Highlighting:
2356 * Q3.7.1:: How can I turn off Mouse pasting?
2357 * Q3.7.2:: How do I set control/meta/etc modifiers on mouse buttons?
2358 * Q3.7.3:: Clicking the left button does not do anything in buffer list.
2359 * Q3.7.4:: How can I get a list of buffers when I hit mouse button 3?
2360 * Q3.7.5:: Why does cut-and-paste not work between XEmacs and a cmdtool?
2361 * Q3.7.6:: How I can set XEmacs up so that it pastes where the text cursor is?
2362 * Q3.7.7:: How do I select a rectangular region?
2363 * Q3.7.8:: Why does @kbd{M-w} take so long?
2365 The Menubar and Toolbar:
2366 * Q3.8.1:: How do I get rid of the menu (or menubar)?
2367 * Q3.8.2:: Can I customize the basic menubar?
2368 * Q3.8.3:: How do I control how many buffers are listed in the menu @code{Buffers} list?
2369 * Q3.8.4:: Resources like @code{Emacs*menubar*font} are not working?
2370 * Q3.8.5:: How can I bind a key to a function to toggle the toolbar?
2373 * Q3.9.1:: How can I disable the scrollbar?
2374 * Q3.9.2:: How can one use resources to change scrollbar colors?
2375 * Q3.9.3:: Moving the scrollbar can move the point; can I disable this?
2376 * Q3.9.4:: How can I get automatic horizontal scrolling?
2379 * Q3.10.1:: How can I turn off or change highlighted selections?
2380 * Q3.10.2:: How do I get that typing on an active region removes it?
2381 * Q3.10.3:: Can I turn off the highlight during isearch?
2382 * Q3.10.4:: How do I turn off highlighting after @kbd{C-x C-p} (mark-page)?
2383 * Q3.10.5:: The region disappears when I hit the end of buffer while scrolling.
2386 @node Q3.0.1, Q3.0.2, Customization, Customization
2387 @unnumberedsec 3.0: Customization -- Emacs Lisp and .emacs
2388 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.0.1: What version of Emacs am I running?
2390 How can @file{.emacs} determine which of the family of Emacsen I am
2393 To determine if you are currently running GNU Emacs 18, GNU Emacs 19,
2394 XEmacs 19, XEmacs 20, or Epoch, and use appropriate code, check out the
2395 example given in @file{etc/sample.emacs}. There are other nifty things
2398 For all new code, all you really need to do is:
2401 (defvar running-xemacs (string-match "XEmacs\\|Lucid" emacs-version))
2404 @node Q3.0.2, Q3.0.3, Q3.0.1, Customization
2405 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.0.2: How can I evaluate Emacs-Lisp expressions?
2407 I know I can evaluate Elisp expressions from @code{*scratch*} buffer
2408 with @kbd{C-j} after the expression. How do I do it from another
2411 Press @kbd{M-:} (the default binding of @code{eval-expression}), and
2412 enter the expression to the minibuffer. In XEmacs prior to 19.15
2413 @code{eval-expression} used to be a disabled command by default. If
2414 this is the case, upgrade your XEmacs.
2416 @node Q3.0.3, Q3.0.4, Q3.0.2, Customization
2417 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.0.3: @code{(setq tab-width 6)} behaves oddly.
2419 If you put @code{(setq tab-width 6)} in your @file{.emacs} file it does
2420 not work! Is there a reason for this? If you do it at the EVAL prompt
2421 it works fine!! How strange.
2423 Use @code{setq-default} instead, since @code{tab-width} is
2426 @node Q3.0.4, Q3.0.5, Q3.0.3, Customization
2427 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.0.4: How can I add directories to the @code{load-path}?
2429 Here are two ways to do that, one that puts your directories at the
2430 front of the load-path, the other at the end:
2433 ;;; Add things at the beginning of the load-path, do not add
2434 ;;; duplicate directories:
2435 (pushnew "bar" load-path :test 'equal)
2437 (pushnew "foo" load-path :test 'equal)
2439 ;;; Add things at the end, unconditionally
2440 (setq load-path (nconc load-path '("foo" "bar")))
2443 @email{keithh@@nortel.ca, keith (k.p.) hanlan} writes:
2446 To add directories using Unix shell metacharacters use
2447 @file{expand-file-name} like this:
2450 (push (expand-file-name "~keithh/.emacsdir") load-path)
2454 @node Q3.0.5, Q3.0.6, Q3.0.4, Customization
2455 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.0.5: How to check if a lisp function is defined?
2457 Use the following elisp:
2463 It's almost always a mistake to test @code{emacs-version} or any similar
2466 Instead, use feature-tests, such as @code{featurep}, @code{boundp},
2467 @code{fboundp}, or even simple behavioral tests, eg.:
2470 (defvar foo-old-losing-code-p
2471 (condition-case nil (progn (losing-code t) nil)
2472 (wrong-number-of-arguments t)))
2475 There is an incredible amount of broken code out there which could work
2476 much better more often in more places if it did the above instead of
2477 trying to divine its environment from the value of one variable.
2479 @node Q3.0.6, Q3.0.7, Q3.0.5, Customization
2480 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.0.6: Can I force the output of @code{(face-list)} to a buffer?
2482 It would be good having it in a buffer, as the output of
2483 @code{(face-list)} is too wide to fit to a minibuffer.
2485 Evaluate the expression in the @samp{*scratch*} buffer with point after
2486 the rightmost paren and typing @kbd{C-j}.
2488 If the minibuffer smallness is the only problem you encounter, you can
2489 simply press @kbd{C-h l} to get the former minibuffer contents in a
2492 @node Q3.0.7, Q3.0.8, Q3.0.6, Customization
2493 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.0.7: Font selections in don't get saved after @code{Save Options}.
2495 For XEmacs 19.14 and previous:
2497 @email{mannj@@ll.mit.edu, John Mann} writes:
2500 You have to go to Options->Frame Appearance and unselect
2501 @samp{Frame-Local Font Menu}. If this option is selected, font changes
2502 are only applied to the @emph{current} frame and do @emph{not} get saved
2503 when you save options.
2506 For XEmacs 19.15 and later:
2508 Implement the above as well as set the following in your @file{.emacs}
2511 (setq options-save-faces t)
2514 @node Q3.0.8, Q3.0.9, Q3.0.7, Customization
2515 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.0.8: How do I get a single minibuffer frame?
2517 @email{acs@@acm.org, Vin Shelton} writes:
2520 (setq initial-frame-plist '(minibuffer nil))
2521 (setq default-frame-plist '(minibuffer nil))
2522 (setq default-minibuffer-frame
2527 menubar-visible-p nil
2528 default-toolbar-visible-p nil
2532 has-modeline-p nil)))
2533 (frame-notice-user-settings)
2536 @strong{Please note:} The single minibuffer frame may not be to everyone's
2537 taste, and there any number of other XEmacs options settings that may
2538 make it difficult or inconvenient to use.
2540 @node Q3.0.9, Q3.1.1, Q3.0.8, Customization
2541 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.0.9: What is @code{Customize}?
2543 Starting with XEmacs 20.2 there is new system 'Customize' for customizing
2546 You can access @code{Customize} from the @code{Options} menu
2547 or invoking one of customize commands by typing eg.
2548 @kbd{M-x customize}, @kbd{M-x customize-face},
2549 @kbd{M-x customize-variable} or @kbd{M-x customize-apropos}.
2551 Starting with XEmacs 20.3 there is also new `browser' mode for Customize.
2552 Try it out with @kbd{M-x customize-browse}
2554 @node Q3.1.1, Q3.1.2, Q3.0.9, Customization
2555 @unnumberedsec 3.1: X Window System & Resources
2556 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.1.1: Where is a list of X resources?
2558 Search through the @file{NEWS} file for @samp{X Resources}. A fairly
2559 comprehensive list is given after it.
2561 In addition, an @file{app-defaults} file is supplied,
2562 @file{etc/Emacs.ad} listing the defaults. The file
2563 @file{etc/sample.Xdefaults} gives a set of defaults that you might
2564 consider. It is essentially the same as @file{etc/Emacs.ad} but some
2565 entries are slightly altered. Be careful about installing the contents
2566 of this file into your @file{.Xdefaults} or @file{.Xresources} file if
2567 you use GNU Emacs under X11 as well.
2569 @node Q3.1.2, Q3.1.3, Q3.1.1, Customization
2570 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.1.2: How can I detect a color display?
2572 You can test the return value of the function @code{(device-class)}, as
2576 (when (eq (device-class) 'color)
2577 (set-face-foreground 'font-lock-comment-face "Grey")
2578 (set-face-foreground 'font-lock-string-face "Red")
2583 @node Q3.1.3, Q3.1.4, Q3.1.2, Customization
2584 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.1.3: [This question intentionally left blank]
2586 @node Q3.1.4, Q3.1.5, Q3.1.3, Customization
2587 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.1.4: [This question intentionally left blank]
2589 @node Q3.1.5, Q3.1.6, Q3.1.4, Customization
2590 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.1.5: How can I get the icon to just say @samp{XEmacs}?
2592 I'd like the icon to just say @samp{XEmacs}, and not include the name of
2593 the current file in it.
2595 Add the following line to your @file{.emacs}:
2598 (setq frame-icon-title-format "XEmacs")
2601 @node Q3.1.6, Q3.1.7, Q3.1.5, Customization
2602 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.1.6: How can I have the window title area display the full path?
2604 I'd like to have the window title area display the full directory/name
2605 of the current buffer file and not just the name.
2607 Add the following line to your @file{.emacs}:
2610 (setq frame-title-format "%S: %f")
2613 A more sophisticated title might be:
2616 (setq frame-title-format
2617 '("%S: " (buffer-file-name "%f"
2618 (dired-directory dired-directory "%b"))))
2621 That is, use the file name, or the dired-directory, or the buffer name.
2623 @node Q3.1.7, Q3.1.8, Q3.1.6, Customization
2624 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.1.7: @samp{xemacs -name junk} doesn't work?
2626 When I run @samp{xterm -name junk}, I get an xterm whose class name
2627 according to xprop, is @samp{junk}. This is the way it's supposed to
2628 work, I think. When I run @samp{xemacs -name junk} the class name is
2629 not set to @samp{junk}. It's still @samp{emacs}. What does
2630 @samp{xemacs -name} really do? The reason I ask is that my window
2631 manager (fvwm) will make a window sticky and I use XEmacs to read my
2632 mail. I want that XEmacs window to be sticky, without having to use the
2633 window manager's function to set the window sticky. What gives?
2635 @samp{xemacs -name} sets the application name for the program (that is,
2636 the thing which normally comes from @samp{argv[0]}). Using @samp{-name}
2637 is the same as making a copy of the executable with that new name. The
2638 @code{WM_CLASS} property on each frame is set to the frame-name, and the
2639 application-class. So, if you did @samp{xemacs -name FOO} and then
2640 created a frame named @var{BAR}, you'd get an X window with WM_CLASS =
2641 @code{( "BAR", "Emacs")}. However, the resource hierarchy for this
2645 Name: FOO .shell .container .BAR
2646 Class: Emacs .TopLevelEmacsShell.EmacsManager.EmacsFrame
2649 instead of the default
2652 Name: xemacs.shell .container .emacs
2653 Class: Emacs .TopLevelEmacsShell.EmacsManager.EmacsFrame
2657 It is arguable that the first element of WM_CLASS should be set to the
2658 application-name instead of the frame-name, but I think that's less
2659 flexible, since it does not give you the ability to have multiple frames
2660 with different WM_CLASS properties. Another possibility would be for
2661 the default frame name to come from the application name instead of
2662 simply being @samp{emacs}. However, at this point, making that change
2663 would be troublesome: it would mean that many users would have to make
2664 yet another change to their resource files (since the default frame name
2665 would suddenly change from @samp{emacs} to @samp{xemacs}, or whatever
2666 the executable happened to be named), so we'd rather avoid it.
2668 To make a frame with a particular name use:
2671 (make-frame '((name . "the-name")))
2674 @node Q3.1.8, Q3.2.1, Q3.1.7, Customization
2675 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.1.8: @samp{-iconic} doesn't work.
2677 When I start up XEmacs using @samp{-iconic} it doesn't work right.
2678 Using @samp{-unmapped} on the command line, and setting the
2679 @code{initiallyUnmapped} X Resource don't seem to help much either...
2681 @email{ben@@xemacs.org, Ben Wing} writes:
2684 Ugh, this stuff is such an incredible mess that I've about given up
2685 getting it to work. The principal problem is numerous window-manager
2689 @node Q3.2.1, Q3.2.2, Q3.1.8, Customization
2690 @unnumberedsec 3.2: Textual Fonts & Colors
2691 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.2.1: How can I set color options from @file{.emacs}?
2693 How can I set the most commonly used color options from my @file{.emacs}
2694 instead of from my @file{.Xdefaults}?
2699 (set-face-background 'default "bisque") ; frame background
2700 (set-face-foreground 'default "black") ; normal text
2701 (set-face-background 'zmacs-region "red") ; When selecting w/
2703 (set-face-foreground 'zmacs-region "yellow")
2704 (set-face-font 'default "*courier-bold-r*120-100-100*")
2705 (set-face-background 'highlight "blue") ; Ie when selecting
2707 (set-face-foreground 'highlight "yellow")
2708 (set-face-background 'modeline "blue") ; Line at bottom
2710 (set-face-foreground 'modeline "white")
2711 (set-face-font 'modeline "*bold-r-normal*140-100-100*")
2712 (set-face-background 'isearch "yellow") ; When highlighting
2714 (set-face-foreground 'isearch "red")
2715 (setq x-pointer-foreground-color "black") ; Adds to bg color,
2717 (setq x-pointer-background-color "blue") ; This is color
2722 @node Q3.2.2, Q3.2.3, Q3.2.1, Customization
2723 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.2.2: How do I set the text, menu and modeline fonts?
2725 Note that you should use @samp{Emacs.} and not @samp{Emacs*} when
2726 setting face values.
2728 In @file{.Xdefaults}:
2731 Emacs.default.attributeFont: -*-*-medium-r-*-*-*-120-*-*-m-*-*-*
2732 Emacs*menubar*font: fixed
2733 Emacs.modeline.attributeFont: fixed
2736 This is confusing because modeline is a face, and can be found listed
2737 with all faces in the current mode by using @kbd{M-x set-face-font
2738 (enter) ?}. It uses the face specification of @code{attributeFont},
2739 while menubar is a normal X thing that uses the specification
2740 @code{font}. With Motif it may be necessary to use @code{fontList}
2741 instead of @code{font}.
2743 @node Q3.2.3, Q3.2.4, Q3.2.2, Customization
2744 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.2.3: How can I set the colors when highlighting a region?
2746 How can I set the background/foreground colors when highlighting a
2749 You can change the face @code{zmacs-region} either in your
2753 Emacs.zmacs-region.attributeForeground: firebrick
2754 Emacs.zmacs-region.attributeBackground: lightseagreen
2757 or in your @file{.emacs}:
2760 (set-face-background 'zmacs-region "red")
2761 (set-face-foreground 'zmacs-region "yellow")
2764 @node Q3.2.4, Q3.2.5, Q3.2.3, Customization
2765 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.2.4: How can I limit color map usage?
2767 I'm using Netscape (or another color grabber like XEmacs);
2768 is there anyway to limit the number of available colors in the color map?
2770 XEmacs 19.13 didn't have such a mechanism (unlike netscape, or other
2771 color-hogs). One solution is to start XEmacs prior to netscape, since
2772 this will prevent Netscape from grabbing all colors (but Netscape will
2773 complain). You can use the flags for Netscape, like -mono, -ncols <#>
2774 or -install (for mono, limiting to <#> colors, or for using a private
2775 color map). Since Netscape will take the entire colormap and never
2776 release it, the only reasonable way to run it is with @samp{-install}.
2778 If you have the money, another solution would be to use a truecolor or
2781 Starting with XEmacs 19.14, XEmacs uses the closest available color if
2782 the colormap is full, so it's O.K. now to start Netscape first.
2784 @node Q3.2.5, Q3.2.6, Q3.2.4, Customization
2785 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.2.5: My tty supports color, but XEmacs doesn't use them.
2787 XEmacs tries to automatically determine whether your tty supports color,
2788 but sometimes guesses wrong. In that case, you can make XEmacs Do The
2789 Right Thing using this Lisp code:
2792 (if (eq 'tty (device-type))
2793 (set-device-class nil 'color))
2796 @node Q3.2.6, Q3.3.1, Q3.2.5, Customization
2797 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.2.6: Can I have pixmap backgrounds in XEmacs?
2799 @email{jvillaci@@wahnsinnig.extreme.indiana.edu, Juan Villacis} writes:
2802 There are several ways to do it. For example, you could specify a
2803 default pixmap image to use in your @file{~/.Xresources}, e.g.,
2807 Emacs*EmacsFrame.default.attributeBackgroundPixmap: /path/to/image.xpm
2811 and then reload ~/.Xresources and restart XEmacs. Alternatively,
2812 since each face can have its own pixmap background, a better way
2813 would be to set a face's pixmap within your XEmacs init file, e.g.,
2816 (set-face-background-pixmap 'default "/path/to/image.xpm")
2817 (set-face-background-pixmap 'bold "/path/to/another_image.xpm")
2820 and so on. You can also do this interactively via @kbd{M-x edit-faces}.
2824 @node Q3.3.1, Q3.3.2, Q3.2.6, Customization
2825 @unnumberedsec 3.3: The Modeline
2826 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.3.1: How can I make the modeline go away?
2829 (set-specifier has-modeline-p nil)
2832 Starting with XEmacs 19.14 the modeline responds to mouse clicks, so if
2833 you haven't liked or used the modeline in the past, you might want to
2834 try the new version out.
2836 @node Q3.3.2, Q3.3.3, Q3.3.1, Customization
2837 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.3.2: How do you have XEmacs display the line number in the modeline?
2839 Add the following line to your @file{.emacs} file to display the
2843 (line-number-mode 1)
2846 Use the following to display the column number:
2849 (column-number-mode 1)
2852 Or select from the @code{Options} menu
2856 @code{Customize->Emacs->Editing->Basics->Line Number Mode}
2861 @code{Customize->Emacs->Editing->Basics->Column Number Mode}
2863 Or type @kbd{M-x customize @key{RET} editing-basics @key{RET}}.
2865 @node Q3.3.3, Q3.3.4, Q3.3.2, Customization
2866 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.3.3: How do I get XEmacs to put the time of day on the modeline?
2868 Add the following line to your @file{.emacs} file to display the
2875 See @code{Customize} from the @code{Options} menu for customization.
2877 @node Q3.3.4, Q3.3.5, Q3.3.3, Customization
2878 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.3.4: How do I turn off current chapter from AUC TeX modeline?
2880 With AUC TeX, fast typing is hard because the current chapter, section
2881 etc. are given in the modeline. How can I turn this off?
2883 It's not AUC TeX, it comes from @code{func-menu} in @file{func-menu.el}.
2884 Add this code to your @file{.emacs} to turn it off:
2887 (setq fume-display-in-modeline-p nil)
2890 Or just add a hook to @code{TeX-mode-hook} to turn it off only for TeX
2894 (add-hook 'TeX-mode-hook
2895 '(lambda () (setq fume-display-in-modeline-p nil)))
2898 @email{dhughes@@origin-at.co.uk, David Hughes} writes:
2901 If you have 19.14 or later, try this instead; you'll still get the
2902 function name displayed in the modeline, but it won't attempt to keep
2903 track when you modify the file. To refresh when it gets out of synch,
2904 you simply need click on the @samp{Rescan Buffer} option in the
2908 (setq-default fume-auto-rescan-buffer-p nil)
2912 @node Q3.3.5, Q3.4.1, Q3.3.4, Customization
2913 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.3.5: How can one change the modeline color based on the mode used?
2915 You can use something like the following:
2918 (add-hook 'lisp-mode-hook
2920 (set-face-background 'modeline "red" (current-buffer))))
2923 Then, when editing a Lisp file (i.e. when in Lisp mode), the modeline
2924 colors change from the default set in your @file{.emacs}. The change
2925 will only be made in the buffer you just entered (which contains the
2926 Lisp file you are editing) and will not affect the modeline colors
2934 The hook is the mode name plus @code{-hook}. eg. c-mode-hook,
2935 c++-mode-hook, emacs-lisp-mode-hook (used for your @file{.emacs} or a
2936 @file{xx.el} file), lisp-interaction-mode-hook (the @samp{*scratch*}
2937 buffer), text-mode-hook, etc.
2940 Be sure to use @code{add-hook}, not @code{(setq c-mode-hook xxxx)},
2941 otherwise you will erase anything that anybody has already put on the
2945 You can also do @code{(set-face-font 'modeline @var{font})},
2946 eg. @code{(set-face-font 'modeline "*bold-r-normal*140-100-100*"
2947 (current-buffer))} if you wish the modeline font to vary based on the
2951 This works in 19.15 as well, but there are additional modeline faces,
2952 @code{modeline-buffer-id}, @code{modeline-mousable}, and
2953 @code{modeline-mousable-minor-mode}, which you may want to customize.
2955 @node Q3.4.1, Q3.4.2, Q3.3.5, Customization
2956 @unnumberedsec 3.4: Multiple Device Support
2957 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.4.1: How do I open a frame on another screen of my multi-headed display?
2959 The support for this was revamped for 19.14. Use the command
2960 @kbd{M-x make-frame-on-display}. This command is also on the File menu
2963 XEmacs 19.14 and later also have the command @code{make-frame-on-tty}
2964 which will establish a connection to any tty-like device. Opening the
2965 TTY devices should be left to @code{gnuclient}, though.
2967 @node Q3.4.2, Q3.5.1, Q3.4.1, Customization
2968 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.4.2: Can I really connect to a running XEmacs after calling up over a modem? How?
2970 If you're not running at least XEmacs 19.14, you can't. Otherwise check
2971 out the @code{gnuattach} program supplied with XEmacs. Starting with
2972 XEmacs 20.3, @code{gnuattach} and @code{gnudoit} functionality is
2973 provided by @code{gnuclient}.
2975 Also @xref{Q5.0.12}.
2977 @node Q3.5.1, Q3.5.2, Q3.4.2, Customization
2978 @unnumberedsec 3.5: The Keyboard
2979 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.5.1: How can I bind complex functions (or macros) to keys?
2981 As an example, say you want the @kbd{paste} key on a Sun keyboard to
2982 insert the current Primary X selection at point. You can accomplish this
2986 (define-key global-map [f18] 'x-insert-selection)
2989 However, this only works if there is a current X selection (the
2990 selection will be highlighted). The functionality I like is for the
2991 @kbd{paste} key to insert the current X selection if there is one,
2992 otherwise insert the contents of the clipboard. To do this you need to
2993 pass arguments to @code{x-insert-selection}. This is done by wrapping
2994 the call in a 'lambda form:
2997 (global-set-key [f18]
2998 (lambda () (interactive) (x-insert-selection t nil)))
3001 This binds the f18 key to a @dfn{generic} functional object. The
3002 interactive spec is required because only interactive functions can be
3005 For the FAQ example you could use:
3008 (global-set-key [(control ?.)]
3009 (lambda () (interactive) (scroll-up 1)))
3010 (global-set-key [(control ?;)]
3011 (lambda () (interactive) (scroll-up -1)))
3014 This is fine if you only need a few functions within the lambda body.
3015 If you're doing more it's cleaner to define a separate function as in
3016 question 3.5.3 (@pxref{Q3.5.3}).
3018 @node Q3.5.2, Q3.5.3, Q3.5.1, Customization
3019 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.5.2: How can I stop down-arrow from adding empty lines to the bottom of my buffers?
3021 Add the following line to your @file{.emacs} file:
3024 (setq next-line-add-newlines nil)
3027 This has been the default setting in XEmacs for some time.
3029 @node Q3.5.3, Q3.5.4, Q3.5.2, Customization
3030 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.5.3: How do I bind C-. and C-; to scroll one line up and down?
3032 Add the following (Thanks to @email{mly@@adoc.xerox.com, Richard Mlynarik} and
3033 @email{wayne@@zen.cac.stratus.com, Wayne Newberry}) to @file{.emacs}:
3036 (defun scroll-up-one-line ()
3040 (defun scroll-down-one-line ()
3044 (global-set-key [(control ?.)] 'scroll-up-one-line) ; C-.
3045 (global-set-key [(control ?;)] 'scroll-down-one-line) ; C-;
3048 The key point is that you can only bind simple functions to keys; you
3049 can not bind a key to a function that you're also passing arguments to.
3050 (@pxref{Q3.5.1} for a better answer).
3052 @node Q3.5.4, Q3.5.5, Q3.5.3, Customization
3053 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.5.4: Globally binding @kbd{Delete}?
3055 I cannot manage to globally bind my @kbd{Delete} key to something other
3056 than the default. How does one do this?
3061 (message "You hit DELETE"))
3063 (global-set-key 'delete 'foo)
3066 However, some modes explicitly bind @kbd{Delete}, so you would need to
3067 add a hook that does @code{local-set-key} for them. If what you want to
3068 do is make the Backspace and Delete keys work more PC/Motif-like, then
3069 take a look at the @file{delbs.el} package.
3071 New in XEmacs 19.14 is a variable called @code{key-translation-map}
3072 which makes it easier to bind @kbd{Delete}. @file{delbs.el} is a
3073 good example of how to do this correctly.
3075 Also @xref{Q3.5.10}.
3077 @node Q3.5.5, Q3.5.6, Q3.5.4, Customization
3078 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.5.5: Scrolling one line at a time.
3080 Can the cursor keys scroll the screen a line at a time, rather than the
3081 default half page jump? I tend it to find it disorienting.
3086 (defun scroll-one-line-up (&optional arg)
3087 "Scroll the selected window up (forward in the text) one line (or N lines)."
3089 (scroll-up (or arg 1)))
3091 (defun scroll-one-line-down (&optional arg)
3092 "Scroll the selected window down (backward in the text) one line (or N)."
3094 (scroll-down (or arg 1)))
3096 (global-set-key [up] 'scroll-one-line-up)
3097 (global-set-key [down] 'scroll-one-line-down)
3100 The following will also work but will affect more than just the cursor
3101 keys (i.e. @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p}):
3104 (setq scroll-step 1)
3107 Starting with XEmacs-20.3 you can also change this with Customize.
3108 Select from the @code{Options} menu
3109 @code{Customize->Emacs->Environment->Windows->Scroll Step...} or type
3110 @kbd{M-x customize @key{RET} windows @key{RET}}.
3112 @node Q3.5.6, Q3.5.7, Q3.5.5, Customization
3113 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.5.6: How to map @kbd{Help} key alone on Sun type4 keyboard?
3115 The following works in GNU Emacs 19:
3118 (global-set-key [help] 'help-command);; Help
3121 The following works in XEmacs 19.15 with the addition of shift:
3124 (global-set-key [(shift help)] 'help-command);; Help
3127 But it doesn't work alone. This is in the file @file{PROBLEMS} which
3128 should have come with your XEmacs installation: @emph{Emacs ignores the
3129 @kbd{help} key when running OLWM}.
3131 OLWM grabs the @kbd{help} key, and retransmits it to the appropriate
3136 @code{XSendEvent}. Allowing Emacs to react to synthetic
3137 events is a security hole, so this is turned off by default. You can
3138 enable it by setting the variable @code{x-allow-sendevents} to t. You
3139 can also cause fix this by telling OLWM to not grab the help key, with
3140 the null binding @code{OpenWindows.KeyboardCommand.Help:}.
3142 @node Q3.5.7, Q3.5.8, Q3.5.6, Customization
3143 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.5.7: How can you type in special characters in XEmacs?
3145 One way is to use the package @code{x-compose}. Then you can use
3146 sequences like @kbd{Compose " a} to get ä, etc.
3148 Another way is to use the @code{iso-insert} package, provided in XEmacs
3149 19.15 and later. Then you can use sequences like @kbd{C-x 8 " a} to get
3152 @email{glynn@@sensei.co.uk, Glynn Clements} writes:
3155 It depends upon your X server.
3157 Generally, the simplest way is to define a key as Multi_key with
3159 @c hey, show some respect, willya -- there's xkeycaps, isn't there? --
3162 xmodmap -e 'keycode 0xff20 = Multi_key'
3165 You will need to pick an appropriate keycode. Use xev to find out the
3166 keycodes for each key.
3168 [NB: On a `Windows' keyboard, recent versions of XFree86 automatically
3169 define the right `Windows' key as Multi_key'.]
3171 Once you have Multi_key defined, you can use e.g.
3180 Also, recent versions of XFree86 define various AltGr-<key>
3181 combinations as dead keys, i.e.
3183 AltGr [ => dead_diaeresis
3184 AltGr ] => dead_tilde
3185 AltGr ; => dead_acute
3189 Running @samp{xmodmap -pk} will list all of the defined keysyms.
3192 @node Q3.5.8, Q3.5.9, Q3.5.7, Customization
3193 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.5.8: Why does @code{(global-set-key [delete-forward] 'delete-char)} complain?
3195 Why does @code{(define-key global-map [ delete-forward ] 'delete-char)}
3196 complain of not being able to bind an unknown key?
3201 (define-key global-map [delete_forward] 'delete-char)
3206 What you are seeing above is a bug due to code that is trying to check
3207 for GNU Emacs syntax like:
3209 (define-key global-map [C-M-a] 'delete-char)
3211 which otherwise would cause no errors but would not result in the
3214 This bug has been fixed in 19.14.
3216 @node Q3.5.9, Q3.5.10, Q3.5.8, Customization
3217 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.5.9: How do I make the Delete key delete forward?
3219 With XEmacs-20.2 use the @code{delbs} package:
3225 This will give you the functions @code{delbs-enable-delete-forward} to
3226 set things up, and @code{delbs-disable-delete-forward} to revert to
3227 ``normal'' behavior. Note that @code{delbackspace} package is obsolete.
3229 Starting with XEmacs-20.3 better solution is to set variable
3230 @code{delete-key-deletes-forward} to t. You can also change this with
3231 Customize. Select from the @code{Options} menu
3232 @code{Customize->Emacs->Editing->Basics->Delete Key Deletes Forward} or
3233 type @kbd{M-x customize @key{RET} editing-basics @key{RET}}.
3237 @node Q3.5.10, Q3.5.11, Q3.5.9, Customization
3238 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.5.10: Can I turn on @dfn{sticky} modifier keys?
3240 Yes, with @code{(setq modifier-keys-are-sticky t)}. This will give the
3241 effect of being able to press and release Shift and have the next
3242 character typed come out in upper case. This will affect all the other
3243 modifier keys like Control and Meta as well.
3245 @email{ben@@xemacs.org, Ben Wing} writes:
3248 One thing about the sticky modifiers is that if you move the mouse out
3249 of the frame and back in, it cancels all currently ``stuck'' modifiers.
3252 @node Q3.5.11, Q3.6.1, Q3.5.10, Customization
3253 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.5.11: How do I map the arrow keys?
3255 Say you want to map @kbd{C-@key{right}} to forward-word:
3257 @email{sds@@usa.net, Sam Steingold} writes:
3261 ; both XEmacs and Emacs
3262 (define-key global-map [(control right)] 'forward-word)
3267 (define-key global-map [C-right] 'forward-word)
3272 (define-key global-map (kbd "C-<right>") 'forward-word)
3278 @node Q3.6.1, Q3.6.2, Q3.5.11, Customization
3279 @unnumberedsec 3.6: The Cursor
3280 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.6.1: Is there a way to make the bar cursor thicker?
3282 I'd like to have the bar cursor a little thicker, as I tend to "lose" it
3285 For a 1 pixel bar cursor, use:
3291 For a 2 pixel bar cursor, use:
3294 (setq bar-cursor 'anything-else)
3297 Starting with XEmacs-20.3 you can also change these with Customize.
3298 Select from the @code{Options} menu
3299 @code{Customize->Emacs->Environment->Display->Bar Cursor...} or type
3300 @kbd{M-x customize @key{RET} display @key{RET}}.
3302 You can use a color to make it stand out better:
3305 Emacs*cursorColor: Red
3308 @node Q3.6.2, Q3.6.3, Q3.6.1, Customization
3309 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.6.2: Is there a way to get back the block cursor?
3312 (setq bar-cursor nil)
3315 Starting with XEmacs-20.3 you can also change this with Customize.
3316 Select from the @code{Options} menu
3317 @code{Customize->Emacs->Environment->Display->Bar Cursor...} or type
3318 @kbd{M-x customize @key{RET} display @key{RET}}.
3320 @node Q3.6.3, Q3.7.1, Q3.6.2, Customization
3321 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.6.3: Can I make the cursor blink?
3323 If you are running a version of XEmacs older than 19.14, no. Otherwise
3324 you can do the following:
3330 This function toggles between a steady cursor and a blinking cursor.
3331 You may also set this mode from the menu bar by selecting @samp{Options
3332 => Frame Appearance => Blinking Cursor}. Remember to save options.
3334 @node Q3.7.1, Q3.7.2, Q3.6.3, Customization
3335 @unnumberedsec 3.7: The Mouse and Highlighting
3336 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.7.1: How can I turn off Mouse pasting?
3338 I keep hitting the middle mouse button by accident and getting stuff
3339 pasted into my buffer so how can I turn this off?
3341 Here is an alternative binding, whereby the middle mouse button selects
3342 (but does not cut) the expression under the mouse. Clicking middle on a
3343 left or right paren will select to the matching one. Note that you can
3344 use @code{define-key} or @code{global-set-key}.
3347 (defun mouse-set-point-and-select (event)
3348 "Sets the point at the mouse location, then marks following form"
3350 (mouse-set-point event)
3352 (define-key global-map [button2] 'mouse-set-point-and-select)
3355 @node Q3.7.2, Q3.7.3, Q3.7.1, Customization
3356 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.7.2: How do I set control/meta/etc modifiers on mouse buttons?
3358 Use, for instance, @code{[(meta button1)]}. For example, here is a common
3359 setting for Common Lisp programmers who use the bundled @code{ilisp}
3360 package, whereby meta-button1 on a function name will find the file where
3361 the function name was defined, and put you at that location in the source
3364 [Inside a function that gets called by the lisp-mode-hook and
3368 (local-set-key [(meta button1)] 'edit-definitions-lisp)
3371 @node Q3.7.3, Q3.7.4, Q3.7.2, Customization
3372 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.7.3: Clicking the left button does not do anything in buffer list.
3374 I do @kbd{C-x C-b} to get a list of buffers and the entries get
3375 highlighted when I move the mouse over them but clicking the left mouse
3376 does not do anything.
3378 Use the middle mouse button.
3380 @node Q3.7.4, Q3.7.5, Q3.7.3, Customization
3381 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.7.4: How can I get a list of buffers when I hit mouse button 3?
3383 The following code will replace the default popup on button3:
3386 (global-set-key [button3] 'popup-buffer-menu)
3389 @node Q3.7.5, Q3.7.6, Q3.7.4, Customization
3390 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.7.5: Why does cut-and-paste not work between XEmacs and a cmdtool?
3392 We don't know. It's a bug. There does seem to be a work-around,
3393 however. Try running xclipboard first. It appears to fix the problem
3394 even if you exit it. (This should be mostly fixed in 19.13, but we
3395 haven't yet verified that).
3397 @node Q3.7.6, Q3.7.7, Q3.7.5, Customization
3398 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.7.6: How I can set XEmacs up so that it pastes where the text cursor is?
3400 By default XEmacs pastes X selections where the mouse pointer is. How
3403 Examine the function @code{mouse-yank}, by typing @kbd{C-h f mouse-yank
3406 To get XEmacs to paste at the text cursor, add this your @file{.emacs}:
3409 (setq mouse-yank-at-point t)
3412 Starting with XEmacs-20.2 you can also change this with Customize.
3413 Select from the @code{Options} menu
3414 @code{Customize->Emacs->Editing->Mouse->Yank At Point...} or type
3415 @kbd{M-x customize @key{RET} mouse @key{RET}}.
3417 @node Q3.7.7, Q3.7.8, Q3.7.6, Customization
3418 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.7.7: How do I select a rectangular region?
3420 Just select the region normally, then use the rectangle commands (e.g.
3421 @code{kill-rectangle} on it. The region does not highlight as a
3422 rectangle, but the commands work just fine.
3424 To actually sweep out rectangular regions with the mouse you can use
3425 @code{mouse-track-do-rectangle} which is assigned to @kbd{M-button1}.
3426 Then use rectangle commands.
3428 You can also do the following to change default behavior to sweep out
3429 rectangular regions:
3432 (setq mouse-track-rectangle-p t)
3435 Starting with XEmacs-20.2 you can also change this with Customize.
3436 Select from the @code{Options} menu
3437 @code{Customize->Emacs->Editing->Mouse->Track Rectangle...} or type
3438 @kbd{M-x customize @key{RET} mouse @key{RET}}.
3442 mouse-track-do-rectangle: (event)
3443 -- an interactive compiled Lisp function.
3444 Like `mouse-track' but selects rectangles instead of regions.
3447 @node Q3.7.8, Q3.8.1, Q3.7.7, Customization
3448 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.7.8: Why does @kbd{M-w} take so long?
3450 It actually doesn't. It leaves the region visible for a second so that
3451 you can see what area is being yanked. If you start working, though, it
3452 will immediately complete its operation. In other words, it will only
3453 delay for a second if you let it.
3455 @node Q3.8.1, Q3.8.2, Q3.7.8, Customization
3456 @unnumberedsec 3.8: The Menubar and Toolbar
3457 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.8.1: How do I get rid of the menu (or menubar)?
3459 If you are running XEmacs 19.13 and earlier, add this command to your
3466 Starting with XEmacs 19.14 the preferred method is:
3469 (set-specifier menubar-visible-p nil)
3472 @node Q3.8.2, Q3.8.3, Q3.8.1, Customization
3473 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.8.2: Can I customize the basic menubar?
3475 For an extensive menubar, add this line to your @file{.emacs}:
3478 (load "big-menubar")
3481 If you'd like to write your own, this file provides as good a set of
3482 examples as any to start from. The file is located in
3483 @file{lisp/packages/big-menubar.el} in the XEmacs installation
3486 @node Q3.8.3, Q3.8.4, Q3.8.2, Customization
3487 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.8.3: How do I control how many buffers are listed in the menu @code{Buffers List}?
3489 Add the following to your @file{.emacs} (suit to fit):
3492 (setq buffers-menu-max-size 20)
3495 For no limit, use an argument of @samp{nil}.
3497 Starting with XEmacs-20.3 you can also change this with Customize.
3498 Select from the @code{Options} menu
3499 @code{Customize->Emacs->Environment->Menu->Buffers Menu->Max Size...} or
3500 type @kbd{M-x customize @key{RET} buffers-menu @key{RET}}.
3502 @node Q3.8.4, Q3.8.5, Q3.8.3, Customization
3503 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.8.4: Resources like @code{Emacs*menubar*font} are not working?
3505 I am trying to use a resource like @code{Emacs*menubar*font} to set the
3506 font of the menubar but it's not working.
3508 If you are using the real Motif menubar, this resource is not
3509 recognized; you have to say:
3512 Emacs*menubar*fontList: FONT
3515 If you are using the Lucid menubar, the former resource will be
3516 recognized only if the latter resource is unset. This means that the
3526 Emacs*menubar*font: FONT
3529 even though the latter is more specific.
3531 @node Q3.8.5, Q3.9.1, Q3.8.4, Customization
3532 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.8.5: How can I bind a key to a function to toggle the toolbar?
3537 (defun my-toggle-toolbar ()
3539 (set-specifier default-toolbar-visible-p
3540 (not (specifier-instance default-toolbar-visible-p))))
3541 (global-set-key "\C-xT" 'my-toggle-toolbar)
3544 There are redisplay bugs in 19.14 that may make the preceding result in
3545 a messed-up display, especially for frames with multiple windows. You
3546 may need to resize the frame before XEmacs completely realizes the
3547 toolbar is really gone.
3549 Thanks to @email{martin@@xemacs.org, Martin Buchholz} for the correct
3552 @node Q3.9.1, Q3.9.2, Q3.8.5, Customization
3553 @unnumberedsec 3.9: Scrollbars
3554 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.9.1: How can I disable the scrollbar?
3556 To disable them for all frames, add the following line to
3557 your @file{.Xdefaults}:
3560 Emacs.scrollBarWidth: 0
3563 Or select from the @code{Options} menu @code{Frame Appearance->Scrollbars}.
3564 Remember to save options.
3566 To turn the scrollbar off on a per-frame basis, use the following
3570 (set-specifier scrollbar-width 0 (selected-frame))
3573 You can actually turn the scrollbars on at any level you want by
3574 substituting for (selected-frame) in the above command. For example, to
3575 turn the scrollbars off only in a single buffer:
3578 (set-specifier scrollbar-width 0 (current-buffer))
3581 In XEmacs versions prior to 19.14, you had to use the hairier construct:
3584 (set-specifier scrollbar-width (cons (selected-frame) 0))
3587 @node Q3.9.2, Q3.9.3, Q3.9.1, Customization
3588 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.9.2: How can one use resources to change scrollbar colors?
3590 Here's a recap of how to use resources to change your scrollbar colors:
3595 Emacs*XmScrollBar.Background: skyblue
3596 Emacs*XmScrollBar.troughColor: lightgray
3600 Emacs*Scrollbar.Foreground: skyblue
3601 Emacs*Scrollbar.Background: lightgray
3604 Note the capitalization of @code{Scrollbar} for the Athena widget.
3606 @node Q3.9.3, Q3.9.4, Q3.9.2, Customization
3607 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.9.3: Moving the scrollbar can move the point; can I disable this?
3609 When I move the scrollbar in an XEmacs window, it moves the point as
3610 well, which should not be the default behavior. Is this a bug or a
3611 feature? Can I disable it?
3613 The current behavior is a feature, not a bug. Point remains at the same
3614 buffer position as long as that position does not scroll off the screen.
3615 In that event, point will end up in either the upper-left or lower-left
3618 This cannot be changed.
3620 @node Q3.9.4, Q3.10.1, Q3.9.3, Customization
3621 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.9.4: How can I get automatic horizontal scrolling?
3623 By the same token, how can I turn it off in specific modes?
3625 To do this, add to your @file{.emacs} file:
3628 (require 'auto-show)
3631 Then do @code{(setq truncate-lines t)} in the mode-hooks for any modes
3632 in which you want lines truncated.
3634 More precisely: If @code{truncate-lines} is nil, horizontal scrollbars
3635 will never appear. Otherwise, they will appear only if the value of
3636 @code{scrollbar-height} for that buffer/window/etc. is non-zero. If you
3640 (set-specifier scrollbar-height 0)
3643 then horizontal scrollbars will not appear in truncated buffers unless
3644 the package specifically asked for them.
3646 Automatic horizontal scrolling is now standard, starting with 19.14.
3648 @node Q3.10.1, Q3.10.2, Q3.9.4, Customization
3649 @unnumberedsec 3.10: Text Selections
3650 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.10.1: How can I turn off or change highlighted selections?
3652 The @code{zmacs} mode allows for what some might call gratuitous
3653 highlighting for selected regions (either by setting mark or by using
3654 the mouse). This is the default behavior. To turn off, add the
3655 following line to your @file{.emacs} file:
3658 (setq zmacs-regions nil)
3661 Starting with XEmacs-20.2 you can also change this with Customize. Select
3662 from the @code{Options} menu @code{Customize->Emacs->Editing->Basics->Zmacs
3663 Regions} or type @kbd{M-x customize @key{RET} editing-basics @key{RET}}.
3665 To change the face for selection, look at @code{Options->Customize} on
3668 @node Q3.10.2, Q3.10.3, Q3.10.1, Customization
3669 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.10.2: How do I get that typing on an active region removes it?
3671 I want to change things so that if I select some text and start typing,
3672 the typed text replaces the selected text, similar to Motif.
3674 You want to use something called @dfn{pending delete}. Pending delete
3675 is what happens when you select a region (with the mouse or keyboard)
3676 and you press a key to replace the selected region by the key you typed.
3677 Usually backspace kills the selected region.
3679 To get this behavior, add the following lines to your @file{.emacs}:
3683 ((fboundp 'turn-on-pending-delete)
3684 (turn-on-pending-delete))
3685 ((fboundp 'pending-delete-on)
3686 (pending-delete-on t)))
3689 Note that this will work with both Backspace and Delete. This code is a
3690 tad more complicated than it has to be for XEmacs in order to make it
3693 @node Q3.10.3, Q3.10.4, Q3.10.2, Customization
3694 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.10.3: Can I turn off the highlight during isearch?
3696 I do not like my text highlighted while I am doing isearch as I am not
3697 able to see what's underneath. How do I turn it off?
3699 Put the following in your @file{.emacs}:
3702 (setq isearch-highlight nil)
3705 Starting with XEmacs-20.2 you can also change this with Customize. Type
3706 @kbd{M-x customize-variable @key{RET} isearch-highlight @key{RET}}.
3708 Note also that isearch-highlight affects query-replace and ispell.
3709 Instead of disabling isearch-highlight you may find that a better
3710 solution consists of customizing the @code{isearch} face.
3712 @node Q3.10.4, Q3.10.5, Q3.10.3, Customization
3713 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.10.4: How do I turn off highlighting after @kbd{C-x C-p} (mark-page)?
3715 Put this in your @code{.emacs}:
3718 (setq zmacs-regions nil)
3721 @strong{Warning: This command turns off all region highlighting.}
3723 Also @xref{Q3.10.1}.
3725 @node Q3.10.5, , Q3.10.4, Customization
3726 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.10.5: The region disappears when I hit the end of buffer while scrolling.
3728 This has been fixed by default starting with XEmacs-20.3.
3730 With older versions you can turn this feature (if it indeed is a feature)
3734 (defadvice scroll-up (around scroll-up freeze)
3736 (let ((zmacs-region-stays t))
3740 (end-of-buffer (goto-char (point-max))))
3743 (defadvice scroll-down (around scroll-down freeze)
3745 (let ((zmacs-region-stays t))
3749 (beginning-of-buffer (goto-char (point-min))))
3753 Thanks to @email{raman@@adobe.com, T. V. Raman} for assistance in deriving this
3756 @node Subsystems, Miscellaneous, Customization, Top
3757 @unnumbered 4 Major Subsystems
3759 This is part 4 of the XEmacs Frequently Asked Questions list. This
3760 section is devoted to major XEmacs subsystems.
3763 Reading Mail with VM:
3764 * Q4.0.1:: How do I set up VM to retrieve remote mail using POP?
3765 * Q4.0.2:: How do I get VM to filter mail for me?
3766 * Q4.0.3:: How can I get VM to automatically check for new mail?
3767 * Q4.0.4:: [This question intentionally left blank]
3768 * Q4.0.5:: How do I get my outgoing mail archived?
3769 * Q4.0.6:: I have various addresses at which I receive mail. How can I tell VM to ignore them when doing a "reply-all"?
3770 * Q4.0.7:: Is there a mailing list or FAQ for VM?
3771 * Q4.0.8:: Remote mail reading with VM.
3772 * Q4.0.9:: rmail or VM gets an error incorporating new mail.
3773 * Q4.0.10:: How do I make VM stay in a single frame?
3774 * Q4.0.11:: How do I make VM or mh-e display graphical smilies?
3775 * Q4.0.12:: Customization of VM not covered in the manual or here.
3777 Web browsing with W3:
3778 * Q4.1.1:: What is W3?
3779 * Q4.1.2:: How do I run W3 from behind a firewall?
3780 * Q4.1.3:: Is it true that W3 supports style sheets and tables?
3782 Reading Netnews and Mail with Gnus:
3783 * Q4.2.1:: GNUS, (ding) Gnus, Gnus 5, September Gnus, Red Gnus,argh!
3784 * Q4.2.2:: [This question intentionally left blank]
3785 * Q4.2.3:: How do I make Gnus stay within a single frame?
3786 * Q4.2.4:: How do I customize the From: line?
3789 * Q4.3.1:: How can I read and/or compose MIME messages?
3790 * Q4.3.2:: What is TM and where do I get it?
3791 * Q4.3.3:: Why isn't this @code{movemail} program working?
3792 * Q4.3.4:: Movemail is also distributed by Netscape? Can that cause problems?
3793 * Q4.3.5:: Where do I find pstogif (required by tm)?
3795 Sparcworks, EOS, and WorkShop:
3796 * Q4.4.1:: What is SPARCworks, EOS, and WorkShop
3797 * Q4.4.2:: How do I start the Sun Workshop support in XEmacs 21?
3800 * Q4.5.1:: What is/was Energize?
3803 * Q4.6.1:: What is Infodock?
3805 Other Unbundled Packages:
3806 * Q4.7.1:: What is AUC TeX? Where do you get it?
3807 * Q4.7.2:: Are there any Emacs Lisp Spreadsheets?
3808 * Q4.7.3:: [This question intentionally left blank]
3809 * Q4.7.4:: Problems installing AUC TeX
3810 * Q4.7.5:: Is there a reason for an Emacs package not to be included in XEmacs?
3811 * Q4.7.6:: Is there a MatLab mode?
3814 @node Q4.0.1, Q4.0.2, Subsystems, Subsystems
3815 @unnumberedsec 4.0: Reading Mail with VM
3816 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.0.1: How do I set up VM to retrieve mail from a remote site using POP?
3818 Use @code{vm-spool-files}, like this for example:
3821 (setq vm-spool-files '("/var/spool/mail/wing"
3822 "netcom23.netcom.com:110:pass:wing:MYPASS"))
3825 Of course substitute your actual password for MYPASS.
3827 @node Q4.0.2, Q4.0.3, Q4.0.1, Subsystems
3828 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.0.2: How do I get VM to filter mail for me?
3830 One possibility is to use procmail to split your mail before it gets to
3831 VM. I prefer this personally, since there are many strange and
3832 wonderful things one can do with procmail. Procmail may be found at
3833 @uref{ftp://ftp.informatik.rwth-aachen.de/pub/packages/procmail/}.
3835 Also see the Mail Filtering FAQ at:
3839 @uref{ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/mail/filtering-faq}.
3841 @c <URL:http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/mail/filtering-faq/faq.html>
3844 @node Q4.0.3, Q4.0.4, Q4.0.2, Subsystems
3845 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.0.3: How can I get VM to automatically check for new mail?
3847 @email{turner@@lanl.gov, John Turner} writes:
3853 (setq vm-auto-get-new-mail 60)
3857 @node Q4.0.4, Q4.0.5, Q4.0.3, Subsystems
3858 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.0.4: [This question intentionally left blank]
3860 Obsolete question, left blank to avoid renumbering.
3862 @node Q4.0.5, Q4.0.6, Q4.0.4, Subsystems
3863 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.0.5: How do I get my outgoing mail archived?
3866 (setq mail-archive-file-name "~/outbox")
3869 @node Q4.0.6, Q4.0.7, Q4.0.5, Subsystems
3870 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.0.6: I have various addresses at which I receive mail. How can I tell VM to ignore them when doing a "reply-all"?
3872 Set @code{vm-reply-ignored-addresses} to a list, like
3875 (setq vm-reply-ignored-addresses
3876 '("wing@@nuspl@@nvwls.cc.purdue.edu,netcom[0-9]*.netcom.com"
3877 "wing@@netcom.com" "wing@@xemacs.org"))
3880 Note that each string is a regular expression.
3882 @node Q4.0.7, Q4.0.8, Q4.0.6, Subsystems
3883 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.0.7: Is there a mailing list or FAQ for VM?
3885 A FAQ for VM exists at @uref{http://www.cyberpass.net/~gorkab/vmfaq.htm}.
3887 VM has its own newsgroups gnu.emacs.vm.info and gnu.emacs.vm.bug.
3889 @node Q4.0.8, Q4.0.9, Q4.0.7, Subsystems
3890 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.0.8: Remote mail reading with VM.
3892 My mailbox lives at the office on a big honkin server. My regular INBOX
3893 lives on my honkin desktop machine. I now can PPP to the office from
3894 home which is far from honking... I'd like to be able to read mail at
3895 home without storing it here and I'd like to use xemacs and VM at
3896 home... Is there a recommended setup?
3898 @email{nuspl@@nvwls.cc.purdue.edu, Joseph J. Nuspl Jr.} writes:
3901 There are several ways to do this.
3905 Set your display to your home machine and run dxpc or one of the other X
3909 NFS mount your desktop machine on your home machine and modify your pop
3910 command on your home machine to rsh to your desktop machine and actually
3914 Run a POP server on your desktop machine as well and do a sort of two
3919 @email{wmperry@@monolith.spry.com, William Perry} adds:
3922 Or you could run a pop script periodically on your desktop machine, and
3923 just use ange-ftp or NFS to get to your mailbox. I used to do this all
3924 the time back at IU.
3927 @node Q4.0.9, Q4.0.10, Q4.0.8, Subsystems
3928 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.0.9: rmail or VM gets an error incorporating new mail.
3930 Quoting the XEmacs PROBLEMS file:
3933 rmail and VM get new mail from @file{/usr/spool/mail/$USER} using a
3934 program called @code{movemail}. This program interlocks with
3935 @code{/bin/mail} using the protocol defined by @code{/bin/mail}.
3937 There are two different protocols in general use. One of them uses the
3938 @code{flock} system call. The other involves creating a lock file;
3939 @code{movemail} must be able to write in @file{/usr/spool/mail} in order
3940 to do this. You control which one is used by defining, or not defining,
3941 the macro @code{MAIL_USE_FLOCK} in @file{config.h} or the m- or s- file
3944 @strong{IF YOU DON'T USE THE FORM OF INTERLOCKING THAT IS NORMAL ON YOUR
3945 SYSTEM, YOU CAN LOSE MAIL!}
3947 If your system uses the lock file protocol, and fascist restrictions
3948 prevent ordinary users from writing the lock files in
3949 @file{/usr/spool/mail}, you may need to make @code{movemail} setgid to a
3950 suitable group such as @samp{mail}. You can use these commands (as
3958 If your system uses the lock file protocol, and fascist restrictions
3959 prevent ordinary users from writing the lock files in
3960 @file{/usr/spool/mail}, you may need to make @code{movemail} setgid to a
3961 suitable group such as @code{mail}. To do this, use the following
3962 commands (as root) after doing the make install.
3969 Installation normally copies movemail from the build directory to an
3970 installation directory which is usually under @file{/usr/local/lib}.
3971 The installed copy of @code{movemail} is usually in the directory
3972 @file{/usr/local/lib/emacs/VERSION/TARGET}. You must change the group
3973 and mode of the installed copy; changing the group and mode of the build
3974 directory copy is ineffective.
3977 @node Q4.0.10, Q4.0.11, Q4.0.9, Subsystems
3978 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.0.10: How do I make VM stay in a single frame?
3980 John.@email{Cooper@@Eng.Sun.COM, John S Cooper} writes:
3984 ; Don't use multiple frames
3985 (setq vm-frame-per-composition nil)
3986 (setq vm-frame-per-folder nil)
3987 (setq vm-frame-per-edit nil)
3988 (setq vm-frame-per-summary nil)
3992 @node Q4.0.11, Q4.0.12, Q4.0.10, Subsystems
3993 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.0.11: How do I make VM or mh-e display graphical smilies?
3995 For mh-e use the following:
3998 (add-hook 'mh-show-mode-hook '(lambda ()
3999 (smiley-region (point-min)
4003 @email{bill@@carpenter.ORG, WJCarpenter} writes:
4004 For VM use the following:
4006 (autoload 'smiley-region "smiley" nil t)
4007 (add-hook 'vm-select-message-hook
4009 (smiley-region (point-min)
4013 For tm use the following:
4015 (autoload 'smiley-buffer "smiley" nil t)
4016 (add-hook 'mime-viewer/plain-text-preview-hook 'smiley-buffer)
4019 @node Q4.0.12, Q4.1.1, Q4.0.11, Subsystems
4020 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.0.12: Customization of VM not covered in the manual, or here.
4022 @email{boffi@@hp735.stru.polimi.it, giacomo boffi} writes:
4025 The meta-answer is to look into the file @file{vm-vars.el}, in the vm
4026 directory of the lisp library.
4028 @file{vm-vars.el} contains, initializes and carefully describes, with
4029 examples of usage, the plethora of user options that @emph{fully}
4030 control VM's behavior.
4032 Enter vm-vars, @code{forward-search} for toolbar, find the variables
4033 that control the toolbar placement, appearance, existence, copy to your
4034 @file{.emacs} or @file{.vm} and modify according to the detailed
4037 The above also applies to all the various features of VM: search for
4038 some keywords, maybe the first you conjure isn't appropriate, find the
4039 appropriate variables, copy and experiment.
4042 @node Q4.1.1, Q4.1.2, Q4.0.12, Subsystems
4043 @unnumberedsec 4.1: Web browsing with W3
4044 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.1.1: What is W3?
4046 W3 is an advanced graphical browser written in Emacs lisp that runs on
4047 XEmacs. It has full support for cascaded style sheets, and more...
4049 It has a home web page at
4050 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/elisp/w3/docs.html}.
4052 @node Q4.1.2, Q4.1.3, Q4.1.1, Subsystems
4053 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.1.2: How do I run W3 from behind a firewall?
4055 There is a long, well-written, detailed section in the W3 manual that
4056 describes how to do this. Look in the section entitled "Firewalls".
4058 @node Q4.1.3, Q4.2.1, Q4.1.2, Subsystems
4059 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.1.3: Is it true that W3 supports style sheets and tables?
4061 Yes, and much more. W3, as distributed with the latest XEmacs is a
4062 full-featured web browser.
4064 @node Q4.2.1, Q4.2.2, Q4.1.3, Subsystems
4065 @unnumberedsec 4.2: Reading Netnews and Mail with Gnus
4066 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.2.1: GNUS, (ding) Gnus, Gnus 5, September Gnus, Red Gnus, Quassia Gnus, argh!
4068 The Gnus numbering issues are not meant for mere mortals to know them.
4069 If you feel you @emph{must} enter the muddy waters of Gnus, visit the
4070 excellent FAQ, maintained by Justin Sheehy, at:
4073 @uref{http://www.ccs.neu.edu/software/contrib/gnus/}
4076 See also Gnus home page
4078 @uref{http://www.gnus.org/}
4081 @node Q4.2.2, Q4.2.3, Q4.2.1, Subsystems
4082 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.2.2: This question intentionally left blank.
4084 Obsolete question, left blank to avoid renumbering.
4086 @node Q4.2.3, Q4.2.4, Q4.2.2, Subsystems
4087 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.2.3: How do I make Gnus stay within a single frame?
4089 The toolbar code to start Gnus opens the new frame---and it's a feature
4090 rather than a bug. If you don't like it, but would still like to click
4091 on the seemly icon, use the following code:
4094 (defun toolbar-news ()
4098 It will redefine the callback function of the icon to just call
4099 @code{gnus}, without all the fancy frame stuff.
4101 @node Q4.2.4, Q4.3.1, Q4.2.3, Subsystems
4102 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.2.4: How do I customize the From: line?
4104 How do I change the @code{From:} line? I have set gnus-user-from-line
4107 Gail Gurman <gail.gurman@@sybase.com>
4109 @noindent , but XEmacs Gnus doesn't use
4112 Gail Mara Gurman @email{gailg@@deall}
4114 @noindent and then complains
4115 that it's incorrect. Also, as you perhaps can see, my Message-ID is
4116 screwy. How can I change that?
4118 @email{larsi@@ifi.uio.no, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen} writes:
4121 Set @code{user-mail-address} to @samp{gail.gurman@@sybase.com} or
4122 @code{mail-host-address} to @samp{sybase.com}.
4125 @node Q4.3.1, Q4.3.2, Q4.2.4, Subsystems
4126 @unnumberedsec 4.3: Other Mail & News
4127 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.3.1: How can I read and/or compose MIME messages?
4130 VM supports MIME natively.
4132 You probably want to use the Tools for MIME (tm). @xref{Q4.3.2}, for
4135 @email{trey@@cs.berkeley.edu, Trey Jackson} has an Emacs & MIME web page at
4139 @uref{http://bmrc.berkeley.edu/~trey/emacs/mime.html}.
4142 Another possibility is RMIME. You may find RMIME at
4146 @uref{http://www.cinti.net/~rmoody/rmime/index.html}.
4149 @node Q4.3.2, Q4.3.3, Q4.3.1, Subsystems
4150 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.3.2: What is TM and where do I get it?
4152 TM stands for @dfn{Tools for MIME} and not Tiny MIME. TM integrates
4153 with all major XEmacs packages like Gnus (all flavors), VM, MH-E, and
4154 mailcrypt. It provides totally transparent and trouble-free MIME
4155 support. When appropriate a message will be decoded in place in an
4158 TM now comes as a package with XEmacs 19.16 and XEmacs 20.2.
4160 TM was written by @email{morioka@@jaist.ac.jp, MORIOKA Tomohiko} and
4161 @email{shuhei-k@@jaist.ac.jp, KOBAYASHI
4164 It is based on the work of @email{umerin@@mse.kyutech.ac.jp, UMEDA
4165 Masanobu}, the original writer of GNUS.
4167 The following information is from the @file{README}:
4169 @dfn{tm} is a MIME package for GNU Emacs.
4170 tm has following functions:
4173 @item MIME style multilingual header.
4174 @item MIME message viewer (mime/viewer-mode).
4175 @item MIME message composer (mime/editor-mode).
4176 @item MIME extenders for mh-e, GNUS, RMAIL and VM.
4179 tm is available from following anonymous ftp sites:
4181 @comment @item @uref{ftp://ftp.jaist.ac.jp/pub/GNU/elisp/mime/} (Japan).
4182 @comment @item @uref{ftp://ftp.nis.co.jp/pub/gnu/emacs-lisp/tm/} (Japan).
4183 @comment @c The host above is unknown.
4184 @comment @item @uref{ftp://ftp.nisiq.net/pub/gnu/emacs-lisp/tm/} (US).
4185 @comment @item @uref{ftp://ftp.miranova.com/pub/gnus/jaist.ac.jp/} (US).
4186 @item @uref{ftp://ftp.unicamp.br/pub/mail/mime/tm/} (Brasil).
4187 @item @uref{ftp://ftp.th-darmstadt.de/pub/editors/GNU-Emacs/lisp/mime/} (Germany).
4188 @item @uref{ftp://ftp.tnt.uni-hannover.de/pub/editors/xemacs/contrib/} (Germany).
4191 Don't let the installation procedure & instructions stop you from trying
4192 this package out---it's much simpler than it looks, and once installed,
4195 @node Q4.3.3, Q4.3.4, Q4.3.2, Subsystems
4196 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.3.3: Why isn't this @code{movemail} program working?
4198 Ben Wing @email{ben@@xemacs.org} writes:
4201 It wasn't chown'ed/chmod'd correctly.
4204 @node Q4.3.4, Q4.3.5, Q4.3.3, Subsystems
4205 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.3.4: Movemail is also distributed by Netscape? Can that cause problems?
4207 @email{steve@@xemacs.org, Steve Baur} writes:
4210 Yes. Always use the movemail installed with your XEmacs. Failure to do
4211 so can result in lost mail.
4214 Please refer to @email{jwz@@jwz.org, Jamie Zawinski's} notes at
4218 @uref{http://home.netscape.com/eng/mozilla/2.0/relnotes/demo/movemail.html}.
4219 In particular, this document will show you how to make Netscape use the
4220 version of movemail configured for your system by the person who built
4223 @node Q4.3.5, Q4.4.1, Q4.3.4, Subsystems
4224 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.3.5: Where do I find pstogif (required by tm)?
4226 pstogif is part of the latex2html package.
4228 @email{vroonhof@@math.ethz.ch, Jan Vroonhof} writes:
4230 latex2html is best found at the CTAN hosts and their mirrors
4235 @file{tex-archive/support/latex2html}.
4240 @item @uref{ftp://ftp.tex.ac.uk/tex-archive/support/latex2html/}.
4241 @item @uref{ftp://ftp.dante.de/tex-archive/support/latex2html/}.
4244 There is a good mirror at ftp.cdrom.com;
4248 @uref{ftp://ftp.cdrom.com/pub/tex/ctan/support/latex2html/}.
4250 @node Q4.4.1, Q4.4.2, Q4.3.5, Subsystems
4251 @unnumberedsec 4.4: Sparcworks, EOS, and WorkShop
4252 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.4.1: What is SPARCworks, EOS, and WorkShop?
4254 @email{turner@@lanl.gov, John Turner} writes:
4257 SPARCworks is SunSoft's development environment, comprising compilers
4258 (C, C++, FORTRAN 77, Fortran 90, Ada, and Pascal), a debugger, and other
4259 tools such as TeamWare (for configuration management), MakeTool, etc.
4262 See @uref{http://www.sun.com/software/Developer-products/}
4265 EOS stands for "Era on SPARCworks", but I don't know what Era stands
4268 EOS is the integration of XEmacs with the SPARCworks debugger. It
4269 allows one to use an XEmacs frame to view code (complete with
4270 fontification, etc.), set breakpoints, print variables, etc., while
4271 using the SPARCworks debugger. It works very well and I use it all the
4274 @email{cthomp@@xemacs.org, Chuck Thompson} writes:
4277 Era stood for "Emacs Rewritten Again". It was what we were calling the
4278 modified version of Lucid Emacs for Sun when I was dragged, er, allowed
4279 to work on this wonderful editor.
4282 @email{martin@@xemacs.org, Martin Buchholz} writes:
4285 EOS is being replaced with a new graphical development environment
4286 called Sun WorkShop, which is currently (07/96) in Alpha Test. For more
4291 @uref{http://www.sun.com/software/Products/Developer-products}.
4294 @node Q4.4.2, Q4.5.1, Q4.4.1, Subsystems
4295 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.4.2: How do I start the Sun Workshop support in XEmacs 21?
4297 Add the switch ---with-workshop to the configure command when building
4298 XEmacs and put the following in one of your startup files
4299 (e.g. site-start.el or .emacs):
4302 (when (featurep 'tooltalk)
4303 (load "tooltalk-macros")
4304 (load "tooltalk-util")
4305 (load "tooltalk-init"))
4306 (when (featurep 'sparcworks)
4307 (load "sunpro-init")
4310 (load "annotations")
4314 If you are not using the latest Workshop (5.0) you have to apply the
4318 --- /opt/SUNWspro/lib/eserve.el.ORIG Fri May 14 15:23:26 1999
4319 +++ /opt/SUNWspro/lib/eserve.el Fri May 14 15:24:54 1999
4320 @@@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@@@
4321 (defvar running-xemacs nil "t if we're running XEmacs")
4322 (defvar running-emacs nil "t if we're running GNU Emacs 19")
4324 -(if (string-match "^\\(19\\|20\\)\..*\\(XEmacs\\|Lucid\\)" emacs-version)
4325 +(if (string-match "\\(XEmacs\\|Lucid\\)" emacs-version)
4326 (setq running-xemacs t)
4327 (setq running-emacs t))
4332 @node Q4.5.1, Q4.6.1, Q4.4.2, Subsystems
4333 @unnumberedsec 4.5: Energize
4334 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.5.1: What is/was Energize?
4336 @email{gray@@meteor.harlequin.com, David N Gray} writes:
4338 The files in @file{lisp/energize} are to enable Emacs to interface with
4339 the "Energize Programming System", a C and C++ development environment,
4340 which was a product of Lucid, Inc. Tragically, Lucid went out of
4341 business in 1994, so although Energize is still a great system, if you
4342 don't already have it, there isn't any way to get it now. (Unless you
4343 happen to be in Japan; INS Engineering may still be selling it there.
4344 Tartan bought the rights to sell it in the rest of the world, but never
4348 @node Q4.6.1, Q4.7.1, Q4.5.1, Subsystems
4349 @unnumberedsec 4.6: Infodock
4350 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.6.1: What is Infodock?
4352 InfoDock is an integrated productivity toolset, mainly aimed at
4353 technical people. It is developed and supported by InfoDock
4354 Associates, a firm that offers custom support and development
4355 for InfoDock, XEmacs and GNU Emacs. ( @uref{http://www.infodock.com},
4356 @email{info@@infodock.com}, +1 408 243 3300).
4358 InfoDock is built atop the XEmacs variant of GNU Emacs and so has all of
4359 the power of Emacs, but with an easier to use and more comprehensive
4360 menu-based user interface. The bottom portion of this text describes
4361 how it differs from XEmacs and GNU Emacs from the Free Software
4364 InfoDock is aimed at people who want a free, turn-key productivity
4365 environment. Although InfoDock is customizable, it is not intended for
4366 people who like basic versions of Emacs which need to be customized
4367 extensively for local use; standard Emacs distributions are better for
4368 such uses. InfoDock is for those people who want a complete,
4369 pre-customized environment in one package, which they need not touch
4370 more than once or twice a year to update to new revisions.
4372 InfoDock is pre-built for SPARC SunOS/Solaris systems, PA-RISC HP-UX,
4373 and Intel Linux systems. It is intended for use on a color display,
4374 although most features will work on monochrome monitors. Simply unpack
4375 InfoDock according to the instructions in the ID-INSTALL file and you
4378 The InfoDock Manual is concise, yet sufficient as a user guide for users
4379 who have never used an Emacs-type editor before. For users who are
4380 already familiar with Emacs, it supplements the information in the GNU
4383 InfoDock menus are much more extensive and more mature than standard
4384 Emacs menus. Each menu offers a @samp{Manual} item which displays
4385 documentation associated with the menu's functions.
4388 Four types of menubars are provided:
4391 An extensive menubar providing access to global InfoDock commands.
4393 Mode-specific menubars tailored to the current major mode.
4395 A simple menubar for basic editing to help novices get started with InfoDock.
4397 The standard XEmacs menubar.
4400 Most modes also include mode-specific popup menus. Additionally, region and
4401 rectangle popup menus are included.
4403 @samp{Hyperbole}, the everyday information manager, is a core part of
4404 InfoDock. This provides context-sensitive mouse keys, a rolodex-type
4405 contact manager, programmable hypertext buttons, and an autonumbered
4406 outliner with embedded hyperlink anchors.
4408 The @samp{OO-Browser}, a multi-language object-oriented code browser, is a
4409 standard part of InfoDock.
4411 InfoDock saves a more extensive set of user options than other Emacs
4414 InfoDock inserts a useful file header in many file types, showing the
4415 author, summary, and last modification time of each file. A summary
4416 program can then be used to summarize all of the files in a directory,
4417 for easy MANIFEST file creation.
4419 Your working set of buffers is automatically saved and restored (if you
4420 answer yes to a prompt) between InfoDock sessions.
4422 Refined color choices for code highlighting are provided for both dark and
4423 light background display frames.
4425 The @kbd{C-z} key prefix performs frame-based commands which parallel the
4426 @kbd{C-x} key prefix for window-based commands.
4428 The Smart Menu system is included for producing command menus on dumb
4431 Lisp libraries are better categorized according to function.
4433 Extensions and improvements to many areas of Emacs are included, such as:
4434 paragraph filling, mail reading with Rmail, shell handling, outlining, code
4435 highlighting and browsing, and man page browsing.
4437 InfoDock questions, answers and discussion should go to the mail list
4441 @email{infodock@@infodock.com}. Use
4442 @email{infodock-request@@infodock.com} to be added or removed from the
4443 list. Always include your InfoDock version number when sending help
4446 InfoDock is available across the Internet via anonymous FTP. To get
4447 it, first move to a directory into which you want the InfoDock archive
4448 files placed. We will call this <DIST-DIR>.
4454 Ftp to ftp.xemacs.org (Internet Host ID = 128.174.252.16):
4457 prompt> ftp ftp.xemacs.org
4460 Login as @samp{anonymous} with your own <user-id>@@<site-name> as a password.
4463 Name (ftp.xemacs.org): anonymous
4464 331 Guest login ok, send your complete e-mail address as password.
4465 Password: -<your-user-id>@@<your-domain>
4466 230 Guest login ok, access restrictions apply.
4469 Move to the location of the InfoDock archives:
4472 ftp> cd pub/infodock
4475 Set your transfer mode to binary:
4486 Interactive mode off.
4489 Retrieve the InfoDock archives that you want, either by using a
4490 @samp{get <file>} for each file you want or by using the following to
4491 get a complete distribution, including all binaries:
4494 ftp> mget ID-INSTALL
4498 Close the FTP connection:
4505 Read the @file{ID-INSTALL} file which you just retrieved for
4506 step-by-step installation instructions.
4508 @node Q4.7.1, Q4.7.2, Q4.6.1, Subsystems
4509 @unnumberedsec 4.7: Other Unbundled Packages
4510 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.7.1: What is AUC TeX? Where do you get it?
4512 AUC TeX is a package written by @email{abraham@@dina.kvl.dk, Per Abrahamsen}.
4513 Starting with XEmacs 19.16, AUC TeX is bundled with XEmacs. The
4514 following information is from the @file{README} and website.
4516 AUC TeX is an extensible package that supports writing and formatting
4517 TeX files for most variants of GNU Emacs. Many different macro packages
4518 are supported, including AMS TeX, LaTeX, and TeXinfo.
4520 The most recent version is always available by ftp at
4524 @uref{ftp://sunsite.auc.dk/packages/auctex/auctex.tar.gz}.
4526 In case you don't have access to anonymous ftp, you can get it by an
4527 email request to @email{ftpmail@@decwrl.dec.com}.
4529 WWW users may want to check out the AUC TeX page at
4533 @uref{http://sunsite.auc.dk/auctex/}.
4535 @node Q4.7.2, Q4.7.3, Q4.7.1, Subsystems
4536 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.7.2: Are there any Emacs Lisp Spreadsheets?
4538 Yes. Check out @dfn{dismal} (which stands for Dis' Mode Ain't Lotus) at
4542 @uref{ftp://cs.nyu.edu/pub/local/fox/dismal/}.
4544 @node Q4.7.3, Q4.7.4, Q4.7.2, Subsystems
4545 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.7.3: [This question intentionally left blank]
4547 @node Q4.7.4, Q4.7.5, Q4.7.3, Subsystems
4548 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.7.4: Problems installing AUC TeX.
4550 @email{vroonhof@@math.ethz.ch, Jan Vroonhof} writes:
4553 AUC TeX works fine on both stock Emacs and XEmacs has been doing so for
4554 a very very long time. This is mostly due to the work of
4555 @email{abraham@@dina.kvl.dk, Per Abrahamsen} (clap clap) in particular his @file{easymenu}
4556 package. Which leads to what is probably the problem...
4559 Most problems with AUC TeX are one of two things:
4563 The TeX-lisp-directory in @file{tex-site.el} and the makefile don't
4566 Fix: make sure you configure AUC TeX properly @strong{before} installing.
4569 You have an old version of easymenu.el in your path.
4571 Fix: use @code{locate-library} and remove old versions to make sure it
4572 @strong{only} finds the one that came with XEmacs.
4576 @node Q4.7.5, Q4.7.6, Q4.7.4, Subsystems
4577 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.7.5: Is there a reason for an Emacs package not to be included in XEmacs?
4579 The reason for an Emacs package not to be included in XEmacs is
4580 usually one or more of the following:
4584 The package has not been ported to XEmacs. This will typically happen
4585 when it uses GNU-Emacs-specific features, which make it fail under
4588 Porting a package to XEmacs can range from a trivial amount of change to
4589 a partial or full rewrite. Fortunately, the authors of modern packages
4590 usually choose to support both Emacsen themselves.
4593 The package has been decided not to be appropriate for XEmacs. It may
4594 have an equivalent or better replacement within XEmacs, in which case
4595 the developers may choose not to burden themselves with supporting an
4598 Each package bundled with XEmacs means more work for the maintainers,
4599 whether they want it or not. If you are ready to take over the
4600 maintenance responsibilities for the package you port, be sure to say
4601 so---we will more likely include it.
4604 The package simply hasn't been noted by the XEmacs development. If
4605 that's the case, the messages like yours are very useful for attracting
4609 The package was noted by the developers, but they simply haven't yet
4610 gotten around to including/porting it. Wait for the next release or,
4611 even better, offer your help. It will be gladly accepted and
4615 @node Q4.7.6, , Q4.7.5, Subsystems
4616 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.7.5: Is there a MatLab mode?
4618 Yes, a matlab mode and other items are available at the
4619 @uref{ftp://ftp.mathworks.com/pub/contrib/emacs_add_ons,
4620 MathWorks' emacs_add_ons ftp directory}.
4622 @node Miscellaneous, MS Windows, Subsystems, Top
4623 @unnumbered 5 The Miscellaneous Stuff
4625 This is part 5 of the XEmacs Frequently Asked Questions list. This
4626 section is devoted to anything that doesn't fit neatly into the other
4630 Major & Minor Modes:
4631 * Q5.0.1:: How can I do source code highlighting using font-lock?
4632 * Q5.0.2:: I do not like cc-mode. How do I use the old c-mode?
4633 * Q5.0.3:: How do I get @samp{More} Syntax Highlighting on by default?
4634 * Q5.0.4:: How can I enable auto-indent?
4635 * Q5.0.5:: How can I get XEmacs to come up in text/auto-fill mode by default?
4636 * Q5.0.6:: How do I start up a second shell buffer?
4637 * Q5.0.7:: Telnet from shell filters too much.
4638 * Q5.0.8:: Why does edt emulation not work?
4639 * Q5.0.9:: How can I emulate VI and use it as my default mode?
4640 * Q5.0.10:: [This question intentionally left blank]
4641 * Q5.0.11:: How do I turn on filladapt for all buffers?
4642 * Q5.0.12:: How do I disable gnuserv from opening a new frame?
4643 * Q5.0.13:: How do I start gnuserv so that each subsequent XEmacs is a client?
4644 * Q5.0.14:: Strange things are happening in Shell Mode.
4645 * Q5.0.15:: Where do I get the latest CC Mode?
4646 * Q5.0.16:: I find auto-show-mode disconcerting. How do I turn it off?
4647 * Q5.0.17:: How can I get two instances of info?
4648 * Q5.0.18:: [This question intentionally left blank]
4649 * Q5.0.19:: Is there something better than LaTeX mode?
4650 * Q5.0.20:: Is there a way to start a new XEmacs if there's no gnuserv running, and otherwise use gnuclient?
4652 Emacs Lisp Programming Techniques:
4653 * Q5.1.1:: The difference in key sequences between XEmacs and GNU Emacs?
4654 * Q5.1.2:: Can I generate "fake" keyboard events?
4655 * Q5.1.3:: Could you explain @code{read-kbd-macro} in more detail?
4656 * Q5.1.4:: What is the performance hit of @code{let}?
4657 * Q5.1.5:: What is the recommended use of @code{setq}?
4658 * Q5.1.6:: What is the typical misuse of @code{setq}?
4659 * Q5.1.7:: I like the @code{do} form of cl, does it slow things down?
4660 * Q5.1.8:: I like recursion, does it slow things down?
4661 * Q5.1.9:: How do I put a glyph as annotation in a buffer?
4662 * Q5.1.10:: @code{map-extents} won't traverse all of my extents!
4663 * Q5.1.11:: My elisp program is horribly slow. Is there an easy way to find out where it spends time?
4666 * Q5.2.1:: How do I turn off the sound?
4667 * Q5.2.2:: How do I get funky sounds instead of a boring beep?
4668 * Q5.2.3:: What's NAS, how do I get it?
4669 * Q5.2.4:: Sunsite sounds don't play.
4672 * Q5.3.1:: How do you make XEmacs indent CL if-clauses correctly?
4673 * Q5.3.2:: Fontifying hangs when editing a postscript file.
4674 * Q5.3.3:: How can I print WYSIWYG a font-locked buffer?
4675 * Q5.3.4:: Getting @kbd{M-x lpr} to work with postscript printer.
4676 * Q5.3.5:: How do I specify the paths that XEmacs uses for finding files?
4677 * Q5.3.6:: [This question intentionally left blank]
4678 * Q5.3.7:: Can I have the end of the buffer delimited in some way?
4679 * Q5.3.8:: How do I insert today's date into a buffer?
4680 * Q5.3.9:: Are only certain syntactic character classes available for abbrevs?
4681 * Q5.3.10:: How can I get those oh-so-neat X-Face lines?
4682 * Q5.3.11:: How do I add new Info directories?
4683 * Q5.3.12:: What do I need to change to make printing work?
4686 @node Q5.0.1, Q5.0.2, Miscellaneous, Miscellaneous
4687 @unnumberedsec 5.0: Major & Minor Modes
4688 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.0.1: How can I do source code highlighting using font-lock?
4690 For most modes, font-lock is already set up and just needs to be turned
4691 on. This can be done by @kbd{M-x font-lock-mode}, or by having XEmacs
4692 automatically start it by adding lines like:
4695 (add-hook 'emacs-lisp-mode-hook 'turn-on-font-lock)
4696 (add-hook 'dired-mode-hook 'turn-on-font-lock)
4699 to your @file{.emacs}. See the file @file{etc/sample.emacs} for more
4702 See also @code{Syntax Highlighting} from the @code{Options} menu.
4703 Remember to save options.
4705 @node Q5.0.2, Q5.0.3, Q5.0.1, Miscellaneous
4706 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.0.2: I do not like cc-mode. How do I use the old c-mode?
4708 Well, first off, consider if you really want to do this. cc-mode is
4709 much more powerful than the old c-mode. If you're having trouble
4710 getting your old offsets to work, try using @code{c-set-offset} instead.
4711 You might also consider using the package @code{cc-compat}.
4713 But, if you still insist, add the following lines to your @file{.emacs}:
4716 (fmakunbound 'c-mode)
4717 (makunbound 'c-mode-map)
4718 (fmakunbound 'c++-mode)
4719 (makunbound 'c++-mode-map)
4720 (makunbound 'c-style-alist)
4721 (load-library "old-c-mode")
4722 (load-library "old-c++-mode")
4725 This must be done before any other reference is made to either c-mode or
4728 @node Q5.0.3, Q5.0.4, Q5.0.2, Miscellaneous
4729 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.0.3: How do I get @samp{More} Syntax Highlighting on by default?
4731 Use the following code in your @file{.emacs}:
4734 (setq-default font-lock-maximum-decoration t)
4737 In versions of XEmacs prior to 19.14, you had to use a kludgy solution
4741 (setq c-font-lock-keywords c-font-lock-keywords-2
4742 c++-font-lock-keywords c++-font-lock-keywords-2
4743 lisp-font-lock-keywords lisp-font-lock-keywords-2)
4746 It will work for C, C++ and Lisp.
4748 See also @code{Syntax Highlighting} from the @code{Options} menu.
4749 Remember to save options.
4751 @node Q5.0.4, Q5.0.5, Q5.0.3, Miscellaneous
4752 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.0.4: How can I enable auto-indent?
4754 Put the following line in your @file{.emacs}:
4757 (setq indent-line-function 'indent-relative-maybe)
4760 If you want to get fancy, try the @code{filladapt} package available
4761 standard with XEmacs. Put this into your @file{.emacs}:
4764 (require 'filladapt)
4765 (add-hook 'text-mode-hook 'turn-on-filladapt-mode)
4769 You can customize filling and adaptive filling with Customize.
4770 Select from the @code{Options} menu
4771 @code{Customize->Emacs->->Editing->Fill->Fill...}
4772 or type @kbd{M-x customize @key{RET} fill @key{RET}}.
4774 Note that well-behaving text-lookalike modes will run
4775 @code{text-mode-hook} by default (e.g. that's what Message does). For
4776 the nasty ones, you'll have to provide the @code{add-hook}s yourself.
4778 Please note that the @code{fa-extras} package is no longer useful.
4780 @node Q5.0.5, Q5.0.6, Q5.0.4, Miscellaneous
4781 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.0.5: How can I get XEmacs to come up in text/auto-fill mode by default?
4783 Try the following lisp in your @file{.emacs}:
4786 (setq default-major-mode 'text-mode)
4787 (setq text-mode-hook 'turn-on-auto-fill)
4790 @strong{WARNING}: note that changing the value of
4791 @code{default-major-mode} from @code{fundamental-mode} can break a large
4792 amount of built-in code that expects newly created buffers to be in
4793 @code{fundamental-mode}. (Changing from @code{fundamental-mode} to
4794 @code{text-mode} might not wreak too much havoc, but changing to
4795 something more exotic like a lisp-mode would break many Emacs packages).
4797 Note that Emacs by default starts up in buffer @code{*scratch*} in
4798 @code{initial-major-mode}, which defaults to
4799 @code{lisp-interaction-mode}. Thus adding the following form to your
4800 Emacs init file will cause the initial @code{*scratch*} buffer to be put
4801 into auto-fill'ed @code{text-mode}:
4804 (setq initial-major-mode
4807 (turn-on-auto-fill)))
4810 Note that after your init file is loaded, if
4811 @code{inhibit-startup-message} is @code{nil} (the default) and the
4812 startup buffer is @code{*scratch*} then the startup message will be
4813 inserted into @code{*scratch*}; it will be removed after a timeout by
4814 erasing the entire @code{*scratch*} buffer. Keep in mind this default
4815 usage of @code{*scratch*} if you desire any prior manipulation of
4816 @code{*scratch*} from within your Emacs init file. In particular,
4817 anything you insert into @code{*scratch*} from your init file will be
4818 later erased. Also, if you change the mode of the @code{*scratch*}
4819 buffer, be sure that this will not interfere with possible later
4820 insertion of the startup message (e.g. if you put @code{*scratch*} into
4821 a nonstandard mode that has automatic font lock rules, then the startup
4822 message might get fontified in a strange foreign manner, e.g. as code in
4823 some programming language).
4825 @node Q5.0.6, Q5.0.7, Q5.0.5, Miscellaneous
4826 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.0.6: How do I start up a second shell buffer?
4828 In the @code{*shell*} buffer:
4831 M-x rename-buffer @key{RET} *shell-1* @key{RET}
4835 This will then start a second shell. The key is that no buffer named
4836 @samp{*shell*} can exist. It might be preferable to use @kbd{M-x
4837 rename-uniquely} to rename the @code{*shell*} buffer instead of @kbd{M-x
4840 Alternately, you can set the variable @code{shell-multiple-shells}.
4841 If the value of this variable is non-nil, each time shell mode is invoked,
4844 @node Q5.0.7, Q5.0.8, Q5.0.6, Miscellaneous
4845 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.0.7: Telnet from shell filters too much
4847 I'm using the Emacs @kbd{M-x shell} function, and I would like to invoke
4848 and use a telnet session within it. Everything works fine except that
4849 now all @samp{^M}'s are filtered out by Emacs. Fixes?
4851 Use @kbd{M-x rsh} or @kbd{M-x telnet} to open remote sessions rather
4852 than doing rsh or telnet within the local shell buffer. Starting with
4853 XEmacs-20.3 you can also use @kbd{M-x ssh} to open secure remote session
4854 if you have @code{ssh} installed.
4856 @node Q5.0.8, Q5.0.9, Q5.0.7, Miscellaneous
4857 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.0.8: Why does edt emulation not work?
4859 We don't know, but you can use tpu-edt emulation instead, which works
4860 fine and is a little fancier than the standard edt emulation. To do
4861 this, add the following line to your @file{.emacs}:
4867 If you don't want it to replace @kbd{C-h} with an edt-style help menu
4871 (global-set-key [(control h)] 'help-for-help)
4874 @node Q5.0.9, Q5.0.10, Q5.0.8, Miscellaneous
4875 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.0.9: How can I emulate VI and use it as my default mode?
4877 Our recommended VI emulator is viper. To make viper-mode the default,
4878 add this to your @file{.emacs}:
4884 @email{kifer@@CS.SunySB.EDU, Michael Kifer} writes:
4887 This should be added as close to the top of @file{.emacs} as you can get
4888 it, otherwise some minor modes may not get viper-ized.
4891 @node Q5.0.10, Q5.0.11, Q5.0.9, Miscellaneous
4892 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.0.10: [This question intentionally left blank]
4894 Obsolete question, left blank to avoid renumbering
4896 @node Q5.0.11, Q5.0.12, Q5.0.10, Miscellaneous
4897 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.0.11: How do I turn on filladapt for all buffers?
4899 Filladapt is a minor mode and minor modes are traditionally off by
4900 default. The following added to your @file{.emacs} will turn it on for
4904 (setq-default filladapt-mode t)
4907 Use @code{turn-on-filladapt-mode} to turn Filladapt on in particular
4908 major modes, like this:
4911 (add-hook 'text-mode-hook 'turn-on-filladapt-mode)
4914 @node Q5.0.12, Q5.0.13, Q5.0.11, Miscellaneous
4915 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.0.12: How do I disable gnuserv from opening a new frame?
4917 If you set the @code{gnuserv-frame} variable to the frame that should be
4918 used to display buffers that are pulled up, a new frame will not be
4919 created. For example, you could put
4922 (setq gnuserv-frame (selected-frame))
4925 early on in your @file{.emacs}, to ensure that the first frame created
4926 is the one used for your gnuserv buffers.
4928 Starting in 19.15, there is an option to set the gnuserv target to
4929 the current frame. See
4930 @code{Options->"Other Window" Location->Make current frame gnuserv target}
4932 Starting with XEmacs-20.3 you can also change this with Customize.
4933 Select from the @code{Options} menu
4934 @code{Customize->Emacs->Environment->Gnuserv->Gnuserv Frame...} or type
4935 @kbd{M-x customize @key{RET} gnuserv @key{RET}}.
4938 @node Q5.0.13, Q5.0.14, Q5.0.12, Miscellaneous
4939 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.0.13: How do I start gnuserv so that each subsequent XEmacs is a client?
4941 Put the following in your @file{.emacs} file to start the server:
4947 Start your first XEmacs as usual. After that, you can do:
4950 gnuclient randomfilename
4953 from the command line to get your existing XEmacs process to open a new
4954 frame and visit randomfilename in that window. When you're done editing
4955 randomfilename, hit @kbd{C-x #} to kill the buffer and get rid of the
4958 See also man page of gnuclient.
4960 @node Q5.0.14, Q5.0.15, Q5.0.13, Miscellaneous
4961 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.0.14: Strange things are happening in Shell Mode.
4963 Sometimes (i.e. it's not repeatable, and I can't work out why it
4964 happens) when I'm typing into shell mode, I hit return and only a
4965 portion of the command is given to the shell, and a blank prompt is
4966 returned. If I hit return again, the rest of the previous command is
4969 @email{martin@@xemacs.org, Martin Buchholz} writes:
4972 There is a known problem with interaction between @code{csh} and the
4973 @code{filec} option and XEmacs. You should add the following to your
4977 if ( "$TERM" == emacs || "$TERM" == unknown ) unset filec
4981 @node Q5.0.15, Q5.0.16, Q5.0.14, Miscellaneous
4982 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.0.15: Where do I get the latest CC Mode?
4984 @email{bwarsaw@@cnri.reston.va.us, Barry A. Warsaw} writes:
4987 This can be had from @uref{http://www.python.org/emacs/}.
4990 @node Q5.0.16, Q5.0.17, Q5.0.15, Miscellaneous
4991 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.0.16: I find auto-show-mode disconcerting. How do I turn it off?
4993 @code{auto-show-mode} controls whether or not a horizontal scrollbar
4994 magically appears when a line is too long to be displayed. This is
4995 enabled by default. To turn it off, put the following in your
4999 (setq auto-show-mode nil)
5000 (setq-default auto-show-mode nil)
5003 @node Q5.0.17, Q5.0.18, Q5.0.16, Miscellaneous
5004 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.0.17: How can I get two instances of info?
5006 You can't. The @code{info} package does not provide for multiple info buffers.
5008 @node Q5.0.18, Q5.0.19, Q5.0.17, Miscellaneous
5009 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.0.18: [This question intentionally left blank]
5011 @node Q5.0.19, Q5.0.20, Q5.0.18, Miscellaneous
5012 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.0.19: Is there something better than LaTeX mode?
5014 @email{dak@@fsnif.neuroinformatik.ruhr-uni-bochum.de, David Kastrup} writes:
5017 The standard TeX modes leave much to be desired, and are somewhat
5018 leniently maintained. Serious TeX users use AUC TeX (@pxref{Q4.7.1}).
5021 @node Q5.0.20, Q5.1.1, Q5.0.19, Miscellaneous
5022 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.0.20: Is there a way to start a new XEmacs if there's no gnuserv running, and otherwise use gnuclient?
5024 @email{vroonhof@@math.ethz.ch, Jan Vroonhof} writes:
5026 Here is one of the solutions, we have this in a script called
5027 @file{etc/editclient.sh}.
5030 if gnuclient -batch -eval t >/dev/null 2>&1
5032 exec gnuclient $@{1+"$@@"@}
5034 xemacs -unmapped -f gnuserv-start &
5035 until gnuclient -batch -eval t >/dev/null 2>&1
5039 exec gnuclient $@{1+"$@@"@}
5043 Note that there is a known problem when running XEmacs and 'gnuclient
5044 -nw' on the same TTY.
5047 @node Q5.1.1, Q5.1.2, Q5.0.20, Miscellaneous
5048 @unnumberedsec 5.1: Emacs Lisp Programming Techniques
5049 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.1.1: What is the difference in key sequences between XEmacs and GNU Emacs?
5051 @email{clerik@@naggum.no, Erik Naggum} writes;
5054 Emacs has a legacy of keyboards that produced characters with modifier
5055 bits, and therefore map a variety of input systems into this scheme even
5056 today. XEmacs is instead optimized for X events. This causes an
5057 incompatibility in the way key sequences are specified, but both Emacs
5058 and XEmacs will accept a key sequence as a vector of lists of modifiers
5059 that ends with a key, e.g., to bind @kbd{M-C-a}, you would say
5060 @code{[(meta control a)]} in both Emacsen. XEmacs has an abbreviated
5061 form for a single key, just (meta control a). Emacs has an abbreviated
5062 form for the Control and the Meta modifiers to string-characters (the
5063 ASCII characters), as in @samp{\M-\C-a}. XEmacs users need to be aware
5064 that the abbreviated form works only for one-character key sequences,
5065 while Emacs users need to be aware that the string-character is rather
5066 limited. Specifically, the string-character can accommodate only 256
5067 different values, 128 of which have the Meta modifier and 128 of which
5068 have not. In each of these blocks, only 32 characters have the Control
5069 modifier. Whereas @code{[(meta control A)]} differs from @code{[(meta
5070 control a)]} because the case differs, @samp{\M-\C-a} and @samp{\M-\C-A}
5071 do not. Programmers are advised to use the full common form, both
5072 because it is more readable and less error-prone, and because it is
5073 supported by both Emacsen.
5076 Another (even safer) way to be sure of the key-sequences is to use the
5077 @code{read-kbd-macro} function, which takes a string like @samp{C-c
5078 <up>}, and converts it to the internal key representation of the Emacs
5079 you use. The function is available both on XEmacs and GNU Emacs.
5081 @node Q5.1.2, Q5.1.3, Q5.1.1, Miscellaneous
5082 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.1.2: Can I generate "fake" keyboard events?
5084 I wonder if there is an interactive function that can generate
5085 @dfn{fake} keyboard events. This way, I could simply map them inside
5091 (defun cg--generate-char-event (ch)
5092 "Generate an event, as if ch has been typed"
5093 (dispatch-event (character-to-event ch)))
5095 ;; Backspace and Delete stuff
5096 (global-set-key [backspace]
5097 (lambda () (interactive) (cg--generate-char-event 127)))
5098 (global-set-key [unknown_keysym_0x4]
5099 (lambda () (interactive) (cg--generate-char-event 4)))
5102 @node Q5.1.3, Q5.1.4, Q5.1.2, Miscellaneous
5103 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.1.3: Could you explain @code{read-kbd-macro} in more detail?
5105 The @code{read-kbd-macro} function returns the internal Emacs
5106 representation of a human-readable string (which is its argument).
5110 (read-kbd-macro "C-c C-a")
5111 @result{} [(control ?c) (control ?a)]
5113 (read-kbd-macro "C-c C-. <up>")
5114 @result{} [(control ?c) (control ?.) up]
5117 In GNU Emacs the same forms will be evaluated to what GNU Emacs
5118 understands internally---the sequences @code{"\C-x\C-c"} and @code{[3
5119 67108910 up]}, respectively.
5121 The exact @dfn{human-readable} syntax is defined in the docstring of
5122 @code{edmacro-mode}. I'll repeat it here, for completeness.
5125 Format of keyboard macros during editing:
5127 Text is divided into @dfn{words} separated by whitespace. Except for
5128 the words described below, the characters of each word go directly as
5129 characters of the macro. The whitespace that separates words is
5130 ignored. Whitespace in the macro must be written explicitly, as in
5131 @kbd{foo @key{SPC} bar @key{RET}}.
5135 The special words @kbd{RET}, @kbd{SPC}, @kbd{TAB}, @kbd{DEL}, @kbd{LFD},
5136 @kbd{ESC}, and @kbd{NUL} represent special control characters. The
5137 words must be written in uppercase.
5140 A word in angle brackets, e.g., @code{<return>}, @code{<down>}, or
5141 @code{<f1>}, represents a function key. (Note that in the standard
5142 configuration, the function key @code{<return>} and the control key
5143 @key{RET} are synonymous.) You can use angle brackets on the words
5144 @key{RET}, @key{SPC}, etc., but they are not required there.
5147 Keys can be written by their @sc{ascii} code, using a backslash followed
5148 by up to six octal digits. This is the only way to represent keys with
5152 One or more prefixes @kbd{M-} (meta), @kbd{C-} (control), @kbd{S-}
5153 (shift), @kbd{A-} (alt), @kbd{H-} (hyper), and @kbd{s-} (super) may
5154 precede a character or key notation. For function keys, the prefixes
5155 may go inside or outside of the brackets: @code{C-<down>} @equiv{}
5156 @code{<C-down>}. The prefixes may be written in any order: @kbd{M-C-x}
5157 @equiv{} @kbd{C-M-x}.
5159 Prefixes are not allowed on multi-key words, e.g., @kbd{C-abc}, except
5160 that the Meta prefix is allowed on a sequence of digits and optional
5161 minus sign: @kbd{M--123} @equiv{} @kbd{M-- M-1 M-2 M-3}.
5164 The @code{^} notation for control characters also works: @kbd{^M}
5168 Double angle brackets enclose command names: @code{<<next-line>>} is
5169 shorthand for @kbd{M-x next-line @key{RET}}.
5172 Finally, @code{REM} or @code{;;} causes the rest of the line to be
5173 ignored as a comment.
5176 Any word may be prefixed by a multiplier in the form of a decimal number
5177 and @code{*}: @code{3*<right>} @equiv{} @code{<right> <right> <right>},
5178 and @code{10*foo} @equiv{}
5182 @code{foofoofoofoofoofoofoofoofoofoo}.
5184 Multiple text keys can normally be strung together to form a word, but
5185 you may need to add whitespace if the word would look like one of the
5186 above notations: @code{; ; ;} is a keyboard macro with three semicolons,
5187 but @code{;;;} is a comment. Likewise, @code{\ 1 2 3} is four keys but
5188 @code{\123} is a single key written in octal, and @code{< right >} is
5189 seven keys but @code{<right>} is a single function key. When in doubt,
5193 @node Q5.1.4, Q5.1.5, Q5.1.3, Miscellaneous
5194 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.1.4: What is the performance hit of @code{let}?
5196 In most cases, not noticeable. Besides, there's no avoiding
5197 @code{let}---you have to bind your local variables, after all. Some
5198 pose a question whether to nest @code{let}s, or use one @code{let} per
5199 function. I think because of clarity and maintenance (and possible
5200 future implementation), @code{let}-s should be used (nested) in a way to
5201 provide the clearest code.
5203 @node Q5.1.5, Q5.1.6, Q5.1.4, Miscellaneous
5204 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.1.5: What is the recommended use of @code{setq}?
5207 @item Global variables
5209 You will typically @code{defvar} your global variable to a default
5210 value, and use @code{setq} to set it later.
5212 It is never a good practice to @code{setq} user variables (like
5213 @code{case-fold-search}, etc.), as it ignores the user's choice
5214 unconditionally. Note that @code{defvar} doesn't change the value of a
5215 variable if it was bound previously. If you wish to change a
5216 user-variable temporarily, use @code{let}:
5219 (let ((case-fold-search nil))
5220 ... ; code with searches that must be case-sensitive
5224 You will notice the user-variables by their docstrings beginning with an
5225 asterisk (a convention).
5227 @item Local variables
5229 Bind them with @code{let}, which will unbind them (or restore their
5230 previous value, if they were bound) after exiting from the @code{let}
5231 form. Change the value of local variables with @code{setq} or whatever
5232 you like (e.g. @code{incf}, @code{setf} and such). The @code{let} form
5233 can even return one of its local variables.
5238 ;; iterate through the elements of the list returned by
5239 ;; `hairy-function-that-returns-list'
5240 (let ((l (hairy-function-that-returns-list)))
5242 ... do something with (car l) ...
5246 Another typical usage includes building a value simply to work with it.
5249 ;; Build the mode keymap out of the key-translation-alist
5250 (let ((inbox (file-truename (expand-file-name box)))
5252 ... code dealing with inbox ...
5256 This piece of code uses the local variable @code{inbox}, which becomes
5257 unbound (or regains old value) after exiting the form. The form also
5258 returns the value of @code{inbox}, which can be reused, for instance:
5261 (setq foo-processed-inbox
5266 @node Q5.1.6, Q5.1.7, Q5.1.5, Miscellaneous
5267 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.1.6: What is the typical misuse of @code{setq} ?
5269 A typical misuse is probably @code{setq}ing a variable that was meant to
5270 be local. Such a variable will remain bound forever, never to be
5271 garbage-collected. For example, the code doing:
5274 (defun my-function (whatever)
5276 ... build a large list ...
5280 does a bad thing, as @code{a} will keep consuming memory, never to be
5281 unbound. The correct thing is to do it like this:
5284 (defun my-function (whatever)
5285 (let (a) ; default initialization is to nil
5286 ... build a large list ...
5287 ... and exit, unbinding `a' in the process ...)
5290 Not only is this prettier syntactically, but it makes it possible for
5291 Emacs to garbage-collect the objects which @code{a} used to reference.
5293 Note that even global variables should not be @code{setq}ed without
5294 @code{defvar}ing them first, because the byte-compiler issues warnings.
5295 The reason for the warning is the following:
5298 (defun flurgoze nil) ; ok, global internal variable
5301 (setq flurghoze t) ; ops! a typo, but semantically correct.
5302 ; however, the byte-compiler warns.
5304 While compiling toplevel forms:
5305 ** assignment to free variable flurghoze
5308 @node Q5.1.7, Q5.1.8, Q5.1.6, Miscellaneous
5309 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.1.7: I like the @code{do} form of cl, does it slow things down?
5311 It shouldn't. Here is what Dave Gillespie has to say about cl.el
5315 Many of the advanced features of this package, such as @code{defun*},
5316 @code{loop}, and @code{setf}, are implemented as Lisp macros. In
5317 byte-compiled code, these complex notations will be expanded into
5318 equivalent Lisp code which is simple and efficient. For example, the
5326 are expanded at compile-time to the Lisp forms
5330 (setcar p (cons x (car p)))
5333 which are the most efficient ways of doing these respective operations
5334 in Lisp. Thus, there is no performance penalty for using the more
5335 readable @code{incf} and @code{push} forms in your compiled code.
5337 @emph{Interpreted} code, on the other hand, must expand these macros
5338 every time they are executed. For this reason it is strongly
5339 recommended that code making heavy use of macros be compiled. (The
5340 features labelled @dfn{Special Form} instead of @dfn{Function} in this
5341 manual are macros.) A loop using @code{incf} a hundred times will
5342 execute considerably faster if compiled, and will also garbage-collect
5343 less because the macro expansion will not have to be generated, used,
5344 and thrown away a hundred times.
5346 You can find out how a macro expands by using the @code{cl-prettyexpand}
5350 @node Q5.1.8, Q5.1.9, Q5.1.7, Miscellaneous
5351 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.1.8: I like recursion, does it slow things down?
5353 Yes. Emacs byte-compiler cannot do much to optimize recursion. But
5354 think well whether this is a real concern in Emacs. Much of the Emacs
5355 slowness comes from internal mechanisms such as redisplay, or from the
5356 fact that it is an interpreter.
5358 Please try not to make your code much uglier to gain a very small speed
5359 gain. It's not usually worth it.
5361 @node Q5.1.9, Q5.1.10, Q5.1.8, Miscellaneous
5362 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.1.9: How do I put a glyph as annotation in a buffer?
5364 Here is a solution that will insert the glyph annotation at the
5365 beginning of buffer:
5368 (make-annotation (make-glyph '([FORMAT :file FILE]
5369 [string :data "fallback-text"]))
5375 Replace @samp{FORMAT} with an unquoted symbol representing the format of
5376 the image (e.g. @code{xpm}, @code{xbm}, @code{gif}, @code{jpeg}, etc.)
5377 Instead of @samp{FILE}, use the image file name
5382 @file{/usr/local/lib/xemacs-20.2/etc/recycle.xpm}).
5384 You can turn this to a function (that optionally prompts you for a file
5385 name), and inserts the glyph at @code{(point)} instead of
5388 @node Q5.1.10, Q5.1.11, Q5.1.9, Miscellaneous
5389 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.1.10: @code{map-extents} won't traverse all of my extents!
5391 I tried to use @code{map-extents} to do an operation on all the extents
5392 in a region. However, it seems to quit after processing a random number
5393 of extents. Is it buggy?
5395 No. The documentation of @code{map-extents} states that it will iterate
5396 across the extents as long as @var{function} returns @code{nil}.
5397 Unexperienced programmers often forget to return @code{nil} explicitly,
5398 which results in buggy code. For instance, the following code is
5399 supposed to delete all the extents in a buffer, and issue as many
5400 @samp{fubar!} messages.
5403 (map-extents (lambda (ext ignore)
5405 (message "fubar!")))
5408 Instead, it will delete only the first extent, and stop right there --
5409 because @code{message} will return a non-nil value. The correct code
5413 (map-extents (lambda (ext ignore)
5419 @node Q5.1.11, Q5.2.1, Q5.1.10, Miscellaneous
5420 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.1.11: My elisp program is horribly slow. Is there
5421 an easy way to find out where it spends time?
5424 z@email{hniksic@@xemacs.org, Hrvoje Niksic} writes:
5426 Under XEmacs 20.4 and later you can use @kbd{M-x profile-key-sequence}, press a key
5427 (say @key{RET} in the Gnus Group buffer), and get the results using
5428 @kbd{M-x profile-results}. It should give you an idea of where the time
5432 @node Q5.2.1, Q5.2.2, Q5.1.11, Miscellaneous
5433 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.2.1: How do I turn off the sound?
5435 Add the following line to your @file{.emacs}:
5438 (setq bell-volume 0)
5439 (setq sound-alist nil)
5442 That will make your XEmacs totally silent---even the default ding sound
5443 (TTY beep on TTY-s) will be gone.
5445 Starting with XEmacs-20.2 you can also change these with Customize.
5446 Select from the @code{Options} menu
5447 @code{Customize->Emacs->Environment->Sound->Sound...} or type
5448 @kbd{M-x customize @key{RET} sound @key{RET}}.
5451 @node Q5.2.2, Q5.2.3, Q5.2.1, Miscellaneous
5452 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.2.2: How do I get funky sounds instead of a boring beep?
5454 Make sure your XEmacs was compiled with sound support, and then put this
5455 in your @file{.emacs}:
5458 (load-default-sounds)
5461 The sound support in XEmacs 19.14 was greatly improved over previous
5464 @node Q5.2.3, Q5.2.4, Q5.2.2, Miscellaneous
5465 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.2.3: What's NAS, how do I get it?
5467 @xref{Q2.0.3}, for an explanation of the @dfn{Network Audio System}.
5469 @node Q5.2.4, Q5.3.1, Q5.2.3, Miscellaneous
5470 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.2.4: Sunsite sounds don't play.
5472 I'm having some trouble with sounds I've downloaded from sunsite. They
5473 play when I run them through @code{showaudio} or cat them directly to
5474 @file{/dev/audio}, but XEmacs refuses to play them.
5476 @email{gutschk@@uni-muenster.de, Markus Gutschke} writes:
5479 [Many of] These files have an (erroneous) 24byte header that tells about
5480 the format that they have been recorded in. If you cat them to
5481 @file{/dev/audio}, the header will be ignored and the default behavior
5482 for /dev/audio will be used. This happens to be 8kHz uLaw. It is
5483 probably possible to fix the header by piping through @code{sox} and
5484 passing explicit parameters for specifying the sampling format; you then
5485 need to perform a 'null' conversion from SunAudio to SunAudio.
5488 @node Q5.3.1, Q5.3.2, Q5.2.4, Miscellaneous
5489 @unnumberedsec 5.3: Miscellaneous
5490 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.3.1: How do you make XEmacs indent CL if-clauses correctly?
5492 I'd like XEmacs to indent all the clauses of a Common Lisp @code{if} the
5493 same amount instead of indenting the 3rd clause differently from the
5496 One way is to add, to @file{.emacs}:
5499 (put 'if 'lisp-indent-function nil)
5502 However, note that the package @code{cl-indent} that comes with
5503 XEmacs sets up this kind of indentation by default. @code{cl-indent}
5504 also knows about many other CL-specific forms. To use @code{cl-indent},
5509 (setq lisp-indent-function (function common-lisp-indent-function))
5512 One can also customize @file{cl-indent.el} so it mimics the default
5513 @code{if} indentation @code{then} indented more than the @code{else}.
5517 (put 'if 'common-lisp-indent-function '(nil nil &body))
5520 Also, a new version (1.2) of @file{cl-indent.el} was posted to
5521 comp.emacs.xemacs on 12/9/94. This version includes more documentation
5522 than previous versions. This may prove useful if you need to customize
5523 any indent-functions.
5525 @node Q5.3.2, Q5.3.3, Q5.3.1, Miscellaneous
5526 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.3.2: Fontifying hang when editing a postscript file.
5528 When I try to edit a postscript file it gets stuck saying:
5529 @samp{fontifying 'filename' (regexps....)} and it just sits there. If I
5530 press @kbd{C-c} in the window where XEmacs was started, it suddenly
5531 becomes alive again.
5533 This was caused by a bug in the Postscript font-lock regular
5534 expressions. It was fixed in 19.13. For earlier versions of XEmacs,
5535 have a look at your @file{.emacs} file. You will probably have a line
5539 (add-hook 'postscript-mode-hook 'turn-on-font-lock)
5542 Take it out, restart XEmacs, and it won't try to fontify your postscript
5545 @node Q5.3.3, Q5.3.4, Q5.3.2, Miscellaneous
5546 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.3.3: How can I print WYSIWYG a font-locked buffer?
5548 Font-lock looks nice. How can I print (WYSIWYG) the highlighted
5551 The package @code{ps-print}, which is now included with XEmacs, provides
5552 the ability to do this. The source code contains complete instructions
5553 on its use, in @file{<xemacs_src_root>/lisp/packages/ps-print.el}.
5555 @node Q5.3.4, Q5.3.5, Q5.3.3, Miscellaneous
5556 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.3.4: Getting @kbd{M-x lpr} to work with postscript printer.
5558 My printer is a Postscript printer and @code{lpr} only works for
5559 Postscript files, so how do I get @kbd{M-x lpr-region} and @kbd{M-x
5560 lpr-buffer} to work?
5562 Put something like this in your @file{.emacs}:
5565 (setq lpr-command "a2ps")
5566 (setq lpr-switches '("-p" "-1"))
5569 If you don't use a2ps to convert ASCII to postscript (why not, it's
5570 free?), replace with the command you do use. Note also that some
5571 versions of a2ps require a @samp{-Pprinter} to ensure spooling.
5573 @node Q5.3.5, Q5.3.6, Q5.3.4, Miscellaneous
5574 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.3.5: How do I specify the paths that XEmacs uses for finding files?
5576 You can specify what paths to use by using a number of different flags
5577 when running configure. See the section MAKE VARIABLES in the top-level
5578 file INSTALL in the XEmacs distribution for a listing of those flags.
5580 Most of the time, however, the simplest fix is: @strong{do not} specify
5581 paths as you might for GNU Emacs. XEmacs can generally determine the
5582 necessary paths dynamically at run time. The only path that generally
5583 needs to be specified is the root directory to install into. That can
5584 be specified by passing the @code{--prefix} flag to configure. For a
5585 description of the XEmacs install tree, please consult the @file{NEWS}
5588 @node Q5.3.6, Q5.3.7, Q5.3.5, Miscellaneous
5589 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.3.6: [This question intentionally left blank]
5591 Obsolete question, left blank to avoid renumbering.
5593 @node Q5.3.7, Q5.3.8, Q5.3.6, Miscellaneous
5594 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.3.7: Can I have the end of the buffer delimited in some way?
5596 Say, with: @samp{[END]}?
5601 (let ((ext (make-extent (point-min) (point-max))))
5602 (set-extent-property ext 'start-closed t)
5603 (set-extent-property ext 'end-closed t)
5604 (set-extent-property ext 'detachable nil)
5605 (set-extent-end-glyph ext (make-glyph [string :data "[END]"])))
5608 Since this is XEmacs, you can specify an icon to be shown on
5609 window-system devices. To do so, change the @code{make-glyph} call to
5610 something like this:
5613 (make-glyph '([xpm :file "~/something.xpm"]
5614 [string :data "[END]"]))
5617 You can inline the @sc{xpm} definition yourself by specifying
5618 @code{:data} instead of @code{:file}. Here is such a full-featured
5619 version that works on both X and TTY devices:
5622 (let ((ext (make-extent (point-min) (point-max))))
5623 (set-extent-property ext 'start-closed t)
5624 (set-extent-property ext 'end-closed t)
5625 (set-extent-property ext 'detachable nil)
5626 (set-extent-end-glyph ext (make-glyph '([xpm :data "\
5628 static char* eye = @{
5637 \"___________`_`_`___b_b_b_b_________`____\",
5638 \"_________`_`_`___b_c_c_c_b_b____________\",
5639 \"_____`_`_`_e___b_b_c_c_c___b___b_______`\",
5640 \"___`_`_e_a___b_b_d___b___b___b___b______\",
5641 \"_`_`_e_a_e___b_b_d_b___b___b___b___b____\",
5642 \"_`_`_a_e_a___b_b_d___b___b___b___b___b__\",
5643 \"_`_`_e_a_e___b_b_d_b___b___b___b___b_b__\",
5644 \"___`_`_e_a___b_b_b_d_c___b___b___d_b____\",
5645 \"_____`_`_e_e___b_b_b_d_c___b_b_d_b______\",
5646 \"_`_____`_`_`_`___b_b_b_d_d_d_d_b________\",
5647 \"___`_____`_`_`_`___b_b_b_b_b_b__________\",
5649 [string :data "[END]"]))))
5652 Note that you might want to make this a function, and put it to a hook.
5653 We leave that as an exercise for the reader.
5655 @node Q5.3.8, Q5.3.9, Q5.3.7, Miscellaneous
5656 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.3.8: How do I insert today's date into a buffer?
5661 (insert (current-time-string))
5664 @node Q5.3.9, Q5.3.10, Q5.3.8, Miscellaneous
5665 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.3.9: Are only certain syntactic character classes available for abbrevs?
5667 @email{gutschk@@uni-muenster.de, Markus Gutschke} writes:
5670 Yes, abbrevs only expands word-syntax strings. While XEmacs does not
5671 prevent you from defining (e.g. with @kbd{C-x a g} or @kbd{C-x a l})
5672 abbrevs that contain special characters, it will refuse to expand
5673 them. So you need to ensure, that the abbreviation contains letters and
5674 digits only. This means that @samp{xd}, @samp{d5}, and @samp{5d} are
5675 valid abbrevs, but @samp{&d}, and @samp{x d} are not.
5677 If this sounds confusing to you, (re-)read the online documentation for
5678 abbrevs (@kbd{C-h i m XEmacs @key{RET} m Abbrevs @key{RET}}), and then come back and
5679 read this question/answer again.
5682 Starting with XEmacs 20.3 this restriction has been lifted.
5684 @node Q5.3.10, Q5.3.11, Q5.3.9, Miscellaneous
5685 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.3.10: How can I get those oh-so-neat X-Face lines?
5687 Firstly there is an ftp site which describes X-faces and has the
5688 associated tools mentioned below, at
5689 @uref{ftp://ftp.cs.indiana.edu:/pub/faces/}.
5695 Create 48x48x1 bitmap with your favorite tool
5698 Convert to "icon" format using one of xbm2ikon, pbmtoicon, etc.,
5699 and then compile the face.
5703 cat file.xbm | xbm2ikon |compface > file.face
5707 Then be sure to quote things that are necessary for emacs strings:
5710 cat ./file.face | sed 's/\\/\\\\/g'
5714 | sed 's/\"/\\\"/g' > ./file.face.quoted
5718 Then set up emacs to include the file as a mail header - there were a
5719 couple of suggestions here---either something like:
5722 (setq mail-default-headers
5723 "X-Face: @email{Ugly looking text string here}")
5726 Or, alternatively, as:
5729 (defun mail-insert-x-face ()
5731 (goto-char (point-min))
5732 (search-forward mail-header-separator)
5735 (insert-file-contents "~/.face")))
5737 (add-hook 'mail-setup-hook 'mail-insert-x-face)
5741 However, 2 things might be wrong:
5743 Some versions of pbmtoicon produces some header lines that is not
5744 expected by the version of compface that I grabbed. So I found I had to
5745 include a @code{tail +3} in the pipeline like this:
5748 cat file.xbm | xbm2ikon | tail +3 |compface > file.face
5751 Some people have also found that if one uses the @code{(insert-file)}
5752 method, one should NOT quote the face string using the sed script .
5754 It might also be helpful to use @email{stig@@hackvan.com, Stig's} script
5755 (included in the compface distribution at XEmacs.org) to do the
5757 @comment For convenience xbm2xface is available for anonymous FTP at
5758 @comment @uref{ftp://ftp.miranova.com/pub/xemacs/xbm2xface.pl}.
5760 Contributors for this item:
5771 @node Q5.3.11, Q5.3.12, Q5.3.10, Miscellaneous
5772 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.3.11: How do I add new Info directories?
5774 You use something like:
5777 (setq Info-directory-list (cons
5778 (expand-file-name "~/info")
5779 Info-default-directory-list))
5782 @email{davidm@@prism.kla.com, David Masterson} writes:
5785 Emacs Info and XEmacs Info do many things differently. If you're trying to
5786 support a number of versions of Emacs, here are some notes to remember:
5790 Emacs Info scans @code{Info-directory-list} from right-to-left while
5791 XEmacs Info reads it from left-to-right, so append to the @emph{correct}
5795 Use @code{Info-default-directory-list} to initialize
5796 @code{Info-directory-list} @emph{if} it is available at startup, but not
5797 all Emacsen define it.
5800 Emacs Info looks for a standard @file{dir} file in each of the
5801 directories scanned from #1 and magically concatenates them together.
5804 XEmacs Info looks for a @file{localdir} file (which consists of just the
5805 menu entries from a @file{dir} file) in each of the directories scanned
5806 from #1 (except the first), does a simple concatenation of them, and
5807 magically attaches the resulting list to the end of the menu in the
5808 @file{dir} file in the first directory.
5811 Another alternative is to convert the documentation to HTML with
5812 texi2html and read it from a web browser like Lynx or W3.
5815 @node Q5.3.12, , Q5.3.11, Miscellaneous
5816 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.3.12: What do I need to change to make printing work?
5818 For regular printing there are two variables that can be customized.
5822 This should be set to a command that takes standard input and sends
5823 it to a printer. Something like:
5826 (setq lpr-command "lp")
5830 This should be set to a list that contains whatever the print command
5831 requires to do its job. Something like:
5834 (setq lpr-switches '("-depson"))
5838 For postscript printing there are three analogous variables to
5842 @item ps-lpr-command
5843 This should be set to a command that takes postscript on standard input
5844 and directs it to a postscript printer.
5846 @item ps-lpr-switches
5847 This should be set to a list of switches required for
5848 @code{ps-lpr-command} to do its job.
5850 @item ps-print-color-p
5851 This boolean variable should be set @code{t} if printing will be done in
5852 color, otherwise it should be set to @code{nil}.
5855 NOTE: It is an undocumented limitation in XEmacs that postscript
5856 printing (the @code{Pretty Print Buffer} menu item) @strong{requires} a
5857 window system environment. It cannot be used outside of X11.
5859 @node MS Windows, Current Events, Miscellaneous, Top
5860 @unnumbered 6 XEmacs on MS Windows
5862 This is part 6 of the XEmacs Frequently Asked Questions list, written by
5863 Hrvoje Niksic and others. This section is devoted to the MS Windows
5869 * Q6.0.1:: What is the status of the XEmacs port to Windows?
5870 * Q6.0.2:: What flavors of MS Windows are supported?
5871 * Q6.0.3:: Where are the XEmacs on MS Windows binaries?
5872 * Q6.0.4:: Does XEmacs on MS Windows require an X server to run?
5874 Building XEmacs on MS Windows
5875 * Q6.1.1:: I decided to run with X. Where do I get an X server?
5876 * Q6.1.2:: What compiler do I need to compile XEmacs?
5877 * Q6.1.3:: How do I compile for the native port?
5878 * Q6.1.4:: How do I compile for the X port?
5879 * Q6.1.5:: How do I compile for Cygnus' Cygwin?
5880 * Q6.1.6:: What do I need for Cygwin?
5882 Customization and User Interface
5883 * Q6.2.1:: How will the port cope with differences in the Windows user interface?
5884 * Q6.2.2:: How do I change fonts in XEmacs on MS Windows?
5885 * Q6.2.3:: Where do I put my @file{.emacs} file?
5888 * Q6.3.1:: Will XEmacs rename all the win32-* symbols to w32-*?
5889 * Q6.3.2:: What are the differences between the various MS Windows emacsen?
5890 * Q6.3.3:: What is the porting team doing at the moment?
5893 * Q6.4.1:: XEmacs won't start on Windows. (NEW)
5897 @node Q6.0.1, Q6.0.2, MS Windows, MS Windows
5898 @unnumberedsec 6.0: General Info
5899 @unnumberedsubsec Q6.0.1: What is the status of the XEmacs port to Windows?
5901 Is XEmacs really getting ported to MS Windows? What is the status of the port?
5903 Yes, a group of volunteers actively works on making XEmacs code base
5904 cleanly compile and run on MS Windows operating systems. The mailing
5905 list at @email{xemacs-nt@@xemacs.org} is dedicated to that effort (please use
5906 the -request address to subscribe).
5908 At this time, XEmacs on MS Windows is usable, but lacks some of the
5909 features of XEmacs on UNIX and UNIX-like systems. Notably,
5910 internationalization does not work.
5912 @node Q6.0.2, Q6.0.3, Q6.0.1, MS Windows
5913 @unnumberedsubsec Q6.0.2: What flavors of MS Windows are supported? The list name implies NT only.
5915 The list name is misleading, as XEmacs will support both Windows 95,
5916 Windows 98 and Windows NT. The MS Windows-specific code is based on
5917 Microsoft Win32 API, and will not work on MS Windows 3.x or on MS-DOS.
5920 @node Q6.0.3, Q6.0.4, Q6.0.2, MS Windows
5921 @unnumberedsubsec Q6.0.3: Are binary kits available?
5923 Binary kits are available at
5924 @uref{ftp://ftp.xemacs.org/pub/xemacs/binary-kits/win32/} for the
5925 "plain" MS Windows version.
5927 @node Q6.0.4, Q6.1.1, Q6.0.3, MS Windows
5928 @unnumberedsubsec Q6.0.4: Does XEmacs on MS Windows require an X server to run?
5932 Long answer: XEmacs can be built in several ways in the MS Windows
5933 environment, some of them requiring an X server and some not.
5935 One is what we call the "X" port---it requires X libraries to build
5936 and an X server to run. Internally it uses the Xt event loop and
5937 makes use of X toolkits. Its look is quite un-Windowsy, but it works
5938 reliably and supports all of the graphical features of Unix XEmacs.
5940 The other is what we call the "native" port. It uses the Win32 API
5941 and does not require X libraries to build, nor does it require an X to
5942 run. In fact, it has no connection with X whatsoever. At this time,
5943 the native port obsoletes the X port, providing almost all of its
5944 features, including support for menus, scrollbars, toolbars, embedded
5945 images and background pixmaps, frame pointers, etc. Most of the
5946 future work will be based on the native port.
5948 There is also a third special case, the Cygwin port. It takes
5949 advantage of Cygnus emulation library under Win32, which enables it to
5950 reuse much of the Unix XEmacs code base, such as processes and network
5951 support, or internal select() mechanisms.
5953 Cygwin port supports all display types---TTY, X & MS gui, and can be
5954 built with support for all three. If you build with ms gui support
5955 then the Cygwin version uses the majority of the msw code, which is
5956 mostly related to display. If you want to build with X support you
5957 need X libraries. If you want to build with tty support you need
5958 ncurses. MS gui requires no additional libraries.
5960 Some of the advantages of the Cygwin version are that it:
5964 @item integrates well with Cygwin environment for existing Cygwin users;
5965 @item uses configure so building with different features is very easy;
5966 @item has process support in X & tty.
5970 The disadvantage is that it requires several Unix utilities and the
5971 whole Cygwin environment, whereas the native port requires only a
5972 suitable MS Windows compiler. Also, it follows the Unix filesystem and
5973 process model very closely (some will undoubtedly view this as an
5976 @node Q6.1.1, Q6.1.2, Q6.0.4, MS Windows
5977 @unnumberedsec 6.1: Building XEmacs on MS Windows
5978 @unnumberedsubsec Q6.1.1: I decided to run with X. Where do I get an X server?
5980 Pointers to X servers can be found at
5984 @uref{http://dao.gsfc.nasa.gov/software/grads/win32/X11R6.3/};
5986 look for "Where to get an X server". Also note that, although the above
5987 page talks about Cygnus gnu-win32 (Cygwin), the information on X servers
5988 is Cygwin-independent. You don't have to be running/using Cygwin to use
5989 these X servers, and you don't have to compile XEmacs under Cygwin to
5990 use XEmacs with these X servers. An "X port" XEmacs compiled under
5991 Visual C++ will work with these X servers (as will XEmacs running on a
5992 Unix box, redirected to the server running on your PC).
5995 @node Q6.1.2, Q6.1.3, Q6.1.1, MS Windows
5996 @unnumberedsubsec Q6.1.2: What compiler do I need to compile XEmacs?
5998 You need Visual C++ 4.2, 5.0, or 6.0, with the exception of the Cygwin
5999 port, which uses Gcc. There is also a MINGW32 port of XEmacs (using
6000 Gcc, but using native libraries rather than the Cygwin libraries). ####
6001 More information about this should be provided.
6004 @node Q6.1.3, Q6.1.4, Q6.1.2, MS Windows
6005 @unnumberedsubsec Q6.1.3: How do I compile for the native port?
6007 Please read the file @file{nt/README} in the XEmacs distribution, which
6008 contains the full description.
6011 @node Q6.1.4, Q6.1.5, Q6.1.3, MS Windows
6012 @unnumberedsubsec Q6.1.4: How do I compile for the X port?
6014 Again, it is described in @file{nt/README} in some detail. Basically, you
6015 need to get X11 libraries from ftp.x.org, and compile them. If the
6016 precompiled versions are available somewhere, I don't know of it.
6019 @node Q6.1.5, Q6.1.6, Q6.1.4, MS Windows
6020 @unnumberedsubsec Q6.1.5: How do I compile for Cygnus' Cygwin?
6022 Similar as on Unix; use the usual `configure' and `make' process.
6023 Some problems to watch out for:
6027 make sure HOME is set. This controls where you @file{.emacs} file comes
6031 CYGWIN needs to be set to tty for process support work. e.g. CYGWIN=tty;
6032 (use CYGWIN32=tty under b19 and older.)
6035 picking up some other grep or other unix like tools can kill configure;
6038 static heap too small, adjust src/sheap-adjust.h to a more positive
6042 The Cygwin version doesn't understand @file{//machine/path} type paths so you
6043 will need to manually mount a directory of this form under a unix style
6044 directory for a build to work on the directory.
6048 @node Q6.1.6, Q6.2.1, Q6.1.5, MS Windows
6049 @unnumberedsubsec Q6.1.6: What do I need for Cygwin?
6051 You can find the Cygwin tools and compiler at:
6053 @uref{http://sourceware.cygnus.com/cygwin/}
6055 You will need version b19 or later.
6056 The latest current version is 1.1.1.
6057 Other common versions you will see are b20.1.
6059 Another location, one of the mirror sites of the site just mentioned,
6060 is usually a last faster:
6062 @uref{ftp://ftp.freesoftware.com/pub/sourceware/cygwin/}
6064 You can obtain the latest version (currently 1.1.1) from the
6065 @samp{latest/} subdirectory of either of the above two just-mentioned
6068 @strong{WARNING: The version of GCC supplied under @samp{latest/}, as of
6069 June 6th, 2000, does not appear to work. It generates loads of spurious
6070 preprocessor warnings and errors, which makes it impossible to compile
6073 You will also need the X libraries. You can get them on the XEmacs FTP
6076 @uref{ftp://ftp.xemacs.org/pub/xemacs/aux/cygwin/}
6078 You will find b19 and b20 versions of the X libraries, plus b19 and b20
6079 versions of stuff that should go into @samp{/usr/local/}, donated by
6080 Andy Piper. This includes pre-built versions of various graphics libraries,
6081 such as PNG, JPEG, TIFF, and XPM. (Remember, GIF support is built-in to
6084 (X libraries for v1 and beyond of Cygwin can be found on the Cygwin site
6085 itself -- look in the @samp{xfree/} subdirectory.)
6087 @emph{NOTE:} There are two versions of the XPM library provided in
6088 Andy's packets. Once is for building with X support, and the other for
6089 building without. The X version should work if you're building with
6090 both X and Windows support. The two files are called @file{libXpm-X.a}
6091 and @file{libXpm-noX.a} respectively, and you must symlink the
6092 appropriate one to @file{libXpm.a}. @strong{CAREFUL:} By default, the
6093 non-X version is symlinked in. If you then configure XEmacs with X,
6094 you won't run into problems until you start compiling @file{events.c},
6095 at which point you'll get strange and decidedly non-obvious errors.
6097 Please see @uref{http://www.xemacs.freeserve.co.uk/} (Andy Piper's home
6098 page) for more information.
6100 BTW There are also libraries at
6104 @uref{http://dao.gsfc.nasa.gov/software/grads/win32/X11R6.3/}, but
6105 these are not b19 compatible, and may in fact be native-compiled.
6108 @node Q6.2.1, Q6.2.2, Q6.1.6, MS Windows
6109 @unnumberedsec 6.2: Customization and User Interface
6110 @unnumberedsubsec Q6.2.1: How will the port cope with differences in the Windows user interface?
6112 XEmacs (and Emacs in general) UI is pretty
6113 different from what is expected of a typical MS Windows program. How will
6114 the MS Windows port cope with it?
6116 Fortunately, Emacs is also one of the most configurable editor beasts
6117 in the world. The MS Windows "look and feel" (mark via shift-arrow,
6118 self-inserting deletes region, etc.) can be easily configured via
6119 various packages distributed with XEmacs. The `pending-delete'
6120 package is an example of such a utility.
6122 In future versions, some of these packages might be turned on by
6123 default in the MS Windows environment.
6126 @node Q6.2.2, Q6.2.3, Q6.2.1, MS Windows
6127 @unnumberedsubsec Q6.2.2: How do I change fonts in XEmacs on MS Windows?
6129 In 21.2.*, use the font menu. In 21.1.*, you can change font
6130 manually. For example:
6133 (set-face-font 'default "Lucida Console:Regular:10")
6134 (set-face-font 'modeline "MS Sans Serif:Regular:10")
6138 @node Q6.2.3, Q6.3.1, Q6.2.2, MS Windows
6139 @unnumberedsubsec Q6.2.3: Where do I put my @file{.emacs} file?
6141 If the HOME environment variable is set, @file{.emacs} will be looked for
6142 there. Else the directory defaults to `c:\'.
6144 @node Q6.3.1, Q6.3.2, Q6.2.3, MS Windows
6145 @unnumberedsec 6.3: Miscellaneous
6146 @unnumberedsubsec Q6.3.1: Will XEmacs rename all the win32-* symbols to w32-*?
6148 In his flavor of Emacs 20, Richard Stallman has renamed all the win32-*
6149 symbols to w32-*. Will XEmacs do the same?
6151 We consider such a move counter-productive, thus we will not use the
6152 `w32' prefix. However, we do recognize that Win32 name is little more
6153 than a marketing buzzword (will it be Win64 in the next release?), so
6154 we decided not to use it. Using `windows-' would be wrong because the
6155 term is too generic, which is why we settled on a compromise
6158 Thus all the XEmacs variables and functions directly related to Win32
6159 are prefixed `mswindows-'. The user-variables shared with NT Emacs
6160 will be provided as compatibility aliases.
6162 Architectural note: We believe that there should be a very small
6163 number of window-systems-specific variables, and will try to provide
6164 generic interfaces whenever possible.
6167 @node Q6.3.2, Q6.3.3, Q6.3.1, MS Windows
6168 @unnumberedsubsec Q6.3.2: What are the differences between the various MS Windows emacsen?
6170 XEmacs, Win-Emacs, DOS Emacs, NT Emacs, this is all very confusing.
6171 Could you briefly explain the differences between them?
6173 Here is a recount of various Emacs versions running on MS Windows:
6183 Win-Emacs is a port of Lucid Emacs 19.6 to MS Windows using X
6184 compatibility libraries. Win-Emacs has been written by Ben Wing. The
6185 MS Windows code has not made it back to Lucid Emacs, which left Win-Emacs
6186 pretty much dead for our purposes. Win-Emacs used to be available at
6187 Pearlsoft, but not anymore, since Pearlsoft went out of business.
6196 GNU Emacs features support for MS-DOS and DJGPP (D.J. Delorie's DOS
6197 port of Gcc). Such an Emacs is heavily underfeatured, because it does
6198 not supports long file names, lacks proper subprocesses support, and
6199 is far too big compared to typical DOS editors.
6203 GNU Emacs compiled with Win32
6208 Starting with version 19.30, it has been possible to compile GNU Emacs
6209 under MS Windows using the DJGPP compiler and X libraries. The result
6210 is is very similar to GNU Emacs compiled under MS DOS, only it
6211 supports longer file names, etc. This "port" is similar to the "X"
6212 flavor of XEmacs on MS Windows.
6221 NT Emacs is a version of GNU Emacs modified to compile and run under
6222 MS MS Windows 95 and NT using the native Win32 API. As such, it is close
6223 in spirit to the XEmacs "native" port.
6226 NT Emacs has been written by Geoff Voelker, and more information can be
6231 @uref{http://www.cs.washington.edu/homes/voelker/ntemacs.html}.
6241 Beginning with XEmacs 19.12, XEmacs' architecture has been redesigned
6242 in such a way to allow clean support of multiple window systems. At
6243 this time the TTY support was added, making X and TTY the first two
6244 "window systems" XEmacs supported. The 19.12 design is the basis for
6245 the current native MS Windows code.
6248 Some time during 1997, David Hobley (soon joined by Marc Paquette)
6249 imported some of the NT-specific portions of GNU Emacs, making XEmacs
6250 with X support compile under Windows NT, and creating the "X" port.
6253 Several months later, Jonathan Harris sent out initial patches to use
6254 the Win32 API, thus creating the native port. Since then, various
6255 people have contributed, including Kirill M. Katsnelson (contributed
6256 support for menubars, subprocesses and network, as well as loads of
6257 other code), Andy Piper (ported XEmacs to Cygwin environment,
6258 contributed Windows unexec, Windows-specific glyphs and toolbars code,
6259 and more), Jeff Sparkes (contributed scrollbars support) and many
6267 @node Q6.3.3, Q6.4.1, Q6.3.2, MS Windows
6268 @unnumberedsubsec Q6.3.3: What is the porting team doing at the moment?
6270 The porting team is continuing work on the MS Windows-specific code.
6272 @node Q6.4.1, ,Q6.3.3, MS Windows
6273 @unnumberedsec 6.3: Troubleshooting
6274 @unnumberedsubsec Q6.4.1 XEmacs won't start on Windows. (NEW)
6276 XEmacs relies on a process called "dumping" to generate a working
6277 executable. Under MS-Windows this process effectively fixes the memory
6278 addresses of information in the executable. When XEmacs starts up it tries
6279 to reserve these memory addresses so that the dumping process can be
6280 reversed - putting the information back at the correct addresses.
6281 Unfortunately some .dlls (For instance the soundblaster driver) occupy
6282 memory addresses that can conflict with those needed by the dumped XEmacs
6283 executable. In this instance XEmacs will fail to start without any
6284 explanation. Note that this is extremely machine specific.
6286 21.1.10 includes a fix for this that makes more intelligent guesses
6287 about which memory addresses will be free, and this should cure the
6288 problem for most people. Unfortunately, no binary is yet available for
6289 this version. Check back periodically at
6291 @uref{ftp://ftp.xemacs.org/pub/xemacs/binaries/}.
6293 21.2 implements "portable dumping" which will eliminate the problem
6294 altogether. You might have better luck with the 21.2 beta binary,
6297 @uref{ftp://ftp.xemacs.org/pub/xemacs/beta/binaries/}.
6300 @node Current Events, , MS Windows, Top
6301 @unnumbered 7 What the Future Holds
6303 This is part 7 of the XEmacs Frequently Asked Questions list. This
6304 section will change monthly, and contains any interesting items that have
6305 transpired over the previous month. If you are reading this from the
6306 XEmacs distribution, please see the version on the Web or archived at the
6307 various FAQ FTP sites, as this file is surely out of date.
6310 * Q7.0.1:: What is new in 20.2?
6311 * Q7.0.2:: What is new in 20.3?
6312 * Q7.0.3:: What is new in 20.4?
6313 * Q7.0.4:: Procedural changes in XEmacs development.
6316 @node Q7.0.1, Q7.0.2, Current Events, Current Events
6317 @unnumberedsec 7.0: Changes
6318 @unnumberedsubsec Q7.0.1: What is new in 20.2?
6320 The biggest changes in 20.2 include integration of EFS (the next
6321 generation of ange-ftp) and AUC Tex (the Emacs subsystem that includes a
6322 major mode for editing Tex and LaTeX, and a lot of other stuff). Many
6323 bugs from 20.0 have been fixed for this release. 20.2 also contains a
6324 new system for customizing XEmacs options, invoked via @kbd{M-x
6327 XEmacs 20.2 is the development release (20.0 was beta), and is no longer
6328 considered unstable.
6330 @node Q7.0.2, Q7.0.3, Q7.0.1, Current Events
6331 @unnumberedsubsec Q7.0.2: What is new in 20.3?
6333 XEmacs 20.3 was released in November 1997. It contains many bugfixes,
6334 and a number of new features, including Autoconf 2 based configuration,
6335 additional support for Mule (Multi-language extensions to Emacs), many
6336 more customizations, multiple frames on TTY-s, support for multiple info
6337 directories, an enhanced gnuclient, improvements to regexp matching,
6338 increased MIME support, and many, many synches with GNU Emacs 20.
6340 The XEmacs/Mule support has been only seriously tested in a Japanese
6341 locale, and no doubt many problems still remain. The support for
6342 ISO-Latin-1 and Japanese is fairly strong. MULE support comes at a
6343 price---about a 30% slowdown from 19.16. We're making progress on
6344 improving performance and XEmacs 20.3 compiled without Mule (which is
6345 the default) is definitely faster than XEmacs 19.16.
6347 XEmacs 20.3 is the first non-beta v20 release, and will be the
6348 basis for all further development.
6350 @node Q7.0.3, Q7.0.4, Q7.0.2, Current Events
6351 @unnumberedsubsec Q7.0.3: What's new in XEmacs 20.4?
6353 XEmacs 20.4 is a bugfix release with no user-visible changes.
6354 @c Filled in from NEWS file of 20.5-b33
6357 @node Q7.0.4, , Q7.0.3, Current Events
6358 @unnumberedsubsec Q7.0.4: Procedural changes in XEmacs development.
6362 Discussion about the development of XEmacs occurs on the xemacs-beta
6363 mailing list. Subscriptions to this list will now be fully automated
6364 instead of being handled by hand. Send a mail message to
6365 @email{xemacs-beta-request@@xemacs.org} with @samp{subscribe} as the
6366 BODY of the message to join the list. Please note this is a developers
6367 mailing list for people who have an active interest in the development
6370 The discussion of NT XEmacs development is taking place on a separate
6371 mailing list. Send mail to
6375 @email{xemacs-nt-request@@xemacs.org} to
6379 Due to the long development cycle in between releases, it has been
6380 decided that intermediate versions will be made available in source only
6381 form for the truly interested.
6383 XEmacs 19.16 was the last 19 release, basically consisting of 19.15 plus
6384 the collected bugfixes.
6387 As of December 1996, @email{steve@@xemacs.org, Steve Baur} has become
6388 the lead maintainer of XEmacs.