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: 2003/05/02 06:00:43 $
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)
32 This is the guide to the XEmacs Frequently Asked Questions list---a
33 compendium of questions and answers pertaining to one of the finest
34 programs ever written. XEmacs is much more than just a Text Editor.
36 This FAQ is freely redistributable. This FAQ is distributed in the hope
37 that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the
38 implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
40 If you have a Web browser, the official hypertext version is at
44 @uref{http://www.xemacs.org/FAQ/xemacs-faq.html}
48 This document is available in several different formats:
51 @uref{xemacs-faq.txt, As a single ASCII file}, produced by
52 @code{makeinfo --no-headers}
54 @uref{xemacs-faq.dvi, As a .dvi file}, as used with
55 @uref{http://www.tug.org, TeX.}
57 As a PostScript file @uref{xemacs-faq-a4.ps, in A4 format},
58 as well as in @uref{xemacs-faq-letter.ps, letter format}
60 In html format, @uref{xemacs-faq_1.html, split by chapter}, or in
61 @uref{xemacs-faq.html, one monolithic} document.
63 The canonical version of the FAQ is the texinfo document
64 @uref{xemacs-faq.texi, man/xemacs-faq.texi}.
66 If you do not have makeinfo installed, you may @uref{xemacs-faq.info,
67 download the faq} in info format, and install it in @file{<XEmacs
68 library directory>/info/}. For example in
69 @file{/usr/local/lib/xemacs-21.4/info/}.
77 @c end ifset points to CANONICAL
80 * Introduction:: Introduction, Policy, Credits.
81 * Installation:: Installation and Trouble Shooting.
82 * Customization:: Customization and Options.
83 * Subsystems:: Major Subsystems.
84 * Miscellaneous:: The Miscellaneous Stuff.
85 * MS Windows:: XEmacs on Microsoft Windows.
86 * Current Events:: What the Future Holds.
87 * Legacy Versions:: New information about old XEmacsen.
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?
128 * Q1.3.8:: Does XEmacs support Unicode?
129 * Q1.3.9:: How does XEmacs display Unicode?
132 * Q1.4.1:: What is an @file{init.el} or @file{.emacs} and is there a sample one?
133 * Q1.4.2:: Can I use the same @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs} with the other Emacs?
134 * Q1.4.3:: Any good XEmacs tutorials around?
135 * Q1.4.4:: May I see an example of a useful XEmacs Lisp function?
136 * Q1.4.5:: And how do I bind it to a key?
137 * Q1.4.6:: What's the difference between a macro and a function?
139 Installation and Trouble Shooting
141 * Q2.0.1:: Running XEmacs without installing.
142 * Q2.0.2:: XEmacs is too big.
143 * Q2.0.3:: Compiling XEmacs with Netaudio.
144 * Q2.0.4:: Problems with Linux and ncurses.
145 * Q2.0.5:: Do I need X11 to run XEmacs?
146 * Q2.0.6:: I'm having strange crashes. What do I do?
147 * Q2.0.7:: Libraries in non-standard locations.
148 * Q2.0.8:: can't resolve symbol _h_errno
149 * Q2.0.9:: Where do I find external libraries?
150 * Q2.0.10:: After I run configure I find a coredump, is something wrong?
151 * Q2.0.11:: XEmacs can't resolve host names.
152 * Q2.0.12:: Why can't I strip XEmacs?
153 * Q2.0.13:: I don't need no steenkin' packages. Do I?
154 * Q2.0.14:: How do I figure out which packages to install?
155 * Q2.0.15:: EFS fails with "500 AUTH not understood" (NEW)
156 * Q2.0.16:: Cygwin XEmacs won't start: cygXpm-noX4.dll was not found (NEW)
159 * Q2.1.1:: XEmacs just crashed on me!
160 * Q2.1.2:: Cryptic Minibuffer messages.
161 * Q2.1.3:: Translation Table Syntax messages at Startup.
162 * Q2.1.4:: Startup warnings about deducing proper fonts?
163 * Q2.1.5:: XEmacs cannot connect to my X Terminal.
164 * Q2.1.6:: XEmacs just locked up my Linux X server.
165 * Q2.1.7:: HP Alt key as Meta.
166 * Q2.1.8:: got (wrong-type-argument color-instance-p nil)!
167 * Q2.1.9:: XEmacs causes my OpenWindows 3.0 server to crash.
168 * Q2.1.10:: Warnings from incorrect key modifiers.
169 * Q2.1.11:: Can't instantiate image error... in toolbar
170 * Q2.1.12:: Regular Expression Problems on DEC OSF1.
171 * Q2.1.13:: HP/UX 10.10 and @code{create_process} failure
172 * Q2.1.14:: @kbd{C-g} doesn't work for me. Is it broken?
173 * Q2.1.15:: How to debug an XEmacs problem with a debugger.
174 * Q2.1.16:: XEmacs crashes in @code{strcat} on HP/UX 10.
175 * Q2.1.17:: @samp{Marker does not point anywhere}.
176 * Q2.1.18:: XEmacs is outputting lots of X errors.
177 * Q2.1.19:: XEmacs does not follow the local timezone.
178 * Q2.1.20:: @samp{Symbol's function definition is void: hkey-help-show.}
179 * Q2.1.21:: [This question intentionally left blank]
180 * Q2.1.22:: XEmacs seems to take a really long time to do some things.
181 * Q2.1.23:: Movemail on Linux does not work for XEmacs 19.15 and later.
182 * Q2.1.24:: XEmacs won't start without network.
183 * Q2.1.25:: After upgrading, XEmacs won't do `foo' any more!
185 Customization and Options
187 * Q3.0.1:: What version of Emacs am I running?
188 * Q3.0.2:: How do I evaluate Elisp expressions?
189 * Q3.0.3:: @code{(setq tab-width 6)} behaves oddly.
190 * Q3.0.4:: How can I add directories to the @code{load-path}?
191 * Q3.0.5:: How to check if a lisp function is defined?
192 * Q3.0.6:: Can I force the output of @code{(face-list)} to a buffer?
193 * Q3.0.7:: Font selections don't get saved after @code{Save Options}.
194 * Q3.0.8:: How do I make a single minibuffer frame?
195 * Q3.0.9:: What is @code{Customize}?
197 X Window System & Resources:
198 * Q3.1.1:: Where is a list of X resources?
199 * Q3.1.2:: How can I detect a color display?
200 * Q3.1.3:: [This question intentionally left blank]
201 * Q3.1.4:: [This question intentionally left blank]
202 * Q3.1.5:: How can I get the icon to just say @samp{XEmacs}?
203 * Q3.1.6:: How can I have the window title area display the full path?
204 * Q3.1.7:: @samp{xemacs -name junk} doesn't work?
205 * Q3.1.8:: @samp{-iconic} doesn't work.
207 Textual Fonts & Colors:
208 * Q3.2.1:: How can I set color options from @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs}?
209 * Q3.2.2:: How do I set the text, menu and modeline fonts?
210 * Q3.2.3:: How can I set the colors when highlighting a region?
211 * Q3.2.4:: How can I limit color map usage?
212 * Q3.2.5:: My tty supports color, but XEmacs doesn't use them.
213 * Q3.2.6:: Can I have pixmap backgrounds in XEmacs?
216 * Q3.3.1:: How can I make the modeline go away?
217 * Q3.3.2:: How do you have XEmacs display the line number in the modeline?
218 * Q3.3.3:: How do I get XEmacs to put the time of day on the modeline?
219 * Q3.3.4:: How do I turn off current chapter from AUC TeX modeline?
220 * Q3.3.5:: How can one change the modeline color based on the mode used?
222 Multiple Device Support:
223 * Q3.4.1:: How do I open a frame on another screen of my multi-headed display?
224 * Q3.4.2:: Can I really connect to a running XEmacs after calling up over a modem? How?
227 * Q3.5.1:: How can I bind complex functions (or macros) to keys?
228 * Q3.5.2:: How can I stop down-arrow from adding empty lines to the bottom of my buffers?
229 * Q3.5.3:: How do I bind C-. and C-; to scroll one line up and down?
230 * Q3.5.4:: Globally binding @kbd{Delete}?
231 * Q3.5.5:: Scrolling one line at a time.
232 * Q3.5.6:: How to map @kbd{Help} key alone on Sun type4 keyboard?
233 * Q3.5.7:: How can you type in special characters in XEmacs?
234 * Q3.5.8:: [This question intentionally left blank]
235 * Q3.5.9:: How do I make the Delete key delete forward?
236 * Q3.5.10:: Can I turn on @dfn{sticky} modifier keys?
237 * Q3.5.11:: How do I map the arrow keys?
240 * Q3.6.1:: Is there a way to make the bar cursor thicker?
241 * 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?
242 * Q3.6.3:: Can I make the cursor blink?
244 The Mouse and Highlighting:
245 * Q3.7.1:: How can I turn off Mouse pasting?
246 * Q3.7.2:: How do I set control/meta/etc modifiers on mouse buttons?
247 * Q3.7.3:: Clicking the left button does not do anything in buffer list.
248 * Q3.7.4:: How can I get a list of buffers when I hit mouse button 3?
249 * Q3.7.5:: Why does cut-and-paste not work between XEmacs and a cmdtool?
250 * Q3.7.6:: How I can set XEmacs up so that it pastes where the text cursor is?
251 * Q3.7.7:: How do I select a rectangular region?
252 * Q3.7.8:: Why does @kbd{M-w} take so long?
254 The Menubar and Toolbar:
255 * Q3.8.1:: How do I get rid of the menu (or menubar)?
256 * Q3.8.2:: Can I customize the basic menubar?
257 * Q3.8.3:: How do I control how many buffers are listed in the menu @code{Buffers} list?
258 * Q3.8.4:: Resources like @code{Emacs*menubar*font} are not working?
259 * Q3.8.5:: How can I bind a key to a function to toggle the toolbar?
262 * Q3.9.1:: How can I disable the scrollbar?
263 * Q3.9.2:: How can one use resources to change scrollbar colors?
264 * Q3.9.3:: Moving the scrollbar can move the point; can I disable this?
265 * Q3.9.4:: How can I turn off automatic horizontal scrolling in specific modes?
268 * Q3.10.1:: How can I turn off or change highlighted selections?
269 * Q3.10.2:: How do I get that typing on an active region removes it?
270 * Q3.10.3:: Can I turn off the highlight during isearch?
271 * Q3.10.4:: How do I turn off highlighting after @kbd{C-x C-p} (mark-page)?
272 * Q3.10.5:: The region disappears when I hit the end of buffer while scrolling.
273 * Q3.10.6:: Why is killing so slow?
277 * Q4.0.1:: How do I set up VM to retrieve remote mail using POP?
278 * Q4.0.2:: How do I get VM to filter mail for me?
279 * Q4.0.3:: How can I get VM to automatically check for new mail?
280 * Q4.0.4:: [This question intentionally left blank]
281 * Q4.0.5:: How do I get my outgoing mail archived?
282 * 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"?
283 * Q4.0.7:: Is there a mailing list or FAQ for VM?
284 * Q4.0.8:: Remote mail reading with VM.
285 * Q4.0.9:: rmail or VM gets an error incorporating new mail.
286 * Q4.0.10:: How do I make VM stay in a single frame?
287 * Q4.0.11:: How do I make VM or mh-e display graphical smilies?
288 * Q4.0.12:: Customization of VM not covered in the manual or here.
290 Web browsing with W3:
291 * Q4.1.1:: What is W3?
292 * Q4.1.2:: How do I run W3 from behind a firewall?
293 * Q4.1.3:: Is it true that W3 supports style sheets and tables?
295 Reading Netnews and Mail with Gnus:
296 * Q4.2.1:: GNUS, (ding) Gnus, Gnus 5, September Gnus, Red Gnus, Quassia Gnus, argh!
297 * Q4.2.2:: [This question intentionally left blank]
298 * Q4.2.3:: How do I make Gnus stay within a single frame?
299 * Q4.2.4:: How do I customize the From: line?
302 * Q4.3.1:: How can I read and/or compose MIME messages?
303 * Q4.3.2:: What is TM and where do I get it?
304 * Q4.3.3:: Why isn't this @code{movemail} program working?
305 * Q4.3.4:: Movemail is also distributed by Netscape? Can that cause problems?
306 * Q4.3.5:: Where do I find pstogif (required by tm)?
308 Sparcworks, EOS, and WorkShop:
309 * Q4.4.1:: What is SPARCworks, EOS, and WorkShop
310 * Q4.4.2:: How do I start the Sun Workshop support in XEmacs 21?
313 * Q4.5.1:: What is/was Energize?
316 * Q4.6.1:: What is Infodock?
318 Other Unbundled Packages:
319 * Q4.7.1:: What is AUC TeX? Where do you get it?
320 * Q4.7.2:: Are there any Emacs Lisp Spreadsheets?
321 * Q4.7.3:: [This question intentionally left blank]
322 * Q4.7.4:: Problems installing AUC TeX
323 * Q4.7.5:: Is there a reason for an Emacs package not to be included in XEmacs?
324 * Q4.7.6:: Is there a MatLab mode?
325 * Q4.7.7:: Can I edit files on other hosts?
327 The Miscellaneous Stuff
329 * Q5.0.1:: How can I do source code highlighting using font-lock?
330 * Q5.0.2:: I do not like cc-mode. How do I use the old c-mode?
331 * Q5.0.3:: How do I get @samp{More} Syntax Highlighting on by default?
332 * Q5.0.4:: How can I enable auto-indent and/or Filladapt?
333 * Q5.0.5:: How can I get XEmacs to come up in text/auto-fill mode by default?
334 * Q5.0.6:: How do I start up a second shell buffer?
335 * Q5.0.7:: Telnet from shell filters too much.
336 * Q5.0.8:: Why does edt emulation not work?
337 * Q5.0.9:: How can I emulate VI and use it as my default mode?
338 * Q5.0.10:: [This question intentionally left blank]
339 * Q5.0.11:: [This question intentionally left blank]
340 * Q5.0.12:: How do I disable gnuserv from opening a new frame?
341 * Q5.0.13:: How do I start gnuserv so that each subsequent XEmacs is a client?
342 * Q5.0.14:: Strange things are happening in Shell Mode.
343 * Q5.0.15:: Where do I get the latest CC Mode?
344 * Q5.0.16:: I find auto-show-mode disconcerting. How do I turn it off?
345 * Q5.0.17:: How can I get two instances of info?
346 * Q5.0.18:: [This question intentionally left blank]
347 * Q5.0.19:: Is there something better than LaTeX mode?
348 * Q5.0.20:: Is there a way to start a new XEmacs if there's no gnuserv running, and otherwise use gnuclient?
350 Emacs Lisp Programming Techniques:
351 * Q5.1.1:: The difference in key sequences between XEmacs and GNU Emacs?
352 * Q5.1.2:: Can I generate "fake" keyboard events?
353 * Q5.1.3:: Could you explain @code{read-kbd-macro} in more detail?
354 * Q5.1.4:: What is the performance hit of @code{let}?
355 * Q5.1.5:: What is the recommended use of @code{setq}?
356 * Q5.1.6:: What is the typical misuse of @code{setq} ?
357 * Q5.1.7:: I like the @code{do} form of cl, does it slow things down?
358 * Q5.1.8:: I like recursion, does it slow things down?
359 * Q5.1.9:: How do I put a glyph as annotation in a buffer?
360 * Q5.1.10:: @code{map-extents} won't traverse all of my extents!
361 * Q5.1.11:: My elisp program is horribly slow. Is there an easy way to find out where it spends time?
364 * Q5.2.1:: How do I turn off the sound?
365 * Q5.2.2:: How do I get funky sounds instead of a boring beep?
366 * Q5.2.3:: What's NAS, how do I get it?
367 * Q5.2.4:: Sunsite sounds don't play.
370 * Q5.3.1:: How do you make XEmacs indent CL if-clauses correctly?
371 * Q5.3.2:: [This question intentionally left blank]
372 * Q5.3.3:: How can I print WYSIWYG a font-locked buffer?
373 * Q5.3.4:: Getting @kbd{M-x lpr} to work with postscript printer.
374 * Q5.3.5:: How do I specify the paths that XEmacs uses for finding files?
375 * Q5.3.6:: [This question intentionally left blank]
376 * Q5.3.7:: Can I have the end of the buffer delimited in some way?
377 * Q5.3.8:: How do I insert today's date into a buffer?
378 * Q5.3.9:: Are only certain syntactic character classes available for abbrevs?
379 * Q5.3.10:: How can I get those oh-so-neat X-Face lines?
380 * Q5.3.11:: How do I add new Info directories?
381 * Q5.3.12:: What do I need to change to make printing work?
386 * Q6.0.1:: What is the status of the XEmacs port to Windows?
387 * Q6.0.2:: What flavors of MS Windows are supported? The list name implies NT only.
388 * Q6.0.3:: Are binaries available?
389 * Q6.0.4:: Can I build XEmacs on MS Windows with X support? Do I need to?
390 * Q6.0.5:: I'd like to help out. What do I do?
391 * Q6.0.6:: What are Cygwin and MinGW, and do I need them to run XEmacs?
392 * Q6.0.7:: What exactly are all the different ways to build XEmacs under Windows?
394 Building XEmacs on MS Windows:
395 * Q6.1.1:: What compiler/libraries do I need to compile XEmacs?
396 * Q6.1.2:: How do I compile the native port?
397 * Q6.1.3:: What do I need for Cygwin?
398 * Q6.1.4:: How do I compile under Cygwin?
399 * Q6.1.5:: How do I compile using MinGW (aka @samp{the -mno-cygwin flag to gcc})?
400 * Q6.1.6:: I decided to run with X. Where do I get an X server?
401 * Q6.1.7:: How do I compile with X support?
403 Customization and User Interface:
404 * Q6.2.1:: How does the port cope with differences in the Windows user interface?
405 * Q6.2.2:: How do I change fonts in XEmacs on MS Windows?
406 * Q6.2.3:: Where do I put my @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs} file?
407 * Q6.2.4:: How do I get Windows Explorer to associate a file type with XEmacs?
408 * Q6.2.5:: Is it possible to print from XEmacs?
411 * Q6.3.1:: Does XEmacs rename all the @samp{win32-*} symbols to @samp{w32-*}?
412 * Q6.3.2:: What are the differences between the various MS Windows emacsen?
413 * Q6.3.3:: XEmacs 21.1 on Windows used to spawn an ugly console window on every startup. Has that been fixed?
414 * Q6.3.4:: What is the porting team doing at the moment?
417 * Q6.4.1:: XEmacs won't start on Windows.
418 * Q6.4.2:: Why do I get a blank toolbar on Windows 95?
419 * Q6.4.3:: XEmacs complains "No such file or directory, diff"
421 What the Future Holds
423 * Q7.0.1:: What new features will be in XEmacs soon?
424 * Q7.0.2:: What's new in XEmacs 21.4?
425 * Q7.0.3:: What's new in XEmacs 21.1?
426 * Q7.0.4:: What's new in XEmacs 20.4?
427 * Q7.0.5:: What's new in XEmacs 20.3?
428 * Q7.0.6:: What's new in XEmacs 20.2?
430 New information about old XEmacsen.
433 * Q8.0.1:: Gnus 5.10 won't display smileys in XEmacs 21.1.
438 @node Introduction, Installation, Top, Top
439 @unnumbered 1 Introduction, Policy, Credits
441 Learning XEmacs is a lifelong activity. Even people who have used Emacs
442 for years keep discovering new features. Therefore this document cannot
443 be complete. Instead it is aimed at the person who is either
444 considering XEmacs for their own use, or has just obtained it and is
445 wondering what to do next. It is also useful as a reference to
448 The previous maintainer of the FAQ was @email{rossini@@biostat.washington.edu,
449 Anthony Rossini}, who started it, after getting tired of hearing JWZ
450 complain about repeatedly having to answer questions.
451 @email{ben@@xemacs.org, Ben Wing} and @email{cthomp@@xemacs.org, Chuck
452 Thompson}, the principal authors of XEmacs, then took over and Ben did
453 a massive update reorganizing the whole thing. At which point Anthony
454 took back over, but then had to give it up again. Some of the other
455 contributors to this FAQ are listed later in this document.
457 The previous version was converted to hypertext format, and edited by
458 @email{steve@@xemacs.org, Steven L. Baur}. It was converted back to
459 texinfo by @email{hniksic@@xemacs.org, Hrvoje Niksic}. The FAQ was then
460 maintained by @email{andreas@@sccon.com, Andreas Kaempf}, who passed it
461 on to ChristianNyb@o{}.
463 If you notice any errors or items which should be added or amended to
464 this FAQ please send email to @email{faq@@xemacs.org, Sandra
465 Wambold}. Include @samp{XEmacs FAQ} on the Subject: line.
469 * Q1.0.1:: What is XEmacs?
470 * Q1.0.2:: What is the current version of XEmacs?
471 * Q1.0.3:: Where can I find it?
472 * Q1.0.4:: Why Another Version of Emacs?
473 * Q1.0.5:: Why Haven't XEmacs and GNU Emacs Merged?
474 * Q1.0.6:: Where can I get help?
475 * Q1.0.7:: Where are the mailing lists archived?
476 * Q1.0.8:: How do you pronounce XEmacs?
477 * Q1.0.9:: What does XEmacs look like?
478 * Q1.0.10:: Is there a port of XEmacs to Microsoft ('95 or NT)?
479 * Q1.0.11:: Is there a port of XEmacs to the Macintosh?
480 * Q1.0.12:: Is there a port of XEmacs to NextStep?
481 * Q1.0.13:: Is there a port of XEmacs to OS/2?
482 * Q1.0.14:: Where can I get a printed copy of the XEmacs users manual?
485 * Q1.1.1:: What is the FAQ editorial policy?
486 * Q1.1.2:: How do I become a Beta Tester?
487 * Q1.1.3:: How do I contribute to XEmacs itself?
490 * Q1.2.1:: Who wrote XEmacs?
491 * Q1.2.2:: Who contributed to this version of the FAQ?
492 * Q1.2.3:: Who contributed to the FAQ in the past?
494 Internationalization:
495 * Q1.3.1:: What is the status of internationalization support aka MULE (including Asian language support?
496 * Q1.3.2:: How can I help with internationalization?
497 * Q1.3.3:: How do I type non-ASCII characters?
498 * Q1.3.4:: Can XEmacs messages come out in a different language?
499 * Q1.3.5:: Please explain the various input methods in MULE/XEmacs
500 * Q1.3.6:: How do I portably code for MULE/XEmacs?
501 * Q1.3.7:: How about Cyrillic Modes?
502 * Q1.3.8:: Does XEmacs support Unicode?
503 * Q1.3.9:: How does XEmacs display Unicode?
506 * Q1.4.1:: What is an @file{init.el} or @file{.emacs} and is there a sample one?
507 * Q1.4.2:: Can I use the same @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs} with the other Emacs?
508 * Q1.4.3:: Any good XEmacs tutorials around?
509 * Q1.4.4:: May I see an example of a useful XEmacs Lisp function?
510 * Q1.4.5:: And how do I bind it to a key?
511 * Q1.4.6:: What's the difference between a macro and a function?
514 @node Q1.0.1, Q1.0.2, Introduction, Introduction
515 @unnumberedsec 1.0: Introduction
516 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.0.1: What is XEmacs?
519 XEmacs is a powerful, highly customizable open source text editor and
520 application development system, with full GUI support. It is protected
521 under the GNU Public License and related to other versions of Emacs, in
522 particular GNU Emacs. Its emphasis is on modern graphical user
523 interface support and an open software development model, similar to
524 Linux. XEmacs has an active development community numbering in the
525 hundreds (and thousands of active beta testers on top of this), and runs
526 on all versions of MS Windows, on Linux, and on nearly every other
527 version of Unix in existence. Support for XEmacs has been supplied by
528 Sun Microsystems, University of Illinois, Lucid, ETL/Electrotechnical
529 Laboratory, Amdahl Corporation, BeOpen, and others, as well as the
530 unpaid time of a great number of individual developers.
532 @node Q1.0.2, Q1.0.3, Q1.0.1, Introduction
533 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.0.2: What is the current version of XEmacs?
535 XEmacs versions 21.1.* are releases made from the current stable
536 sources. XEmacs versions 21.2.* are releases made from the development
537 sources. Check at @uref{http://www.xemacs.org} for the current minor
540 XEmacs 19.16 was the last release of v19, released in November, 1997,
541 which was also the last version without international language support.
543 @node Q1.0.3, Q1.0.4, Q1.0.2, Introduction
544 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.0.3: Where can I find it?
546 The canonical source and binaries can be found via anonymous FTP at:
549 @uref{ftp://ftp.xemacs.org/pub/xemacs/}
552 @node Q1.0.4, Q1.0.5, Q1.0.3, Introduction
553 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.0.4: Why Another Version of Emacs?
555 For a detailed description of the differences between GNU Emacs and
556 XEmacs and a detailed history of XEmacs, check out the
558 @uref{http://www.xemacs.org/About/XEmacsVsGNUemacs.html, NEWS file}
561 However, here is a list of some of the reasons why we think you might
569 The XEmacs maintainers are generally more receptive to suggestions than
570 the GNU Emacs maintainers.
573 Many more bundled packages than GNU Emacs.
576 Binaries are available for many common operating systems.
579 Face support on TTY's.
585 Better Motif compliance.
588 Some internationalization support (including full MULE support, if
592 Variable-width fonts.
595 Variable-height lines.
598 Marginal annotations.
604 XEmacs can be used as an Xt widget, and can be embedded within another
608 Horizontal and vertical scrollbars (using real toolkit scrollbars).
611 Better APIs (and performance) for attaching fonts, colors, and other
615 The ability to embed arbitrary graphics in a buffer.
618 Completely compatible (at the C level) with the Xt-based toolkits.
622 @node Q1.0.5, Q1.0.6, Q1.0.4, Introduction
623 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.0.5: Why Haven't XEmacs and GNU Emacs Merged?
625 There are currently irreconcilable differences in the views about
626 technical, programming, design and organizational matters between RMS
627 and the XEmacs development team which provide little hope for a merge to
628 take place in the short-term future.
630 If you have a comment to add regarding the merge, it is a good idea to
631 avoid posting to the newsgroups, because of the very heated flamewars
632 that often result. Mail your questions to @email{xemacs-beta@@xemacs.org} and
633 @email{bug-gnu-emacs@@prep.ai.mit.edu}.
635 @node Q1.0.6, Q1.0.7, Q1.0.5, Introduction
636 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.0.6: Where can I get help?
638 Probably the easiest way, if everything is installed, is to use Info, by
639 pressing @kbd{C-h i}, or looking for an Info item on the
640 Help Menu. @kbd{M-x apropos} can be used to look for particular commands.
642 For items not found in the manual, try reading this FAQ
643 @comment , examining the regular GNU Emacs FAQ (which can be
644 @comment found with the Emacs 19 distribution) as well as at
645 @comment @uref{http://www.eecs.nwu.edu/emacs/faq/}
646 and reading the Usenet group comp.emacs.xemacs.
648 If you choose to post to a newsgroup, @strong{please use
649 comp.emacs.xemacs}. Please do not post XEmacs related questions to
652 If you cannot post or read Usenet news, there is a corresponding mailing
653 list @email{xemacs-news@@xemacs.org} which is available. It can be
654 subscribed to via the Mailman Web interface or by sending mail to to
655 @email{xemacs-news-request@@xemacs.org} with @samp{subscribe} in the
656 body of the message. See also
657 @uref{http://www.xemacs.org/Lists/#xemacs-news}. To cancel a
658 subscription, you may use the @email{xemacs-news-request@@xemacs.org}
659 address or the Web interface. Send a message with a subject of
660 @samp{unsubscribe} to be removed.
662 @node Q1.0.7, Q1.0.8, Q1.0.6, Introduction
663 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.0.7: Where are the mailing lists archived?
665 The archives can be found at @uref{http://list-archive.xemacs.org}
667 @node Q1.0.8, Q1.0.9, Q1.0.7, Introduction
668 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.0.8: How do you pronounce XEmacs?
670 The most common pronounciation is @samp{Eks eemax}.
672 @node Q1.0.9, Q1.0.10, Q1.0.8, Introduction
673 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.0.9: What does XEmacs look like?
675 Screen snapshots are available at
676 @uref{http://www.xemacs.org/About/Screenshots/index.html}
677 as part of the XEmacs website.
679 @node Q1.0.10, Q1.0.11, Q1.0.9, Introduction
680 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.0.10: Is there a port of XEmacs to Microsoft ('95 or NT)?
682 Yes. XEmacs can be built under MS Windows and is fully-featured and
683 actively developed. See @ref{MS Windows}.
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}.
698 XEmacs 21.5 (perhaps 21.4 also?) works on MacOS X, although it certainly
699 will not feel very much like a Mac application as it has no Mac-specific
702 There is also a port of XEmacs 19.14 that works on all recent versions
703 of MacOS, from 8.1 through MacOS X, by @email{pjarvis@@ispchannel.com,
704 Pitts Jarvis}. It runs in an equivalent of TTY mode only (one single
705 Macintosh window, 25 colors), but has a large number of Mac-specific
706 additions. It's available at
707 @uref{http://homepage.mac.com/pjarvis/xemacs.html}.
709 @node Q1.0.12, Q1.0.13, Q1.0.11, Introduction
710 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.0.12: Is there a port of XEmacs to NextStep?
712 Carl Edman, apparently no longer at @email{cedman@@princeton.edu}, did
713 the port of GNU Emacs to NeXTstep and expressed interest in doing the
714 XEmacs port, but never went any farther.
716 @node Q1.0.13, Q1.0.14, Q1.0.12, Introduction
717 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.0.13: Is there a port of XEmacs to OS/2?
719 No, but Alexander Nikolaev <avn_1251@@mail.ru> is working on it.
721 @node Q1.0.14, Q1.1.1, Q1.0.13, Introduction
722 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.0.14: Where can I obtain a printed copy of the XEmacs User's Manual?
724 Pre-printed manuals are not available. If you are familiar with
725 TeX, you can generate your own manual from the XEmacs sources.
727 HTML and Postscript versions of XEmacs manuals are available from the
729 @uref{http://www.xemacs.org/Documentation/index.html}.
731 @node Q1.1.1, Q1.1.2, Q1.0.14, Introduction
732 @unnumberedsec 1.1: Policies
733 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.1.1: What is the FAQ editorial policy?
735 The FAQ is actively maintained and modified regularly. All links should
736 be up to date. Unfortunately, some of the information is out of date --
737 a situation which the FAQ maintainer is working on. All submissions are
738 welcome, please e-mail submissions to @email{faq@@xemacs.org, XEmacs FAQ
741 Please make sure that @samp{XEmacs FAQ} appears on the Subject: line.
742 If you think you have a better way of answering a question, or think a
743 question should be included, we'd like to hear about it. Questions and
744 answers included into the FAQ will be edited for spelling and grammar
745 and will be attributed. Answers appearing without attribution are
746 either from versions of the FAQ dated before May 1996 or are from
747 previous FAQ maintainers. Answers quoted from Usenet news articles will
748 always be attributed, regardless of the author.
750 @node Q1.1.2, Q1.1.3, Q1.1.1, Introduction
751 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.1.2: How do I become a Beta Tester?
753 Send an email message to @email{xemacs-beta-request@@xemacs.org} with
754 the line @samp{subscribe} in the body of the message.
756 Be prepared to get your hands dirty, as beta testers are expected to
757 identify problems as best they can.
759 @node Q1.1.3, Q1.2.1, Q1.1.2, Introduction
760 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.1.3: How do I contribute to XEmacs itself?
762 Ben Wing @email{ben@@xemacs.org} writes:
765 BTW if you have a wish list of things that you want added, you have to
766 speak up about it! More specifically, you can do the following if you
767 want a feature added (in increasing order of usefulness):
771 Make a posting about a feature you want added.
774 Become a beta tester and make more postings about those same features.
777 Convince us that you're going to use the features in some cool and
781 Come up with a clear and well-thought-out API concerning the features.
784 Write the code to implement a feature and send us a patch.
787 (not that we're necessarily requiring you to write the code, but we can
791 @node Q1.2.1, Q1.2.2, Q1.1.3, Introduction
792 @unnumberedsec 1.2: Credits
793 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.2.1: Who wrote XEmacs?
795 XEmacs is the result of the time and effort of many people. The
796 developers responsible for recent releases are:
799 @item @email{martin@@xemacs.org, Martin Buchholz}
801 <br><img src="mrb.jpeg" alt="Portrait of Martin Buchholz"><br>
805 @item @email{stephen@@xemacs.org, Stephen Turnbull}
808 @item @email{ben@@xemacs.org, Ben Wing}
810 <br><img src="wing.gif" alt="Portrait of Ben Wing"><br>
814 @item @email{hniksic@@xemacs.org, Hrvoje Niksic}
817 <br><img src="hniksic.jpeg" alt="Portrait of Hrvoje Niksic"><br>
822 The developers responsible for older releases were:
825 @item @email{steve@@xemacs.org, Steve Baur}
828 <br><img src="steve.gif" alt="Portrait of Steve Baur"><br>
831 @item @email{cthomp@@xemacs.org, Chuck Thompson}
833 <br><img src="cthomp.jpeg" alt="Portrait of Chuck Thompson"><br>
836 @item @email{jwz@@jwz.org, Jamie Zawinski}
838 <br><img src="jwz.gif" alt="Portrait of Jamie Zawinski"><br>
841 @item @email{mly@@adoc.xerox.com, Richard Mlynarik}
843 Steve Baur was the primary maintainer for 19.15 through 21.0.
845 Chuck Thompson and Ben Wing were the maintainers for 19.11 through 19.14
846 and heavy code contributors for 19.8 through 19.10.
848 Jamie Zawinski was the maintainer for 19.0 through 19.10 (the entire
849 history of Lucid Emacs). Richard Mlynarik was a heavy code contributor
850 to 19.6 through 19.8.
854 Along with many other contributors, partially enumerated in the
855 @samp{About XEmacs} option in the Help menu.
857 @node Q1.2.2, Q1.2.3, Q1.2.1, Introduction
858 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.2.2: Who contributed to this version of the FAQ?
860 The following people contributed valuable suggestions to building this
861 version of the FAQ (listed in alphabetical order):
864 @item @email{steve@@xemacs.org, SL Baur}
866 @item @email{hniksic@@xemacs.org, Hrvoje Niksic}
868 @item @email{Aki.Vehtari@@hut.fi, Aki Vehtari}
872 @node Q1.2.3, Q1.3.1, Q1.2.2, Introduction
873 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.2.3: Who contributed to the FAQ in the past?
875 This is only a partial list, as many names were lost in a hard disk
879 @item @email{binge@@aloft.att.com, Curtis.N.Bingham}
881 @item @email{bruncott@@dormeur.inria.fr, Georges Brun-Cottan}
883 @item @email{rjc@@cogsci.ed.ac.uk, Richard Caley}
885 @item @email{cognot@@ensg.u-nancy.fr, Richard Cognot}
887 @item @email{daku@@nortel.ca, Mark Daku}
889 @item @email{wgd@@martigny.ai.mit.edu, William G. Dubuque}
891 @item @email{eeide@@cs.utah.edu, Eric Eide}
893 @item @email{af@@biomath.jussieu.fr, Alain Fauconnet}
895 @item @email{cflatter@@nrao.edu, Chris Flatters}
897 @item @email{ginsparg@@adra.com, Evelyn Ginsparg}
899 @item @email{hall@@aplcenmp.apl.jhu.edu, Marty Hall}
901 @item @email{dkindred@@cmu.edu, Darrell Kindred}
903 @item @email{dmoore@@ucsd.edu, David Moore}
905 @item @email{arup+@@cmu.edu, Arup Mukherjee}
907 @item @email{nickel@@prz.tu-berlin.de, Juergen Nickelsen}
909 @item @email{powell@@csl.ncsa.uiuc.edu, Kevin R. Powell}
911 @item @email{dworkin@@ccs.neu.edu, Justin Sheehy}
913 @item @email{stig@@hackvan.com, Stig}
915 @item @email{Aki.Vehtari@@hut.fi, Aki Vehtari}
918 @node Q1.3.1, Q1.3.2, Q1.2.3, Introduction
919 @unnumberedsec 1.3: Internationalization
920 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.3.1: What is the status of internationalization support aka MULE (including Asian language support?
922 Both the stable and development versions of XEmacs include
923 internationalization support (aka MULE). MULE currently (21.4) works on
924 UNIX and Linux systems. It is possible to build with MULE on Windows
925 systems, but if you really need MULE on Windows, it is recommended that
926 you build and use the development (21.5) version, and deal with the
927 instability of the development tree. Binaries compiled without MULE
928 support run faster than MULE capable XEmacsen.
930 @node Q1.3.2, Q1.3.3, Q1.3.1, Introduction
931 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.3.2: How can I help with internationalization?
933 If you would like to help, you may want to join the
934 @email{xemacs-mule@@xemacs.org} mailing list. Especially needed are
935 people who speak/write languages other than English, who are willing to
936 use XEmacs/MULE regularly, and have some experience with Elisp.
938 Translations of the TUTORIAL and man page are welcome, and XEmacs does
939 support multilingual menus, but we have few current translations.
943 @node Q1.3.3, Q1.3.4, Q1.3.2, Introduction
944 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.3.3: How do I type non-ASCII characters?
946 See question 3.5.7 (@pxref{Q3.5.7}) in part 3 of this FAQ for some
947 simple methods that also work in non-MULE builds of XEmacs (but only for
948 one-octet coded character sets, and mostly for ISO 8859/1). Many of the
949 methods available for Cyrillic (@pxref{Q1.3.7}) work without MULE.
950 MULE has more general capabilities. @xref{Q1.3.5}.
952 @xref{Q3.2.7}, which covers display of non-ASCII characters.
954 @node Q1.3.4, Q1.3.5, Q1.3.3, Introduction
955 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.3.4: Can XEmacs messages come out in a different language?
957 The message-catalog support was written but is badly bit-rotted. XEmacs
958 20 and 21 did @emph{not} support it, and early releases of XEmacs 22
961 However, menubar localization @emph{does} work. To enable it, add to
962 your @file{Emacs} file entries like this:
965 Emacs*XlwMenu.resourceLabels: True
966 Emacs*XlwMenu.file.labelString: Fichier
967 Emacs*XlwMenu.openInOtherWindow.labelString: In anderem Fenster oeffnen
970 The name of the resource is derived from the non-localized entry by
971 removing punctuation and capitalizing as above.
973 @node Q1.3.5, Q1.3.6, Q1.3.4, Introduction
974 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.3.5: Please explain the various input methods in MULE/XEmacs
976 Mule supports a wide variety of input methods. There are three basic
977 classes: Lisp implementations, generic platform support, and library
980 @emph{Lisp implementations} include Quail, which provides table-driven input
981 methods for almost all the character sets that Mule supports (including
982 all of the ISO 8859 family, the Indic languages, Thai, and so on), and
983 SKK, for Japanese. (SKK also supports an interface to an external
984 "dictionary server" process.) Quail supports both typical "dead-key"
985 methods (eg, in the "latin-1-prefix" method, @kbd{" a} produces ä, LATIN
986 SMALL LETTER A WITH DIAERESIS), and the complex dictionary-based phonetic
987 methods used for Asian ideographic languages like Chinese.
989 Lisp implementations can be less powerful (but they are not perceptibly
990 inefficient), and of course are not portable to non-Emacs applications.
991 The incompatibility can be very annoying. On the other hand, they
992 require no special platform support or external libraries, so if you can
993 display the characters, Mule can input them for you and you can edit,
996 @emph{Generic platform support} is currently limited to the X Input
997 Method (XIM) framework, although support for MSIME (for MS Windows) is
998 planned, and IIIMF (Sun's Internet-Intranet Input Method Framework)
999 support is extremely desirable. XIM is enabled at build time by use of
1000 the @samp{--with-xim} flag to @code{configure}. For use of XIM, see
1001 your platform documentation. However, normally the input method you use
1002 is specified via the @samp{LANG} and @samp{XMODIFIERS} environment
1005 Of course, input skills are portable across most applications. However,
1006 especially in modern GUI systems the habit of using bucky bits has
1007 fallen into sad disuse, and many XIM systems are poorly configured for
1008 use with Emacs. For example, the kinput2 input manager (a separate
1009 process providing an interface between Japanese dictionary servers such
1010 as Canna and Wnn, and the application) tends to gobble up keystrokes
1011 generating Meta characters. This means that to edit while using an XIM
1012 input method, you must toggle the input method off every time you want
1013 to use @kbd{M-f}. Your mileage may vary.
1015 @emph{Library interfaces} are most common for Japanese, although Wnn
1016 supports Chinese (traditional and simplified) and Korean. There are
1017 Chinese and Korean input servers available, but we do not know of any
1018 patches for XEmacs to use them directly. You can use them via
1019 IM-enabled terminals, by manipulating the terminal coding systems. We
1020 describe only the Japanese-oriented systems here. The advantage of
1021 these systems is that they are very powerful, and on platforms where
1022 they are available there is typically a wide range of applications that
1023 support them. Thus your input skills are portable across applications.
1025 Mule provides built-in interfaces to the following input methods: Wnn4,
1026 Wnn6, Canna, and SJ3. These can be configured at build time. There are
1027 patches available (no URL, sorry) to support the SKK server, as well.
1028 Wnn and SJ3 use the @code{egg} user interface. The interface for Canna
1029 is specialized to Canna.
1031 Wnn supports Japanese, Chinese and Korean. It is made by OMRON and Kyôto
1032 University. It is a powerful and complex system. Wnn4 is free and Wnn6
1033 is not. Wnn uses grammatical hints and probability of word association,
1034 so in principle Wnn can be cleverer than other methods.
1036 Canna, made by NEC, supports only Japanese. It is a simple and powerful
1037 system. Canna uses only grammar, but its grammar and dictionary are
1038 quite sophisticated. So for standard modern Japanese, Canna seems
1039 cleverer than Wnn4. In addition, the UNIX version of Canna is free (now
1040 there is a Microsoft Windows version).
1042 SJ3, by Sony, supports only Japanese.
1044 Egg consists of following parts:
1048 Input character Translation System (ITS) layer.
1049 It translates ASCII inputs to Kana/PinYin/Hangul characters.
1052 Kana/PinYin/Hangul to Kanji transfer layer.
1053 The interface layer to network Kana-Kanji server (Wnn and Sj3).
1056 These input methods are modal. They have a raw (alphabet) mode, a
1057 phonetic input mode, and Kana-Kanji transfer mode. However there are
1058 mode-less input methods for Egg and Canna. @samp{boiled-egg} is a
1059 mode-less input method running on Egg. For Canna, @samp{canna.el} has a
1060 tiny boiled-egg-like command, @code{(canna-boil)}, and there are some
1061 boiled-egg-like utilities.
1063 Much of this information was provided by @email{morioka@@jaist.ac.jp,
1066 @node Q1.3.6, Q1.3.7, Q1.3.5, Introduction
1067 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.3.6: How do I portably code for MULE/XEmacs?
1069 MULE has evolved rapidly over the last few years, and the original third
1070 party patch (for GNU Emacs 19), GNU Emacs 20+, and XEmacs 20+ have quite
1071 different implementations. The APIs also vary although recent versions
1072 of XEmacs have tended to converge to the GNU Emacs standard.
1074 MULE implementations are going to continue to evolve. Both GNU Emacs
1075 and XEmacs are working hard on Unicode support, which will involve new
1076 APIs and probably variations on old ones. For XEmacs 22, the old ISO
1077 2022-based system for recognizing encodings will be replaced by a much
1078 more flexible system, which should improve accuracy of automatic coding
1079 detections, but will also involve new APIs.
1081 @email{morioka@@jaist.ac.jp, MORIOKA Tomohiko} writes:
1084 The application implementor must write separate code for these mule
1085 variants. [Please don't hesitate to report these variants to us; they
1086 are not, strictly speaking, bugs, but they give third-party developers
1087 the same kind of creepy-crawly feeling. We'll do what we can. -- Ed.]
1089 MULE and the next version of Emacs are similar but the symbols are very
1090 different---requiring separate code as well.
1092 Namely we must support 3 kinds of mule variants and 4 or 5 or 6 kinds of
1093 emacs variants... (;_;) I'm shocked, so I wrote a wrapper package called
1094 @code{emu} to provide a common interface. [There is an XEmacs package
1095 of APEL which provides much more comprehensive coverage. Be careful,
1096 however; APEL has problems of its own. -- Ed.]
1098 I have the following suggestions about dealing with mule variants:
1102 @code{(featurep 'mule)} @code{t} on all mule variants
1105 @code{(boundp 'MULE)} is @code{t} on only MULE. Maybe the next version
1106 of Emacs will not have this symbol.
1109 MULE has a variable @code{mule-version}. Perhaps the next version of
1110 Emacs will have this variable as well.
1113 Following is a sample to distinguish mule variants:
1116 (if (featurep 'mule)
1117 (cond ((boundp 'MULE)
1118 ;; for original Mule
1120 ((string-match "XEmacs" emacs-version)
1121 ;; for XEmacs with Mule
1124 ;; for next version of Emacs
1126 ;; for old emacs variants
1131 @node Q1.3.7, Q1.3.8, Q1.3.6, Introduction
1132 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.3.7: How about Cyrillic Modes?
1134 @email{ilya@@math.ohio-state.edu, Ilya Zakharevich} writes:
1137 There is a cyrillic mode in the file @file{mysetup.zip} in
1141 @uref{ftp://ftp.math.ohio-state.edu/pub/users/ilya/emacs/}. This is a
1142 modification to @email{ava@@math.jhu.ed, Valery Alexeev's} @file{russian.el}
1143 which can be obtained from
1146 @uref{http://www.math.uga.edu/~valery/russian.el}.
1148 @email{d.barsky@@ee.surrey.ac.uk, Dima Barsky} writes:
1151 There is another cyrillic mode for both GNU Emacs and XEmacs by
1152 @email{manin@@camelot.mssm.edu, Dmitrii
1157 @uref{http://kulichki-lat.rambler.ru/centrolit/manin/cyr.el}.
1158 @c Link above, <URL:http://camelot.mssm.edu/~manin/cyr.el> was dead.
1159 @c Changed to russian host instead
1162 @email{rebecca.ore@@op.net, Rebecca Ore} writes:
1165 The fullest resource I found on Russian language use (in and out of
1166 XEmacs) is @uref{http://www.ibiblio.org/sergei/Software/Software.html}
1169 @node Q1.3.8, Q1.3.9, Q1.3.7, Introduction
1170 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.3.8: Does XEmacs support Unicode?
1172 Partially, as an external encoding for files, processes, and terminals.
1173 It does not yet support Unicode fonts @ref{Q1.3.9, Does XEmacs support
1176 To get Unicode support, you need a Mule-enabled XEmacs. Install
1177 Mule-UCS from packages in the usual way. Put
1180 (require 'un-define)
1181 (set-coding-priority-list '(utf-8))
1182 (set-coding-category-system 'utf-8 'utf-8)
1185 in your init file to enable the UTF-8 coding system. You may wish to
1186 view the documentation of @code{set-coding-priority-list} if you find
1187 that files that are not UTF-8 are being mis-recognized as UTF-8.
1189 Install standard national fonts (not Unicode fonts) for all
1190 character sets you use. See @ref{Q1.3.9}.
1192 Mule-UCS also supports 16-bit forms of Unicode (UTF-16). It does not
1193 support 31-bit forms of Unicode (UTF-32 or UCS-4).
1195 @node Q1.3.9, Q1.4.1, Q1.3.8, Introduction
1196 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.3.9: How does XEmacs display Unicode?
1198 Mule doesn't have a Unicode charset internally, so there's nothing to
1199 bind a Unicode registry to. It would not be straightforward to create,
1200 either, because Unicode is not ISO 2022-compatible. You'd have to
1201 translate it to multiple 96x96 pages.
1203 This means that Mule-UCS uses ordinary national fonts for display. This
1204 is not really a problem, except for those languages that use the Unified
1205 Han characters. The problem here is that Mule-UCS maps from Unicode
1206 code points to national character sets in a deterministic way. By
1207 default, this means that Japanese fonts are tried first, then Chinese,
1208 then Korean. To change the priority ordering, use the command
1209 `un-define-change-charset-order'.
1211 It also means you can't use Unicode fonts directly, at least not without
1212 extreme hackery. You can run -nw with (set-terminal-coding-system
1213 'utf-8) if you really want a Unicode font for some reason.
1215 Real Unicode support will be introduced in XEmacs 22.0.
1217 @node Q1.4.1, Q1.4.2, Q1.3.9, Introduction
1218 @unnumberedsec 1.4: Getting Started, Backing up & Recovery
1219 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.4.1: What is an @file{init.el} or @file{.emacs} and is there a sample one?
1221 The @file{init.el} or @file{.emacs} file is used to customize XEmacs to
1222 your tastes. Starting in 21.4, the preferred location for the init file
1223 is @file{~/.xemacs/init.el}; in previous versions, it was
1224 @file{~/.emacs}. 21.4 still accepts the old location, but the first
1225 time you run it, it will ask to migrate your file to the new location.
1226 If you answer yes, the file will be moved, and a "compatibility"
1227 @file{.emacs} file will be placed in the old location so that you can
1228 still run older versions of XEmacs, and versions of GNU Emacs, which
1229 expect the old location. The @file{.emacs} file present is just a stub
1230 that loads the real file in @file{~/.xemacs/init.el}.
1232 No two init files are alike, nor are they expected to be alike, but
1233 that's the point. The XEmacs distribution contains an excellent starter
1234 example in the @file{etc/} directory called @file{sample.init.el}
1235 (starting in 21.4) or @file{sample.emacs} in older versions. Copy this
1236 file from there to @file{~/.xemacs/init.el} (starting in 21.4) or
1237 @file{~/.emacs} in older versions, where @samp{~} means your home
1238 directory, of course. Then edit it to suit.
1240 You may bring the @file{sample.init.el} or @file{sample.emacs} file into
1241 an XEmacs buffer from the menubar. (The menu entry for it is always
1242 under the @samp{Help} menu, but its location under that has changed in
1243 various versions. Recently, look under the @samp{Samples} submenu.) To
1244 determine the location of the @file{etc/} directory type the command
1245 @kbd{C-h v data-directory @key{RET}}.
1247 @node Q1.4.2, Q1.4.3, Q1.4.1, Introduction
1248 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.4.2: Can I use the same @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs} with the other Emacs?
1250 Yes. The sample @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs} included in the XEmacs
1251 distribution will show you how to handle different versions and flavors
1254 @node Q1.4.3, Q1.4.4, Q1.4.2, Introduction
1255 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.4.3: Any good tutorials around?
1257 There's the XEmacs tutorial available from the Help Menu under
1258 @samp{Basics->Tutorials}, or by typing @kbd{C-h t}. To check whether
1259 it's available in a non-english language, type @kbd{C-u C-h t TAB}, type
1260 the first letters of your preferred language, then type @key{RET}.
1262 @comment There's an Emacs Lisp tutorial at
1265 @comment @uref{ftp://prep.ai.mit.edu/pub/gnu/emacs-lisp-intro-1.04.tar.gz}.
1266 @comment @end example
1268 @comment @email{erik@@petaxp.rug.ac.be, Erik Sundermann} has made a tutorial web
1273 @comment @uref{http://petaxp.rug.ac.be/~erik/xemacs/}.
1275 @node Q1.4.4, Q1.4.5, Q1.4.3, Introduction
1276 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.4.4: May I see an example of a useful XEmacs Lisp function?
1278 The following function does a little bit of everything useful. It does
1279 something with the prefix argument, it examines the text around the
1280 cursor, and it's interactive so it may be bound to a key. It inserts
1281 copies of the current word the cursor is sitting on at the cursor. If
1282 you give it a prefix argument: @kbd{C-u 3 M-x double-word} then it will
1286 (defun double-word (count)
1287 "Insert a copy of the current word underneath the cursor"
1289 (let (here there string)
1294 (setq there (point))
1295 (setq string (buffer-substring here there)))
1301 The best way to see what is going on here is to let XEmacs tell you.
1302 Put the code into an XEmacs buffer, and do a @kbd{C-h f} with the cursor
1303 sitting just to the right of the function you want explained. Eg. move
1304 the cursor to the SPACE between @code{interactive} and @samp{"*p"} and
1305 hit @kbd{C-h f} to see what the function @code{interactive} does. Doing
1306 this will tell you that the @code{*} requires a writable buffer, and
1307 @code{p} converts the prefix argument to a number, and
1308 @code{interactive} allows you to execute the command with @kbd{M-x}.
1310 @node Q1.4.5, Q1.4.6, Q1.4.4, Introduction
1311 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.4.5: And how do I bind it to a key?
1313 To bind to a key do:
1316 (global-set-key "\C-cd" 'double-word)
1319 Or interactively, @kbd{M-x global-set-key} and follow the prompts.
1321 @node Q1.4.6, , Q1.4.5, Introduction
1322 @unnumberedsubsec Q1.4.6: What's the difference between a macro and a function?
1324 Quoting from the Lisp Reference (a.k.a @dfn{Lispref}) Manual:
1326 @dfn{Macros} enable you to define new control constructs and other
1327 language features. A macro is defined much like a function, but instead
1328 of telling how to compute a value, it tells how to compute another Lisp
1329 expression which will in turn compute the value. We call this
1330 expression the @dfn{expansion} of the macro.
1332 Macros can do this because they operate on the unevaluated expressions
1333 for the arguments, not on the argument values as functions do. They can
1334 therefore construct an expansion containing these argument expressions
1337 Do not confuse the two terms with @dfn{keyboard macros}, which are
1338 another matter, entirely. A keyboard macro is a key bound to several
1339 other keys. Refer to manual for details.
1341 @node Installation, Customization, Introduction, Top
1342 @unnumbered 2 Installation and Trouble Shooting
1344 This is part 2 of the XEmacs Frequently Asked Questions list. This
1345 section is devoted to Installation, Maintenance and Trouble Shooting.
1349 * Q2.0.1:: Running XEmacs without installing.
1350 * Q2.0.2:: XEmacs is too big.
1351 * Q2.0.3:: Compiling XEmacs with Netaudio.
1352 * Q2.0.4:: Problems with Linux and ncurses.
1353 * Q2.0.5:: Do I need X11 to run XEmacs?
1354 * Q2.0.6:: I'm having strange crashes. What do I do?
1355 * Q2.0.7:: Libraries in non-standard locations.
1356 * Q2.0.8:: can't resolve symbol _h_errno
1357 * Q2.0.9:: Where do I find external libraries?
1358 * Q2.0.10:: After I run configure I find a coredump, is something wrong?
1359 * Q2.0.11:: XEmacs can't resolve host names.
1360 * Q2.0.12:: Why can't I strip XEmacs?
1361 * Q2.0.13:: I don't need no steenkin' packages. Do I?
1362 * Q2.0.14:: I don't want to install a million .els one at a time!
1363 * Q2.0.15:: EFS fails with "500 AUTH not understood" (NEW)
1364 * Q2.0.16:: Cygwin XEmacs won't start: cygXpm-noX4.dll was not found (NEW)
1367 * Q2.1.1:: XEmacs just crashed on me!
1368 * Q2.1.2:: Cryptic Minibuffer messages.
1369 * Q2.1.3:: Translation Table Syntax messages at Startup.
1370 * Q2.1.4:: Startup warnings about deducing proper fonts?
1371 * Q2.1.5:: XEmacs cannot connect to my X Terminal.
1372 * Q2.1.6:: XEmacs just locked up my Linux X server.
1373 * Q2.1.7:: HP Alt key as Meta.
1374 * Q2.1.8:: got (wrong-type-argument color-instance-p nil)!
1375 * Q2.1.9:: XEmacs causes my OpenWindows 3.0 server to crash.
1376 * Q2.1.10:: Warnings from incorrect key modifiers.
1377 * Q2.1.11:: Can't instantiate image error... in toolbar
1378 * Q2.1.12:: Regular Expression Problems on DEC OSF1.
1379 * Q2.1.13:: HP/UX 10.10 and @code{create_process} failure
1380 * Q2.1.14:: @kbd{C-g} doesn't work for me. Is it broken?
1381 * Q2.1.15:: How to debug an XEmacs problem with a debugger.
1382 * Q2.1.16:: XEmacs crashes in @code{strcat} on HP/UX 10.
1383 * Q2.1.17:: @samp{Marker does not point anywhere}.
1384 * Q2.1.18:: XEmacs is outputting lots of X errors.
1385 * Q2.1.19:: XEmacs does not follow the local timezone.
1386 * Q2.1.20:: @samp{Symbol's function definition is void: hkey-help-show.}
1387 * Q2.1.21:: [This question intentionally left blank]
1388 * Q2.1.22:: XEmacs seems to take a really long time to do some things.
1389 * Q2.1.23:: Movemail on Linux does not work for XEmacs 19.15 and later.
1390 * Q2.1.24:: XEmacs won't start without network.
1391 * Q2.1.25:: After upgrading, XEmacs won't do `foo' any more!
1394 @node Q2.0.1, Q2.0.2, Installation, Installation
1395 @unnumberedsec 2.0: Installation
1396 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.0.1: Running XEmacs without installing
1398 How can I just try XEmacs without installing it?
1400 XEmacs will run in place without requiring installation and copying of
1401 the Lisp directories, and without having to specify a special build-time
1402 flag. It's the copying of the Lisp directories that requires so much
1403 space. XEmacs is largely written in Lisp.
1405 A good method is to make a shell alias for xemacs:
1408 alias xemacs=/i/xemacs-20.2/src/xemacs
1411 (You will obviously use whatever directory you downloaded the source
1412 tree to instead of @file{/i/xemacs-20.2}).
1414 This will let you run XEmacs without massive copying.
1416 @node Q2.0.2, Q2.0.3, Q2.0.1, Installation
1417 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.0.2: XEmacs is too big
1419 The space required by the installation directories can be
1420 reduced dramatically if desired. Gzip all the .el files. Remove all
1421 the packages you'll never want to use. Remove the TexInfo manuals.
1422 Remove the Info (and use just hardcopy versions of the manual). Remove
1423 most of the stuff in etc. Remove or gzip all the source code. Gzip or
1424 remove the C source code. Configure it so that copies are not made of
1427 These are all Emacs Lisp source code and bytecompiled object code. You
1428 may safely gzip everything named *.el here. You may remove any package
1429 you don't use. @emph{Nothing bad will happen if you delete a package
1430 that you do not use}. You must be sure you do not use it though, so be
1431 conservative at first.
1433 Possible candidates for deletion include w3, games, hyperbole, mh-e,
1434 hm-html-menus, vm, viper, oobr, gnus, etc. Ask yourself, @emph{Do I
1435 ever want to use this package?} If the answer is no, then it is a
1436 candidate for removal.
1438 First, gzip all the .el files. Then go about package by package and
1439 start gzipping the .elc files. Then run XEmacs and do whatever it is
1440 you normally do. If nothing bad happens, then delete the directory. Be
1441 conservative about deleting directories, and it would be handy to have a
1442 backup around in case you get too zealous.
1444 @file{prim}, @file{modes}, @file{packages}, and @file{utils} are four
1445 directories you definitely do @strong{not} want to delete, although
1446 certain packages can be removed from them if you do not use them.
1448 Online texinfo sources in the @file{info} can either be compressed them
1449 or remove them. In either case, @kbd{C-h i} (info mode) will no longer
1452 @node Q2.0.3, Q2.0.4, Q2.0.2, Installation
1453 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.0.3: Compiling XEmacs with Netaudio.
1455 What is the best way to compile XEmacs with the netaudio system, since I
1456 have got the netaudio system compiled but installed at a weird place, I
1457 am not root. Also in the READMEs it does not say anything about
1458 compiling with the audioserver?
1460 You should only need to add some stuff to the configure command line.
1461 To tell it to compile in netaudio support: @samp{--with-sound=both}, or
1462 @samp{--with-sound=nas} if you don't want native sound support for some
1463 reason.) To tell it where to find the netaudio includes and libraries:
1466 --site-libraries=WHATEVER
1467 --site-includes=WHATEVER
1470 Then (fingers crossed) it should compile and it will use netaudio if you
1471 have a server running corresponding to the X server. The netaudio server
1472 has to be there when XEmacs starts. If the netaudio server goes away and
1473 another is run, XEmacs should cope (fingers crossed, error handling in
1474 netaudio isn't perfect).
1476 BTW, netaudio has been renamed as it has a name clash with something
1477 else, so if you see references to NAS or Network Audio System, it's the
1478 same thing. It also might be found at
1479 @uref{ftp://ftp.x.org/contrib/audio/nas/}.
1481 @node Q2.0.4, Q2.0.5, Q2.0.3, Installation
1482 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.0.4: Problems with Linux and ncurses.
1484 On Linux 1.3.98 with termcap 2.0.8 and the ncurses that came with libc
1485 5.2.18, XEmacs 20.0b20 is unable to open a tty device:
1489 Initialization error:
1493 Terminal type `xterm' undefined (or can't access database?)
1496 @email{ben@@xemacs.org, Ben Wing} writes:
1499 Your ncurses configuration is messed up. Your /usr/lib/terminfo is a
1500 bad pointer, perhaps to a CD-ROM that is not inserted.
1503 @node Q2.0.5, Q2.0.6, Q2.0.4, Installation
1504 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.0.5: Do I need X11 to run XEmacs?
1506 No. The name @dfn{XEmacs} is unfortunate in the sense that it is
1507 @strong{not} an X Window System-only version of Emacs. XEmacs has
1508 full color support on a color-capable character terminal.
1510 @node Q2.0.6, Q2.0.7, Q2.0.5, Installation
1511 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.0.6: I'm having strange crashes. What do I do?
1513 There have been a variety of reports of crashes due to compilers with
1514 buggy optimizers. Please see the @file{PROBLEMS} file that comes with
1515 XEmacs to read what it says about your platform.
1517 If you compiled XEmacs using @samp{--use-union-type} (or the option
1518 @samp{USE_UNION_TYPE} in @file{config.inc} under Windows), try
1519 recompiling again without it. The union type has been known to trigger
1520 compiler errors in a number of cases.
1522 @node Q2.0.7, Q2.0.8, Q2.0.6, Installation
1523 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.0.7: Libraries in non-standard locations
1525 I have x-faces, jpeg, xpm etc. all in different places. I've tried
1526 space-separated, comma-separated, several --site-libraries, all to no
1530 --site-libraries='/path/one /path/two /path/etc'
1533 @node Q2.0.8, Q2.0.9, Q2.0.7, Installation
1534 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.0.8: can't resolve symbol _h_errno
1536 You are using the Linux/ELF distribution of XEmacs 19.14, and your ELF
1537 libraries are out of date. You have the following options:
1541 Upgrade your libc to at least 5.2.16 (better is 5.2.18, 5.3.12, or
1545 Patch the XEmacs binary by replacing all occurrences of
1546 @samp{_h_errno^@@} with
1550 @samp{h_errno^@@^@@}. Any version of Emacs will
1551 suffice. If you don't understand how to do this, don't do it.
1554 Rebuild XEmacs yourself---any working ELF version of libc should be
1558 @email{hniksic@@xemacs.org, Hrvoje Niksic} writes:
1561 Why not use a Perl one-liner for No. 2?
1564 perl -pi -e 's/_h_errno\0/h_errno\0\0/g' \
1565 /usr/local/bin/xemacs-19.14
1568 NB: You @emph{must} patch @file{/usr/local/bin/xemacs-19.14}, and not
1569 @file{xemacs} because @file{xemacs} is a link to @file{xemacs-19.14};
1570 the Perl @samp{-i} option will cause unwanted side-effects if applied to
1574 @email{steve@@xemacs.org, SL Baur} writes:
1577 If you build against a recent libc-5.4 (late enough to have caused
1578 problems earlier in the beta cycle) and then run with an earlier version
1583 xemacs: can't resolve symbol '__malloc_hook'
1584 zsh: 7942 segmentation fault (core dumped) xemacs
1587 (Example binary compiled against libc-5.4.23 and run with libc-5.4.16).
1589 The solution is to upgrade to at least libc-5.4.23. Sigh. Drat.
1592 @node Q2.0.9, Q2.0.10, Q2.0.8, Installation
1593 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.0.9: Where do I find external libraries?
1595 All external libraries used by XEmacs can be found at the XEmacs FTP
1600 @uref{ftp://ftp.xemacs.org/pub/xemacs/aux/}.
1601 [These tarballs and this FAQ are wa-a-ay out of date. Sorry, I'm not
1602 currently network-capable, and I will probably forgot to update this
1603 before submitting the patch. -- Ed.]
1605 @c Changed June Link above, <URL:ftp://ftp.xemacs.org/pub/aux/> was dead.
1606 @c This list is a pain in the you-know-what to keep in synch with the
1608 The canonical locations (at the time of this writing) are as follows:
1612 @uref{ftp://ftp.uu.net/graphics/jpeg/}. Version 6a is current.
1613 @c Check from host with legal IP address
1615 @uref{ftp://ftp.x.org/contrib/libraries/}. Version 3.4j is current.
1616 Older versions of this package are known to cause XEmacs crashes.
1619 @uref{ftp://ftp.sgi.com/graphics/tiff/}. v3.4 is current. The latest
1620 beta is v3.4b035. There is a HOWTO here.
1623 @uref{ftp://ftp.uu.net/graphics/png/}. 0.89c is current. XEmacs
1624 requires a fairly recent version to avoid using temporary files.
1625 @c Check from host with legal IP address
1627 @uref{ftp://swrinde.nde.swri.edu/pub/png/src/}
1630 @uref{ftp://ftp.cs.indiana.edu/pub/faces/compface/}. This library has
1631 been frozen for about 6 years, and is distributed without version
1632 numbers. @emph{It should be compiled with the same options that X11 was
1633 compiled with on your system}. The version of this library at
1634 XEmacs.org includes the @file{xbm2xface.pl} script, written by
1635 @email{stig@@hackvan.com}, which may be useful when generating your own xface.
1638 @uref{ftp://ftp.x.org/contrib/audio/nas/}.
1639 Version 1.2p5 is current. There is a FAQ here.
1642 @node Q2.0.10, Q2.0.11, Q2.0.9, Installation
1643 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.0.10: After I run configure I find a core dump, is something wrong?
1645 Not necessarily. If you have GNU sed 3.0 you should downgrade it to
1646 2.05. From the @file{README} at prep.ai.mit.edu:
1649 sed 3.0 has been withdrawn from distribution. It has major revisions,
1650 which mostly seem to be improvements; but it turns out to have bugs too
1651 which cause trouble in some common cases.
1653 Tom Lord won't be able to work fixing the bugs until May. So in the
1654 mean time, we've decided to withdraw sed 3.0 from distribution and make
1655 version 2.05 once again the recommended version.
1658 It has also been observed that the vfork test on Solaris will leave a
1661 @node Q2.0.11, Q2.0.12, Q2.0.10, Installation
1662 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.0.11: XEmacs doesn't resolve hostnames.
1664 This is the result of a long-standing problem with SunOS and the fact
1665 that stock SunOS systems do not ship with DNS resolver code in libc.
1667 @email{ckd@@loiosh.kei.com, Christopher Davis} writes:
1670 That's correct [The SunOS 4.1.3 precompiled binaries don't do name
1671 lookup]. Since Sun figured that everyone used NIS to do name lookups
1672 (that DNS thing was apparently only a passing fad, right?), the stock
1673 SunOS 4.x systems don't have DNS-based name lookups in libc.
1675 This is also why Netscape ships two binaries for SunOS 4.1.x.
1677 The best solution is to compile it yourself; the configure script will
1678 check to see if you've put DNS in the shared libc and will then proceed
1679 to link against the DNS resolver library code.
1682 @node Q2.0.12, Q2.0.13, Q2.0.11, Installation
1683 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.0.12: Why can't I strip XEmacs?
1685 @email{cognot@@fronsac.ensg.u-nancy.fr, Richard Cognot} writes:
1688 Because of the way XEmacs (and every other Emacsen, AFAIK) is built. The
1689 link gives you a bare-boned emacs (called temacs). temacs is then run,
1690 preloading some of the lisp files. The result is then dumped into a new
1691 executable, named xemacs, which will contain all of the preloaded lisp
1694 Now, during the dump itself, the executable (code+data+symbols) is
1695 written on disk using a special unexec() function. This function is
1696 obviously heavily system dependent. And on some systems, it leads to an
1697 executable which, although valid, cannot be stripped without damage. If
1698 memory serves, this is especially the case for AIX binaries. On other
1699 architectures it might work OK.
1701 The Right Way to strip the emacs binary is to strip temacs prior to
1702 dumping xemacs. This will always work, although you can do that only if
1703 you install from sources (as temacs is @file{not} part of the binary
1707 @email{nat@@nataa.fr.eu.org, Nat Makarevitch} writes:
1714 [ ./configure; make ]
1726 cp src/xemacs /usr/local/bin/xemacs
1729 cp lib-src/DOC-19.16-XEmacs
1733 /usr/local/lib/xemacs-19.16/i586-unknown-linuxaout
1737 @node Q2.0.13, Q2.0.14, Q2.0.12, Installation
1738 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.0.13: I don't need no steenkin' packages. Do I?
1740 Strictly speaking, no. XEmacs will build and install just fine without
1741 any packages installed. However, only the most basic editing functions
1742 will be available with no packages installed, so installing packages is
1743 an essential part of making your installed XEmacs _useful_.
1745 @node Q2.0.14, Q2.0.15, Q2.0.13, Installation
1746 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.0.14: How do I figure out which packages to install?
1748 Many people really liked the old way that packages were bundled and do
1749 not want to mess with packages at all. You can grab all the packages at
1750 once like you used to with old XEmacs versions. Download the file
1752 @file{xemacs-sumo.tar.gz}
1754 For an XEmacs compiled with Mule you also need
1756 @file{xemacs-mule-sumo.tar.gz}
1758 from the @file{packages} directory on your XEmacs mirror archive.
1759 N.B. They are called 'Sumo Tarballs' for good reason. They are
1760 currently about 15MB and 2.3MB (gzipped) respectively.
1764 @code{cd $prefix/lib/xemacs ; gunzip -c <tarballname> | tar xf -}
1766 See README.packages for more detailed installation instructions.
1768 As the Sumo tarballs are not regenerated as often as the individual
1769 packages, it is recommended that you use the automatic package tools
1770 afterwards to pick up any recent updates.
1772 @node Q2.0.15, Q2.0.16, Q2.0.14, Installation
1773 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.0.15: EFS fails with "500 AUTH not understood" (NEW)
1775 A typical error: FTP Error: USER request failed; 500 AUTH not understood.
1777 Thanks to giacomo boffi @email{giacomo.boffi@@polimi.it} who recommends
1778 on comp.emacs.xemacs:
1780 tell your ftp client to not attempt AUTH authentication (or do not
1781 use FTP servers that don't understand AUTH)
1783 and notes that you need to add an element (often "-u") to
1784 `efs-ftp-program-args'. Use M-x customize-variable, and verify the
1785 needed flag with `man ftp' or other local documentation.
1787 @node Q2.0.16, Q2.1.1, Q2.0.15, Installation
1788 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.0.16: Cygwin XEmacs won't start: cygXpm-noX4.dll was not found (NEW)
1790 The Cygwin binary distributed with the netinstaller uses an external DLL
1791 to handle XPM images (such as toolbar buttons). You may get an error like
1793 This application has failed to start because cygXpm-noX4.dll was not found.
1794 Re-installing the application may fix this problem.
1796 Andy Piper <andy@@xemacs.org> sez:
1798 cygXpm-noX4 is part of the cygwin distribution under libraries or
1799 graphics, but is not installed by default. You need to run the
1800 cygwin setup again and select this package.
1802 Ie, reinstalling XEmacs won't help because it is not part of the XEmacs
1805 @node Q2.1.1, Q2.1.2, Q2.0.16, Installation
1806 @unnumberedsec 2.1: Trouble Shooting
1807 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.1: Help! XEmacs just crashed on me!
1809 First of all, don't panic. Whenever XEmacs crashes, it tries extremely
1810 hard to auto-save all of your files before dying. (The main time that
1811 this will not happen is if the machine physically lost power or if you
1812 killed the XEmacs process using @code{kill -9}). The next time you try
1813 to edit those files, you will be informed that a more recent auto-save
1814 file exists. You can use @kbd{M-x recover-file} to retrieve the
1815 auto-saved version of the file.
1817 You can use the command @kbd{M-x recover-session} after a crash to pick
1818 up where you left off.
1820 Now, XEmacs is not perfect, and there may occasionally be times, or
1821 particular sequences of actions, that cause it to crash. If you can
1822 come up with a reproducible way of doing this (or even if you have a
1823 pretty good memory of exactly what you were doing at the time), the
1824 maintainers would be very interested in knowing about it. The best way
1825 to report a bug is using @kbd{M-x report-emacs-bug} (or by selecting
1826 @samp{Send Bug Report...} from the Help menu). If that won't work
1827 (e.g. you can't get XEmacs working at all), send ordinary mail to
1828 @email{crashes@@xemacs.org}. @emph{MAKE SURE} to include the output from
1829 the crash, especially including the Lisp backtrace, as well as the
1830 XEmacs configuration from @kbd{M-x describe-installation} (or
1831 equivalently, the file @file{Installation} in the top of the build
1832 tree). Please note that the @samp{crashes} address is exclusively for
1833 crash reports. The best way to report bugs in general is through the
1834 @kbd{M-x report-emacs-bug} interface just mentioned, or if necessary by
1835 emailing @email{xemacs-beta@@xemacs.org}. Note that the developers do
1836 @emph{not} usually follow @samp{comp.emacs.xemacs} on a regular basis;
1837 thus, this is better for general questions about XEmacs than bug
1840 If at all possible, include a C stack backtrace of the core dump that
1841 was produced. This shows where exactly things went wrong, and makes it
1842 much easier to diagnose problems. To do this under Unix, you need to
1843 locate the core file (it's called @file{core}, and is usually sitting in
1844 the directory that you started XEmacs from, or your home directory if
1845 that other directory was not writable). Then, go to that directory and
1846 execute a command like:
1849 gdb `which xemacs` core
1852 and then issue the command @samp{where} to get the stack backtrace. You
1853 might have to use @code{dbx} or some similar debugger in place of
1854 @code{gdb}. If you don't have any such debugger available, complain to
1855 your system administrator.
1857 It's possible that a core file didn't get produced, in which case you're
1858 out of luck. Go complain to your system administrator and tell him not
1859 to disable core files by default. Also see @ref{Q2.1.15}, for tips and
1860 techniques for dealing with a debugger.
1862 If you're under Microsoft Windows, you're out of luck unless you happen
1863 to have a debugging aid installed on your system, for example Visual
1864 C++. In this case, the crash will result in a message giving you the
1865 option to enter a debugger (for example, by pressing @samp{Cancel}). Do
1866 this and locate the stack-trace window. (If your XEmacs was built
1867 without debugging information, the stack trace may not be very useful.)
1869 When making a problem report make sure that:
1873 Report @strong{all} of the information output by XEmacs during the
1877 You mention what O/S & Hardware you are running XEmacs on.
1880 What version of XEmacs you are running.
1883 What build options you are using.
1886 If the problem is related to graphics and you are running Unix, we will
1887 also need to know what version of the X Window System you are running,
1888 and what window manager you are using.
1891 If the problem happened on a TTY, please include the terminal type.
1894 Much of the information above is automatically generated by @kbd{M-x
1895 report-emacs-bug}. Even more, and often useful, information can be
1896 generated by redirecting the output of @code{make} and @code{make check}
1897 to a file (@file{beta.err} is the default used by @code{build-report}),
1898 and executing @kbd{M-x build-report}.
1900 @node Q2.1.2, Q2.1.3, Q2.1.1, Installation
1901 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.2: Cryptic Minibuffer messages.
1903 When I try to use some particular option of some particular package, I
1904 get a cryptic error in the minibuffer.
1906 If you can't figure out what's going on, select Options/General
1907 Options/Debug on Error from the Menubar and then try and make the error
1908 happen again. This will give you a backtrace that may be enlightening.
1909 If not, try reading through this FAQ; if that fails, you could try
1910 posting to comp.emacs.xemacs (making sure to include the backtrace) and
1911 someone may be able to help. If you can identify which Emacs lisp
1912 source file the error is coming from you can get a more detailed stack
1913 backtrace by doing the following:
1917 Visit the .el file in an XEmacs buffer.
1920 Issue the command @kbd{M-x eval-current-buffer}.
1923 Reproduce the error.
1926 Depending on the version of XEmacs, you may either select View->Show
1927 Message Log (recent versions), Edit->Show Messages (some earlier
1928 versions) or Help->Recent Keystrokes/Messages (other earlier versions)
1929 from the menubar to see the most recent messages. This command is bound
1930 to @kbd{C-h l} by default.
1932 @node Q2.1.3, Q2.1.4, Q2.1.2, Installation
1933 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.3: Translation Table Syntax messages at Startup
1935 I get tons of translation table syntax error messages during startup.
1936 How do I get rid of them?
1938 There are two causes of this problem. The first usually only strikes
1939 people using the prebuilt binaries. The culprit in both cases is the
1940 file @file{XKeysymDB}.
1944 The binary cannot find the @file{XKeysymDB} file. The location is
1945 hardcoded at compile time so if the system the binary was built on puts
1946 it a different place than your system does, you have problems. To fix,
1947 set the environment variable @var{XKEYSYMDB} to the location of the
1948 @file{XKeysymDB} file on your system or to the location of the one
1949 included with XEmacs which should be at
1953 @file{<xemacs_root_directory>/lib/xemacs-19.16/etc/XKeysymDB}.
1956 The binary is finding the XKeysymDB but it is out-of-date on your system
1957 and does not contain the necessary lines. Either ask your system
1958 administrator to replace it with the one which comes with XEmacs (which
1959 is the stock R6 version and is backwards compatible) or set your
1960 @var{XKEYSYMDB} variable to the location of XEmacs's described above.
1963 @node Q2.1.4, Q2.1.5, Q2.1.3, Installation
1964 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.4: Startup warnings about deducing proper fonts?
1966 How can I avoid the startup warnings about deducing proper fonts?
1968 This is highly dependent on your installation, but try with the
1969 following font as your base font for XEmacs and see what it does:
1972 -adobe-courier-medium-r-*-*-*-120-*-*-*-*-iso8859-1
1975 More precisely, do the following in your resource file:
1978 Emacs.default.attributeFont: \
1979 -adobe-courier-medium-r-*-*-*-120-*-*-*-*-iso8859-1
1982 If you just don't want to see the @samp{*Warnings*} buffer at startup
1983 time, you can set this:
1986 (setq display-warning-minimum-level 'error)
1989 The buffer still exists; it just isn't in your face.
1991 @node Q2.1.5, Q2.1.6, Q2.1.4, Installation
1992 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.5: XEmacs cannot connect to my X Terminal!
1994 Help! I can not get XEmacs to display on my Envizex X-terminal!
1996 Try setting the @var{DISPLAY} variable using the numeric IP address of
1997 the host you are running XEmacs from.
1999 @node Q2.1.6, Q2.1.7, Q2.1.5, Installation
2000 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.6: XEmacs just locked up my Linux X server!
2002 There have been several reports of the X server locking up under Linux.
2003 In all reported cases removing speedo and scaled fonts from the font
2004 path corrected the problem. This can be done with the command
2007 It is possible that using a font server may also solve the problem.
2009 @node Q2.1.7, Q2.1.8, Q2.1.6, Installation
2010 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.7: HP Alt key as Meta.
2012 How can I make XEmacs recognize the Alt key of my HP workstation as a
2015 Put the following line into a file and load it with xmodmap(1) before
2019 remove Mod1 = Mode_switch
2022 @node Q2.1.8, Q2.1.9, Q2.1.7, Installation
2023 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.8: got (wrong-type-argument color-instance-p nil)
2025 @email{nataliek@@rd.scitec.com.au, Natalie Kershaw} writes:
2028 I am trying to run xemacs 19.13 under X11R4. Whenever I move the mouse I
2029 get the following error. Has anyone seen anything like this? This
2030 doesn't occur on X11R5.
2034 (error "got (wrong-type-argument color-instance-p nil)
2035 and I don't know why!")
2039 @email{map01kd@@gold.ac.uk, dinos} writes:
2042 I think this is due to undefined resources; You need to define color
2043 backgrounds and foregrounds into your @file{.../app-defaults/Emacs}
2047 *Foreground: Black ;everything will be of black on grey95,
2048 *Background: Grey95 ;unless otherwise specified.
2049 *cursorColor: Red3 ;red3 cursor with grey95 border.
2050 *pointerColor: Red3 ;red3 pointer with grey95 border.
2054 Natalie Kershaw adds:
2057 What fixed the problem was adding some more colors to the X color
2058 database (copying the X11R5 colors over), and also defining the
2059 following resources:
2062 xemacs*cursorColor: black
2063 xemacs*pointerColor: black
2066 With the new colors installed the problem still occurs if the above
2067 resources are not defined.
2069 If the new colors are not present then an additional error occurs on
2070 XEmacs startup, which says @samp{Color Red3} not defined.
2073 @node Q2.1.9, Q2.1.10, Q2.1.8, Installation
2074 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.9: XEmacs causes my OpenWindows 3.0 server to crash.
2076 The OpenWindows 3.0 server is incredibly buggy. Your best bet is to
2077 replace it with one from the generic MIT X11 release. You might also
2078 try disabling parts of your @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs}, like those
2079 that enable background pixmaps.
2081 @node Q2.1.10, Q2.1.11, Q2.1.9, Installation
2082 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.10: Warnings from incorrect key modifiers.
2084 The following information comes from the @file{PROBLEMS} file that comes
2087 If you're having troubles with HP/UX it is because HP/UX defines the
2088 modifiers wrong in X. Here is a shell script to fix the problem; be
2089 sure that it is run after VUE configures the X server.
2093 xmodmap 2> /dev/null - << EOF
2094 keysym Alt_L = Meta_L
2095 keysym Alt_R = Meta_R
2100 keysym Mode_switch = NoSymbol
2102 keysym Meta_R = Mode_switch
2103 add mod2 = Mode_switch
2107 @node Q2.1.11, Q2.1.12, Q2.1.10, Installation
2108 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.11: @samp{Can't instantiate image error...} in toolbar
2111 @email{expt@@alanine.ram.org, Dr. Ram Samudrala} writes:
2113 I just installed the XEmacs (20.4-2) RPMS that I downloaded from
2114 @uref{http://www.xemacs.org/}. Everything works fine, except that when
2115 I place my mouse over the toolbar, it beeps and gives me this message:
2118 Can't instantiate image (probably cached):
2119 [xbm :mask-file "/usr/include/X11/bitmaps/leftptrmsk :mask-data
2120 (16 16 <strange control characters> ...
2123 @email{kyle_jones@@wonderworks.com, Kyle Jones} writes:
2125 This is problem specific to some Chips and Technologies video
2126 chips, when running XFree86. Putting
2128 @code{Option "sw_cursor"}
2130 in @file{XF86Config} gets rid of the problem.
2133 @node Q2.1.12, Q2.1.13, Q2.1.11, Installation
2134 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.12: Problems with Regular Expressions on DEC OSF1.
2136 I have xemacs 19.13 running on an alpha running OSF1 V3.2 148 and ispell
2137 would not run because it claimed the version number was incorrect
2138 although it was indeed OK. I traced the problem to the regular
2141 @email{douglask@@dstc.edu.au, Douglas Kosovic} writes:
2144 Actually it's a DEC cc optimization bug that screws up the regexp
2147 Rebuilding using the @samp{-migrate} switch for DEC cc (which uses a
2148 different sort of optimization) works fine.
2151 See @file{xemacs-19_13-dunix-3_2c.patch} at the following URL on how to
2152 build with the @samp{-migrate} flag:
2155 @uref{http://www-digital.cern.ch/carney/emacs/emacs.html}
2156 @c Link above, <URL:http://www-digital.cern.ch/carney/emacs/emacs.html> is
2157 @c dead. And the directory `carney' is empty.
2163 NOTE: There have been a variety of other problems reported that are
2164 fixed in this fashion.
2166 @node Q2.1.13, Q2.1.14, Q2.1.12, Installation
2167 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.13: HP/UX 10.10 and @code{create_process} failure.
2169 @email{Dave.Carrigan@@ipl.ca, Dave Carrigan} writes:
2172 With XEmacs 19.13 and HP/UX 10.10, anything that relies on the
2173 @code{create_process} function fails. This breaks a lot of things
2174 (shell-mode, compile, ange-ftp, to name a few).
2177 @email{johnson@@dtc.hp.com, Phil Johnson} writes:
2180 This is a problem specific to HP-UX 10.10. It only occurs when XEmacs
2181 is compiled for shared libraries (the default), so you can work around
2182 it by compiling a statically-linked binary (run configure with
2183 @samp{--dynamic=no}).
2185 I'm not sure whether the problem is with a particular shared library or
2186 if it's a kernel problem which crept into 10.10.
2189 @email{cognot@@ensg.u-nancy.fr, Richard Cognot} writes:
2192 I had a few problems with 10.10. Apparently, some of them were solved by
2193 forcing a static link of libc (manually).
2196 @node Q2.1.14, Q2.1.15, Q2.1.13, Installation
2197 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.14: @kbd{C-g} doesn't work for me. Is it broken?
2199 @email{ben@@xemacs.org, Ben Wing} writes:
2202 @kbd{C-g} does work for most people in most circumstances. If it
2203 doesn't, there are only two explanations:
2207 The code is wrapped with a binding of @code{inhibit-quit} to
2208 @code{t}. @kbd{Ctrl-Shift-G} should still work, I think.
2211 SIGIO is broken on your system, but BROKEN_SIGIO isn't defined.
2214 To test #2, try executing @code{(while t)} from the @samp{*scratch*}
2215 buffer. If @kbd{C-g} doesn't interrupt, then you're seeing #2.
2218 @email{terra@@diku.dk, Morten Welinder} writes:
2221 On some (but @emph{not} all) machines a hung XEmacs can be revived by
2222 @code{kill -FPE <pid>}. This is a hack, of course, not a solution.
2223 This technique works on a Sun4 running 4.1.3_U1. To see if it works for
2224 you, start another XEmacs and test with that first. If you get a core
2225 dump the method doesn't work and if you get @samp{Arithmetic error} then
2229 @node Q2.1.15, Q2.1.16, Q2.1.14, Installation
2230 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.15: How to debug an XEmacs problem with a debugger
2232 If XEmacs does crash on you, one of the most productive things you can
2233 do to help get the bug fixed is to poke around a bit with the debugger.
2234 Here are some hints:
2238 First of all, if the crash is at all reproducible, consider very
2239 strongly recompiling your XEmacs with debugging symbols and with no
2240 optimization (e.g. with GCC use the compiler flags @samp{-g -O0} --
2241 that's an "oh" followed by a zero), and with the configure options
2242 @samp{--debug=yes} and @samp{--error-checking=all}. This will make your
2243 XEmacs run somewhat slower, but you are a lot more likely to catch the
2244 problem earlier (closer to its source). It makes it a lot easier to
2245 determine what's going on with a debugger.
2248 If it's not a true crash (@emph{i.e.}, XEmacs is hung, or a zombie
2249 process), or it's inconvenient to run XEmacs again because XEmacs is
2250 already running or is running in batch mode as part of a bunch of
2251 scripts, you may be able to attach to the existing process with your
2252 debugger. Most debuggers let you do this by substituting the process ID
2253 for the core file when you invoke the debugger from the command line, or
2254 by using the @code{attach} command or something similar.
2257 If you're able to run XEmacs under a debugger and reproduce the crash,
2258 here are some things you can do:
2261 If XEmacs is hitting an assertion failure, put a breakpoint on
2262 @code{assert_failed()}.
2265 If XEmacs is hitting some weird Lisp error that's causing it to crash
2266 (e.g. during startup), put a breakpoint on @code{signal_1()}---this is
2267 declared static in eval.c.
2270 If XEmacs is outputting lots of X errors, put a breakpoint on
2271 @code{x_error_handler()}; that will tell you which call is causing them.
2274 Internally, you will probably see lots of variables that hold objects of
2275 type @code{Lisp_Object}. These are references to Lisp objects.
2276 Printing them out with the debugger probably won't be too
2277 useful---you'll likely just see a number. To decode them, do this:
2283 where @var{OBJECT} is whatever you want to decode (it can be a variable,
2284 a function call, etc.). This uses the Lisp printing routines to out a
2285 readable representation on the TTY from which the xemacs process was
2289 If you want to get a Lisp backtrace showing the Lisp call
2297 Using @code{dp} and @code{db} has two disadvantages - they can only be
2298 used with a running (including hung or zombie) xemacs process, and they
2299 do not display the internal C structure of a Lisp Object. Even if all
2300 you've got is a core dump, all is not lost.
2302 If you're using GDB, there are some macros in the file
2303 @file{src/.gdbinit} in the XEmacs source distribution that should make
2304 it easier for you to decode Lisp objects. This file is automatically
2305 read by gdb if gdb is run in the directory where xemacs was built, and
2306 contains these useful macros to inspect the state of xemacs:
2310 Usage: pobj lisp_object @*
2311 Print the internal C representation of a lisp object.
2314 Usage: xtype lisp_object @*
2315 Print the Lisp type of a lisp object.
2319 Print the current Lisp stack trace.
2320 Requires a running xemacs process. (It works by calling the db
2321 routine described above.)
2324 Usage: ldp lisp_object @*
2325 Print a Lisp Object value using the Lisp printer.
2326 Requires a running xemacs process. (It works by calling the dp
2327 routine described above.)
2330 Usage: run-temacs @*
2331 Run temacs interactively, like xemacs.
2332 Use this with debugging tools (like purify) that cannot deal with dumping,
2333 or when temacs builds successfully, but xemacs does not.
2336 Usage: dump-temacs @*
2337 Run the dumping part of the build procedure.
2338 Use when debugging temacs, not xemacs!
2339 Use this when temacs builds successfully, but xemacs does not.
2342 Usage: check-xemacs @*
2343 Run the test suite. Equivalent to 'make check'.
2346 Usage: check-temacs @*
2347 Run the test suite on temacs. Equivalent to 'make check-temacs'.
2348 Use this with debugging tools (like purify) that cannot deal with dumping,
2349 or when temacs builds successfully, but xemacs does not.
2352 If you are using Sun's @file{dbx} debugger, there is an equivalent file
2353 @file{src/.dbxrc}, which defines the same commands for dbx.
2356 If you're using a debugger to get a C stack backtrace and you're seeing
2357 stack traces with some of the innermost frames mangled, it may be due to
2358 dynamic linking. (This happens especially under Linux.) Consider
2359 reconfiguring with @samp{--dynamic=no}. Also, sometimes (again under
2360 Linux), stack backtraces of core dumps will have the frame where the
2361 fatal signal occurred mangled; if you can obtain a stack trace while
2362 running the XEmacs process under a debugger, the stack trace should be
2365 @email{1CMC3466@@ibm.mtsac.edu, Curtiss} suggests upgrading to ld.so
2366 version 1.8 if dynamic linking and debugging is a problem on Linux.
2369 If you're using a debugger to get a C stack backtrace and you're
2370 getting a completely mangled and bogus stack trace, it's probably due to
2371 one of the following:
2375 Your executable has been stripped. Bad news. Tell your sysadmin not to
2376 do this---it doesn't accomplish anything except to save a bit of disk
2377 space, and makes debugging much much harder.
2380 Your stack is getting trashed. Debugging this is hard; you have to do a
2381 binary-search type of narrowing down where the crash occurs, until you
2382 figure out exactly which line is causing the problem. Of course, this
2383 only works if the bug is highly reproducible. Also, in many cases if
2384 you run XEmacs from the debugger, the debugger can protect the stack
2385 somewhat. However, if the stack is being smashed, it is typically the
2386 case that there is a wild pointer somewhere in the program, often quite
2387 far from where the crash occurs.
2390 If your stack trace has exactly one frame in it, with address 0x0, this
2391 could simply mean that XEmacs attempted to execute code at that address,
2392 e.g. through jumping to a null function pointer. Unfortunately, under
2393 those circumstances, GDB under Linux doesn't know how to get a stack
2394 trace. (Yes, this is the fourth Linux-related problem I've mentioned. I
2395 have no idea why GDB under Linux is so bogus. Complain to the GDB
2396 authors, or to comp.os.linux.development.system.) Again, you'll have to
2397 use the narrowing-down process described above.
2400 You will get a Lisp backtrace output when XEmacs crashes, so you'll have
2406 If you compile with the newer gcc variants gcc-2.8 or egcs, you will
2407 also need gdb 4.17 or above. Earlier releases of gdb can't handle the
2408 debug information generated by the newer compilers.
2411 In versions of XEmacs before 21.2.27, @file{src/.gdbinit} was named
2412 @file{src/gdbinit}. This had the disadvantage of not being sourced
2413 automatically by gdb, so you had to set that up yourself.
2416 If you are running Microsoft Windows, the the file @file{nt/README} for
2417 further information about debugging XEmacs.
2421 @node Q2.1.16, Q2.1.17, Q2.1.15, Installation
2422 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.16: XEmacs crashes in @code{strcat} on HP/UX 10
2424 From the problems database (through
2425 the former address http://support.mayfield.hp.com/):
2428 Problem Report: 5003302299
2431 System/Model: 9000/700
2432 Product Name: HPUX S800 10.0X
2433 Product Vers: 9245XB.10.00
2435 Description: strcat(3C) may read beyond
2436 end of source string, can cause SIGSEGV
2439 *** PROBLEM TEXT ***
2440 strcat(3C) may read beyond the source string onto an unmapped page,
2441 causing a segmentation violation.
2444 @node Q2.1.17, Q2.1.18, Q2.1.16, Installation
2445 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.17: @samp{Marker does not point anywhere}
2447 As with other errors, set @code{debug-on-error} to @code{t} to get the
2448 backtrace when the error occurs. Specifically, two problems have been
2449 reported (and fixed).
2453 A problem with line-number-mode in XEmacs 19.14 affected a large number
2454 of other packages. If you see this error message, turn off
2458 A problem with some early versions of Gnus 5.4 caused this error.
2462 @node Q2.1.18, Q2.1.19, Q2.1.17, Installation
2463 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.18: XEmacs is outputting lots of X errors.
2465 If this is happening, we would very much like to know what's causing
2466 them. To find this out, see @ref{Q2.1.15}. Try to get both a C and Lisp
2467 backtrace, and send them to @email{xemacs-beta@@xemacs.org}.
2469 @node Q2.1.19, Q2.1.20, Q2.1.18, Installation
2470 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.19: XEmacs does not follow the local timezone.
2472 When using one of the prebuilt binaries many users have observed that
2473 XEmacs uses the timezone under which it was built, but not the timezone
2474 under which it is running. The solution is to add:
2477 (set-time-zone-rule "MET")
2480 to your @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs} or the @file{site-start.el} file if
2481 you can. Replace @code{MET} with your local timezone.
2483 @node Q2.1.20, Q2.1.21, Q2.1.19, Installation
2484 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.20: @samp{Symbol's function definition is void: hkey-help-show.}
2486 This is a problem with a partially loaded hyperbole. Try adding:
2489 (require 'hmouse-drv)
2492 where you load hyperbole and the problem should go away.
2494 @node Q2.1.21, Q2.1.22, Q2.1.20, Installation
2495 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.21: [This question intentionally left blank]
2497 @node Q2.1.22, Q2.1.23, Q2.1.21, Installation
2498 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.22: XEmacs seems to take a really long time to do some things
2500 @email{dmoore@@ucsd.edu, David Moore} writes:
2503 Two things you can do:
2507 When you see it going mad like this, you might want to use gdb from an
2508 'xterm' to attach to the running process and get a stack trace. To do
2512 gdb /path/to/xemacs/xemacs ####
2515 Where @code{####} is the process id of your xemacs, instead of
2516 specifying the core. When gdb attaches, the xemacs will stop [1] and
2517 you can type `where' in gdb to get a stack trace as usual. To get
2518 things moving again, you can just type `quit' in gdb. It'll tell you
2519 the program is running and ask if you want to quit anyways. Say 'y' and
2520 it'll quit and have your emacs continue from where it was at.
2524 Turn on debug-on-quit early on. When you think things are going slow
2525 hit C-g and it may pop you in the debugger so you can see what routine
2526 is running. Press `c' to get going again.
2528 debug-on-quit doesn't work if something's turned on inhibit-quit or in
2529 some other strange cases.
2532 @node Q2.1.23, Q2.1.24, Q2.1.22, Installation
2533 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.23: Movemail on Linux does not work for XEmacs 19.15 and later.
2535 Movemail used to work fine in 19.14 but has stopped working in 19.15
2536 and 20.x. I am using Linux.
2538 @email{steve@@xemacs.org, SL Baur} writes:
2541 Movemail on Linux used to default to using flock file locking. With
2542 19.15 and later versions it now defaults to using @code{.lock} file
2543 locking. If this is not appropriate for your system, edit src/s/linux.h
2544 and uncomment the line that reads:
2547 #define MAIL_USE_FLOCK
2551 @node Q2.1.24, Q2.1.25, Q2.1.23, Installation
2552 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.24: XEmacs won't start without network.
2554 If XEmacs starts when you're on the network, but fails when you're not
2555 on the network, you may be missing a "localhost" entry in your
2556 @file{/etc/hosts} file. The file should contain an entry like:
2562 Add that line, and XEmacs will be happy.
2564 @node Q2.1.25, , Q2.1.24, Installation
2565 @unnumberedsubsec Q2.1.25:: After upgrading, XEmacs won't do `foo' any more!
2567 You have been used to doing `foo', but now when you invoke it (or click
2568 the toolbar button or select the menu item), nothing (or an error)
2569 happens. The simplest explanation is that you are missing a package
2570 that is essential to you. You can either track it down and install it
2571 (there is a list of packages and brief descriptions of their contents in
2572 @file{etc/PACKAGES}), or install the `Sumo Tarball' (@pxref{Q2.0.14}).
2574 @c #### should xref to XEmacs manual here
2576 @node Customization, Subsystems, Installation, Top
2577 @unnumbered 3 Customization and Options
2579 This is part 3 of the XEmacs Frequently Asked Questions list. This
2580 section is devoted to Customization and screen settings.
2583 Customization---Emacs Lisp and @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs}:
2584 * Q3.0.1:: What version of Emacs am I running?
2585 * Q3.0.2:: How do I evaluate Elisp expressions?
2586 * Q3.0.3:: @code{(setq tab-width 6)} behaves oddly.
2587 * Q3.0.4:: How can I add directories to the @code{load-path}?
2588 * Q3.0.5:: How to check if a lisp function is defined?
2589 * Q3.0.6:: Can I force the output of @code{(face-list)} to a buffer?
2590 * Q3.0.7:: Font selections don't get saved after @code{Save Options}.
2591 * Q3.0.8:: How do I make a single minibuffer frame?
2592 * Q3.0.9:: What is @code{Customize}?
2594 X Window System & Resources:
2595 * Q3.1.1:: Where is a list of X resources?
2596 * Q3.1.2:: How can I detect a color display?
2597 * Q3.1.3:: [This question intentionally left blank]
2598 * Q3.1.4:: [This question intentionally left blank]
2599 * Q3.1.5:: How can I get the icon to just say @samp{XEmacs}?
2600 * Q3.1.6:: How can I have the window title area display the full path?
2601 * Q3.1.7:: @samp{xemacs -name junk} doesn't work?
2602 * Q3.1.8:: @samp{-iconic} doesn't work.
2604 Textual Fonts & Colors:
2605 * Q3.2.1:: How can I set color options from @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs}?
2606 * Q3.2.2:: How do I set the text, menu and modeline fonts?
2607 * Q3.2.3:: How can I set the colors when highlighting a region?
2608 * Q3.2.4:: How can I limit color map usage?
2609 * Q3.2.5:: My tty supports color, but XEmacs doesn't use them.
2610 * Q3.2.6:: Can I have pixmap backgrounds in XEmacs?
2611 * Q3.2.7:: How do I display non-ASCII characters?
2614 * Q3.3.1:: How can I make the modeline go away?
2615 * Q3.3.2:: How do you have XEmacs display the line number in the modeline?
2616 * Q3.3.3:: How do I get XEmacs to put the time of day on the modeline?
2617 * Q3.3.4:: How do I turn off current chapter from AUC TeX modeline?
2618 * Q3.3.5:: How can one change the modeline color based on the mode used?
2620 3.4 Multiple Device Support:
2621 * Q3.4.1:: How do I open a frame on another screen of my multi-headed display?
2622 * Q3.4.2:: Can I really connect to a running XEmacs after calling up over a modem? How?
2625 * Q3.5.1:: How can I bind complex functions (or macros) to keys?
2626 * Q3.5.2:: How can I stop down-arrow from adding empty lines to the bottom of my buffers?
2627 * Q3.5.3:: How do I bind C-. and C-; to scroll one line up and down?
2628 * Q3.5.4:: Globally binding @kbd{Delete}?
2629 * Q3.5.5:: Scrolling one line at a time.
2630 * Q3.5.6:: How to map @kbd{Help} key alone on Sun type4 keyboard?
2631 * Q3.5.7:: How can you type in special characters in XEmacs?
2632 * Q3.5.8:: [This question intentionally left blank]
2633 * Q3.5.9:: How do I make the Delete key delete forward?
2634 * Q3.5.10:: Can I turn on @dfn{sticky} modifier keys?
2635 * Q3.5.11:: How do I map the arrow keys?
2638 * Q3.6.1:: Is there a way to make the bar cursor thicker?
2639 * 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?
2640 * Q3.6.3:: Can I make the cursor blink?
2642 The Mouse and Highlighting:
2643 * Q3.7.1:: How can I turn off Mouse pasting?
2644 * Q3.7.2:: How do I set control/meta/etc modifiers on mouse buttons?
2645 * Q3.7.3:: Clicking the left button does not do anything in buffer list.
2646 * Q3.7.4:: How can I get a list of buffers when I hit mouse button 3?
2647 * Q3.7.5:: Why does cut-and-paste not work between XEmacs and a cmdtool?
2648 * Q3.7.6:: How I can set XEmacs up so that it pastes where the text cursor is?
2649 * Q3.7.7:: How do I select a rectangular region?
2650 * Q3.7.8:: Why does @kbd{M-w} take so long?
2652 The Menubar and Toolbar:
2653 * Q3.8.1:: How do I get rid of the menu (or menubar)?
2654 * Q3.8.2:: Can I customize the basic menubar?
2655 * Q3.8.3:: How do I control how many buffers are listed in the menu @code{Buffers} list?
2656 * Q3.8.4:: Resources like @code{Emacs*menubar*font} are not working?
2657 * Q3.8.5:: How can I bind a key to a function to toggle the toolbar?
2660 * Q3.9.1:: How can I disable the scrollbar?
2661 * Q3.9.2:: How can one use resources to change scrollbar colors?
2662 * Q3.9.3:: Moving the scrollbar can move the point; can I disable this?
2663 * Q3.9.4:: How can I turn off automatic horizontal scrolling in specific modes?
2666 * Q3.10.1:: How can I turn off or change highlighted selections?
2667 * Q3.10.2:: How do I get that typing on an active region removes it?
2668 * Q3.10.3:: Can I turn off the highlight during isearch?
2669 * Q3.10.4:: How do I turn off highlighting after @kbd{C-x C-p} (mark-page)?
2670 * Q3.10.5:: The region disappears when I hit the end of buffer while scrolling.
2671 * Q3.10.6:: Why is killing so slow?
2674 @node Q3.0.1, Q3.0.2, Customization, Customization
2675 @unnumberedsec 3.0: Customization -- Emacs Lisp and @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs}
2676 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.0.1: What version of Emacs am I running?
2678 How can @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs} determine which of the family of
2681 To determine if you are currently running GNU Emacs 18, GNU Emacs 19,
2682 XEmacs 19, XEmacs 20, or Epoch, and use appropriate code, check out the
2683 example given in @file{etc/sample.init.el} (@file{etc/sample.emacs} in
2684 XEmacs versions prior to 21.4). There are other nifty things in there
2687 For all new code, all you really need to do is:
2690 (defvar running-xemacs (string-match "XEmacs\\|Lucid" emacs-version))
2693 @node Q3.0.2, Q3.0.3, Q3.0.1, Customization
2694 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.0.2: How can I evaluate Emacs-Lisp expressions?
2696 I know I can evaluate Elisp expressions from @code{*scratch*} buffer
2697 with @kbd{C-j} after the expression. How do I do it from another
2700 Press @kbd{M-:} (the default binding of @code{eval-expression}), and
2701 enter the expression to the minibuffer.
2703 @node Q3.0.3, Q3.0.4, Q3.0.2, Customization
2704 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.0.3: @code{(setq tab-width 6)} behaves oddly.
2706 If you put @code{(setq tab-width 6)} in your
2707 @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs} file it does not work! Is there a reason
2708 for this? If you do it at the EVAL prompt it works fine!! How strange.
2710 Use @code{setq-default} instead, since @code{tab-width} is
2713 @node Q3.0.4, Q3.0.5, Q3.0.3, Customization
2714 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.0.4: How can I add directories to the @code{load-path}?
2716 Here are two ways to do that, one that puts your directories at the
2717 front of the load-path, the other at the end:
2720 ;;; Add things at the beginning of the load-path, do not add
2721 ;;; duplicate directories:
2722 (pushnew "bar" load-path :test 'equal)
2724 (pushnew "foo" load-path :test 'equal)
2726 ;;; Add things at the end, unconditionally
2727 (setq load-path (nconc load-path '("foo" "bar")))
2730 @email{keithh@@nortel.ca, keith (k.p.) hanlan} writes:
2733 To add directories using Unix shell metacharacters use
2734 @file{expand-file-name} like this:
2737 (push (expand-file-name "~keithh/.emacsdir") load-path)
2741 @node Q3.0.5, Q3.0.6, Q3.0.4, Customization
2742 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.0.5: How to check if a lisp function is defined?
2744 Use the following elisp:
2750 It's almost always a mistake to test @code{emacs-version} or any similar
2753 Instead, use feature-tests, such as @code{featurep}, @code{boundp},
2754 @code{fboundp}, or even simple behavioral tests, eg.:
2757 (defvar foo-old-losing-code-p
2758 (condition-case nil (progn (losing-code t) nil)
2759 (wrong-number-of-arguments t)))
2762 There is an incredible amount of broken code out there which could work
2763 much better more often in more places if it did the above instead of
2764 trying to divine its environment from the value of one variable.
2766 @node Q3.0.6, Q3.0.7, Q3.0.5, Customization
2767 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.0.6: Can I force the output of @code{(face-list)} to a buffer?
2769 It would be good having it in a buffer, as the output of
2770 @code{(face-list)} is too wide to fit to a minibuffer.
2772 Evaluate the expression in the @samp{*scratch*} buffer with point after
2773 the rightmost paren and typing @kbd{C-j}.
2775 If the minibuffer smallness is the only problem you encounter, you can
2776 simply press @kbd{C-h l} to get the former minibuffer contents in a
2779 @node Q3.0.7, Q3.0.8, Q3.0.6, Customization
2780 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.0.7: Font selections in don't get saved after @code{Save Options}.
2782 @email{mannj@@ll.mit.edu, John Mann} writes:
2785 You have to go to Options->Frame Appearance and unselect
2786 @samp{Frame-Local Font Menu}. If this option is selected, font changes
2787 are only applied to the @emph{current} frame and do @emph{not} get saved
2788 when you save options.
2791 Also, set the following in your @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs}:
2794 (setq options-save-faces t)
2797 @node Q3.0.8, Q3.0.9, Q3.0.7, Customization
2798 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.0.8: How do I get a single minibuffer frame?
2800 @email{acs@@acm.org, Vin Shelton} writes:
2803 (setq initial-frame-plist '(minibuffer nil))
2804 (setq default-frame-plist '(minibuffer nil))
2805 (setq default-minibuffer-frame
2810 menubar-visible-p nil
2811 default-toolbar-visible-p nil
2815 has-modeline-p nil)))
2816 (frame-notice-user-settings)
2819 @strong{Please note:} The single minibuffer frame may not be to everyone's
2820 taste, and there any number of other XEmacs options settings that may
2821 make it difficult or inconvenient to use.
2823 @node Q3.0.9, Q3.1.1, Q3.0.8, Customization
2824 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.0.9: What is @code{Customize}?
2826 Starting with XEmacs 20.2 there is new system 'Customize' for customizing
2829 You can access @code{Customize} from the @code{Options} menu
2830 or invoking one of customize commands by typing eg.
2831 @kbd{M-x customize}, @kbd{M-x customize-face},
2832 @kbd{M-x customize-variable} or @kbd{M-x customize-apropos}.
2834 Starting with XEmacs 20.3 there is also new `browser' mode for Customize.
2835 Try it out with @kbd{M-x customize-browse}
2837 @node Q3.1.1, Q3.1.2, Q3.0.9, Customization
2838 @unnumberedsec 3.1: X Window System & Resources
2839 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.1.1: Where is a list of X resources?
2841 Search through the @file{NEWS} file for @samp{X Resources}. A fairly
2842 comprehensive list is given after it.
2844 In addition, an @file{app-defaults} file @file{etc/Emacs.ad} is
2845 supplied, listing the defaults. The file @file{etc/sample.Xresources}
2846 gives a different set of defaults that you might consider for
2847 installation in your @file{~/.Xresources} file. It is nearly the same
2848 as @file{etc/Emacs.ad}, but a few entries are altered. Be careful about
2849 installing the contents of this file into your @file{.Xresources} (or
2850 legacy @file{.Xdefaults}) file if you use GNU Emacs under X11 as well.
2852 @node Q3.1.2, Q3.1.3, Q3.1.1, Customization
2853 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.1.2: How can I detect a color display?
2855 You can test the return value of the function @code{(device-class)}, as
2859 (when (eq (device-class) 'color)
2860 (set-face-foreground 'font-lock-comment-face "Grey")
2861 (set-face-foreground 'font-lock-string-face "Red")
2866 @node Q3.1.3, Q3.1.4, Q3.1.2, Customization
2867 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.1.3: [This question intentionally left blank]
2869 @node Q3.1.4, Q3.1.5, Q3.1.3, Customization
2870 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.1.4: [This question intentionally left blank]
2872 @node Q3.1.5, Q3.1.6, Q3.1.4, Customization
2873 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.1.5: How can I get the icon to just say @samp{XEmacs}?
2875 I'd like the icon to just say @samp{XEmacs}, and not include the name of
2876 the current file in it.
2878 Add the following line to your @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs}:
2881 (setq frame-icon-title-format "XEmacs")
2884 @node Q3.1.6, Q3.1.7, Q3.1.5, Customization
2885 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.1.6: How can I have the window title area display the full path?
2887 I'd like to have the window title area display the full directory/name
2888 of the current buffer file and not just the name.
2890 Add the following line to your @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs}:
2893 (setq frame-title-format "%S: %f")
2896 A more sophisticated title might be:
2899 (setq frame-title-format
2900 '("%S: " (buffer-file-name "%f"
2901 (dired-directory dired-directory "%b"))))
2904 That is, use the file name, or the dired-directory, or the buffer name.
2906 @node Q3.1.7, Q3.1.8, Q3.1.6, Customization
2907 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.1.7: @samp{xemacs -name junk} doesn't work?
2909 When I run @samp{xterm -name junk}, I get an xterm whose class name
2910 according to xprop, is @samp{junk}. This is the way it's supposed to
2911 work, I think. When I run @samp{xemacs -name junk} the class name is
2912 not set to @samp{junk}. It's still @samp{emacs}. What does
2913 @samp{xemacs -name} really do? The reason I ask is that my window
2914 manager (fvwm) will make a window sticky and I use XEmacs to read my
2915 mail. I want that XEmacs window to be sticky, without having to use the
2916 window manager's function to set the window sticky. What gives?
2918 @samp{xemacs -name} sets the application name for the program (that is,
2919 the thing which normally comes from @samp{argv[0]}). Using @samp{-name}
2920 is the same as making a copy of the executable with that new name. The
2921 @code{WM_CLASS} property on each frame is set to the frame-name, and the
2922 application-class. So, if you did @samp{xemacs -name FOO} and then
2923 created a frame named @var{BAR}, you'd get an X window with WM_CLASS =
2924 @code{( "BAR", "Emacs")}. However, the resource hierarchy for this
2928 Name: FOO .shell .container .BAR
2929 Class: Emacs .TopLevelEmacsShell.EmacsManager.EmacsFrame
2932 instead of the default
2935 Name: xemacs.shell .container .emacs
2936 Class: Emacs .TopLevelEmacsShell.EmacsManager.EmacsFrame
2940 It is arguable that the first element of WM_CLASS should be set to the
2941 application-name instead of the frame-name, but I think that's less
2942 flexible, since it does not give you the ability to have multiple frames
2943 with different WM_CLASS properties. Another possibility would be for
2944 the default frame name to come from the application name instead of
2945 simply being @samp{emacs}. However, at this point, making that change
2946 would be troublesome: it would mean that many users would have to make
2947 yet another change to their resource files (since the default frame name
2948 would suddenly change from @samp{emacs} to @samp{xemacs}, or whatever
2949 the executable happened to be named), so we'd rather avoid it.
2951 To make a frame with a particular name use:
2954 (make-frame '((name . "the-name")))
2957 @node Q3.1.8, Q3.2.1, Q3.1.7, Customization
2958 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.1.8: @samp{-iconic} doesn't work.
2960 When I start up XEmacs using @samp{-iconic} it doesn't work right.
2961 Using @samp{-unmapped} on the command line, and setting the
2962 @code{initiallyUnmapped} X Resource don't seem to help much either...
2964 @email{ben@@xemacs.org, Ben Wing} writes:
2967 Ugh, this stuff is such an incredible mess that I've about given up
2968 getting it to work. The principal problem is numerous window-manager
2972 @node Q3.2.1, Q3.2.2, Q3.1.8, Customization
2973 @unnumberedsec 3.2: Textual Fonts & Colors
2974 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.2.1: How can I set color options from @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs}?
2976 How can I set the most commonly used color options from my
2977 @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs} instead of from my @file{.Xresources}?
2982 (set-face-background 'default "bisque") ; frame background
2983 (set-face-foreground 'default "black") ; normal text
2984 (set-face-background 'zmacs-region "red") ; When selecting w/
2986 (set-face-foreground 'zmacs-region "yellow")
2987 (set-face-font 'default "*courier-bold-r*120-100-100*")
2988 (set-face-background 'highlight "blue") ; Ie when selecting
2990 (set-face-foreground 'highlight "yellow")
2991 (set-face-background 'modeline "blue") ; Line at bottom
2993 (set-face-foreground 'modeline "white")
2994 (set-face-font 'modeline "*bold-r-normal*140-100-100*")
2995 (set-face-background 'isearch "yellow") ; When highlighting
2997 (set-face-foreground 'isearch "red")
2998 (setq x-pointer-foreground-color "black") ; Adds to bg color,
3000 (setq x-pointer-background-color "blue") ; This is color
3005 @node Q3.2.2, Q3.2.3, Q3.2.1, Customization
3006 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.2.2: How do I set the text, menu and modeline fonts?
3008 Note that you should use @samp{Emacs.} and not @samp{Emacs*} when
3009 setting face values.
3011 In @file{.Xresources}:
3014 Emacs.default.attributeFont: -*-*-medium-r-*-*-*-120-*-*-m-*-*-*
3015 Emacs*menubar*font: fixed
3016 Emacs.modeline.attributeFont: fixed
3019 This is confusing because @samp{default} and @samp{modeline} are face
3020 names, and can be found listed with all faces in the current mode by
3021 using @kbd{M-x set-face-font (enter) ?}. They use the face-specific
3022 resource @samp{attributeFont}.
3024 On the other hand, @samp{menubar} is a normal X thing that uses the
3025 resource @samp{font}. With Motif it @emph{may be} necessary to use
3026 @samp{fontList} @emph{instead of} @samp{font}. In @emph{non-Motif}
3027 configurations with Mule it @emph{is} necessary to use @samp{fontSet}
3028 instead of @samp{font}. (Sorry, there just is no simple recipe here.)
3030 @node Q3.2.3, Q3.2.4, Q3.2.2, Customization
3031 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.2.3: How can I set the colors when highlighting a region?
3033 How can I set the background/foreground colors when highlighting a
3036 You can change the face @code{zmacs-region} either in your
3040 Emacs.zmacs-region.attributeForeground: firebrick
3041 Emacs.zmacs-region.attributeBackground: lightseagreen
3044 or in your @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs}:
3047 (set-face-background 'zmacs-region "red")
3048 (set-face-foreground 'zmacs-region "yellow")
3051 @node Q3.2.4, Q3.2.5, Q3.2.3, Customization
3052 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.2.4: How can I limit color map usage?
3054 I'm using Netscape (or another color grabber like XEmacs);
3055 is there any way to limit the number of available colors in the color map?
3057 Answer: No, but you can start Netscape before XEmacs, and it will use
3058 the closest available color if the colormap is full. You can also limit
3059 the number of colors Netscape uses, using the flags -mono, -ncols <#> or
3060 -install (for mono, limiting to <#> colors, or for using a private color
3063 If you have the money, another solution would be to use a truecolor or
3066 @node Q3.2.5, Q3.2.6, Q3.2.4, Customization
3067 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.2.5: My tty supports color, but XEmacs doesn't use them.
3069 XEmacs tries to automatically determine whether your tty supports color,
3070 but sometimes guesses wrong. In that case, you can make XEmacs Do The
3071 Right Thing using this Lisp code:
3074 (if (eq 'tty (device-type))
3075 (set-device-class nil 'color))
3078 @node Q3.2.6, Q3.2.7, Q3.2.5, Customization
3079 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.2.6: Can I have pixmap backgrounds in XEmacs?
3081 @email{jvillaci@@wahnsinnig.extreme.indiana.edu, Juan Villacis} writes:
3084 There are several ways to do it. For example, you could specify a
3085 default pixmap image to use in your @file{~/.Xresources}, e.g.,
3089 Emacs*EmacsFrame.default.attributeBackgroundPixmap: /path/to/image.xpm
3093 and then reload ~/.Xresources and restart XEmacs. Alternatively,
3094 since each face can have its own pixmap background, a better way
3095 would be to set a face's pixmap within your XEmacs init file, e.g.,
3098 (set-face-background-pixmap 'default "/path/to/image.xpm")
3099 (set-face-background-pixmap 'bold "/path/to/another_image.xpm")
3102 and so on. You can also do this interactively via @kbd{M-x edit-faces}.
3106 @node Q3.2.7, Q3.3.1, Q3.2.6, Customization
3107 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.2.7: How do I display non-ASCII characters?
3110 If you're using a Mule-enabled XEmacs, then display is automatic. If
3111 you're not seeing the characters you expect, either (1) you don't have
3112 appropriate fonts available or (2) XEmacs did not correctly detect the
3113 coding system (@pxref{Recognize Coding, , , xemacs}). In case (1),
3114 install fonts as is customary for your platform. In case (2), you
3115 need to tell XEmacs explicitly what coding systems you're using.
3116 @ref{Specify Coding, , , xemacs}.
3118 If your XEmacs is not Mule-enabled, and for some reason getting a
3119 Mule-enabled XEmacs seems like the wrong thing to do, all is not lost.
3120 You can arrange it by brute force. In @file{event-Xt.c} (suppress the
3121 urge to look in this file---play Doom instead, because you'll survive
3122 longer), it is written:
3125 In a non-Mule world, a user can still have a multi-lingual editor, by
3126 doing @code{(set-face-font "-*-iso8859-2" (current-buffer))} for all
3127 their Latin-2 buffers, etc.
3130 For the related problem of @emph{inputting} non-ASCII characters in a
3131 non-Mule XEmacs, @xref{Q3.5.7}.
3133 @node Q3.3.1, Q3.3.2, Q3.2.7, Customization
3134 @unnumberedsec 3.3: The Modeline
3135 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.3.1: How can I make the modeline go away?
3138 (set-specifier has-modeline-p nil)
3141 @c Starting with XEmacs 19.14 the modeline responds to mouse clicks, so if
3142 @c you haven't liked or used the modeline in the past, you might want to
3143 @c try the new version out.
3145 @node Q3.3.2, Q3.3.3, Q3.3.1, Customization
3146 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.3.2: How do you have XEmacs display the line number in the modeline?
3148 Add the following line to your @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs} file to
3149 display the line number:
3152 (line-number-mode 1)
3155 Use the following to display the column number:
3158 (column-number-mode 1)
3161 Or select from the @code{Options} menu
3165 @code{Advanced (Customize)->Emacs->Editing->Basics->Line Number Mode}
3170 @code{Advanced (Customize)->Emacs->Editing->Basics->Column Number Mode}
3172 Or type @kbd{M-x customize @key{RET} editing-basics @key{RET}}.
3174 @node Q3.3.3, Q3.3.4, Q3.3.2, Customization
3175 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.3.3: How do I get XEmacs to put the time of day on the modeline?
3177 Add the following line to your @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs} file to
3184 See @code{Customize} from the @code{Options} menu for customization.
3186 @node Q3.3.4, Q3.3.5, Q3.3.3, Customization
3187 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.3.4: How do I turn off current chapter from AUC TeX modeline?
3189 With AUC TeX, fast typing is hard because the current chapter, section
3190 etc. are given in the modeline. How can I turn this off?
3192 It's not AUC TeX, it comes from @code{func-menu} in @file{func-menu.el}.
3194 @c Add this code to your @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs} to turn it off:
3197 @c (setq fume-display-in-modeline-p nil)
3200 @c Or just add a hook to @code{TeX-mode-hook} to turn it off only for TeX
3204 @c (add-hook 'TeX-mode-hook
3205 @c '(lambda () (setq fume-display-in-modeline-p nil)))
3208 @email{dhughes@@origin-at.co.uk, David Hughes} writes:
3211 Try this; you'll still get the function name displayed in the modeline,
3212 but it won't attempt to keep track when you modify the file. To refresh
3213 when it gets out of synch, you simply need click on the @samp{Rescan
3214 Buffer} option in the function-menu.
3217 (setq-default fume-auto-rescan-buffer-p nil)
3221 @node Q3.3.5, Q3.4.1, Q3.3.4, Customization
3222 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.3.5: How can one change the modeline color based on the mode used?
3224 You can use something like the following:
3227 (add-hook 'lisp-mode-hook
3229 (set-face-background 'modeline "red" (current-buffer))))
3232 Then, when editing a Lisp file (i.e. when in Lisp mode), the modeline
3233 colors change from the default set in your @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs}.
3234 The change will only be made in the buffer you just entered (which
3235 contains the Lisp file you are editing) and will not affect the modeline
3236 colors anywhere else.
3242 @item The hook is the mode name plus @code{-hook}. eg. c-mode-hook,
3243 c++-mode-hook, emacs-lisp-mode-hook (used for your
3244 @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs} or a @file{xx.el} file),
3245 lisp-interaction-mode-hook (the @samp{*scratch*} buffer),
3246 text-mode-hook, etc.
3249 Be sure to use @code{add-hook}, not @code{(setq c-mode-hook xxxx)},
3250 otherwise you will erase anything that anybody has already put on the
3254 You can also do @code{(set-face-font 'modeline @var{font})},
3255 eg. @code{(set-face-font 'modeline "*bold-r-normal*140-100-100*"
3256 (current-buffer))} if you wish the modeline font to vary based on the
3260 There are additional modeline faces, @code{modeline-buffer-id},
3261 @code{modeline-mousable}, and @code{modeline-mousable-minor-mode}, which
3262 you may want to customize.
3264 @node Q3.4.1, Q3.4.2, Q3.3.5, Customization
3265 @unnumberedsec 3.4: Multiple Device Support
3266 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.4.1: How do I open a frame on another screen of my multi-headed display?
3268 Use the command @kbd{M-x make-frame-on-display}. This command is also
3269 on the File menu in the menubar.
3271 The command @code{make-frame-on-tty} also exists, which will establish a
3272 connection to any tty-like device. Opening the TTY devices should be
3273 left to @code{gnuclient}, though.
3275 @node Q3.4.2, Q3.5.1, Q3.4.1, Customization
3276 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.4.2: Can I really connect to a running XEmacs after calling up over a modem? How?
3278 Yes. Use @code{gnuclient -nw}. (Prior to 20.3, use the @code{gnuattach}
3279 program supplied with XEmacs instead.)
3281 Also see @ref{Q5.0.12}.
3283 @node Q3.5.1, Q3.5.2, Q3.4.2, Customization
3284 @unnumberedsec 3.5: The Keyboard
3285 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.5.1: How can I bind complex functions (or macros) to keys?
3287 As an example, say you want the @kbd{paste} key on a Sun keyboard to
3288 insert the current Primary X selection at point. You can accomplish this
3292 (define-key global-map [f18] 'x-insert-selection)
3295 However, this only works if there is a current X selection (the
3296 selection will be highlighted). The functionality I like is for the
3297 @kbd{paste} key to insert the current X selection if there is one,
3298 otherwise insert the contents of the clipboard. To do this you need to
3299 pass arguments to @code{x-insert-selection}. This is done by wrapping
3300 the call in a 'lambda form:
3303 (global-set-key [f18]
3304 (lambda () (interactive) (x-insert-selection t nil)))
3307 This binds the f18 key to a @dfn{generic} functional object. The
3308 interactive spec is required because only interactive functions can be
3311 For the FAQ example you could use:
3314 (global-set-key [(control ?.)]
3315 (lambda () (interactive) (scroll-up 1)))
3316 (global-set-key [(control ?;)]
3317 (lambda () (interactive) (scroll-up -1)))
3320 This is fine if you only need a few functions within the lambda body.
3321 If you're doing more it's cleaner to define a separate function as in
3322 question 3.5.3 (@pxref{Q3.5.3}).
3324 @node Q3.5.2, Q3.5.3, Q3.5.1, Customization
3325 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.5.2: How can I stop down-arrow from adding empty lines to the bottom of my buffers?
3327 Add the following line to your @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs} file:
3330 (setq next-line-add-newlines nil)
3333 This has been the default setting in XEmacs for some time.
3335 @node Q3.5.3, Q3.5.4, Q3.5.2, Customization
3336 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.5.3: How do I bind C-. and C-; to scroll one line up and down?
3338 Add the following (Thanks to @email{mly@@adoc.xerox.com, Richard Mlynarik} and
3339 @email{wayne@@zen.cac.stratus.com, Wayne Newberry}) to @file{.emacs}:
3342 (defun scroll-up-one-line ()
3346 (defun scroll-down-one-line ()
3350 (global-set-key [(control ?.)] 'scroll-up-one-line) ; C-.
3351 (global-set-key [(control ?;)] 'scroll-down-one-line) ; C-;
3354 The key point is that you can only bind simple functions to keys; you
3355 can not bind a key to a function that you're also passing arguments to.
3356 (@pxref{Q3.5.1} for a better answer).
3358 @node Q3.5.4, Q3.5.5, Q3.5.3, Customization
3359 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.5.4: Globally binding @kbd{Delete}?
3361 I cannot manage to globally bind my @kbd{Delete} key to something other
3362 than the default. How does one do this?
3364 Answer: The problem is that many modes explicitly bind @kbd{Delete}. To
3365 get around this, try the following:
3370 (message "You hit DELETE"))
3372 (define-key key-translation-map 'delete 'redirected-delete)
3373 (global-set-key 'redirected-delete 'foo)
3376 Also see @ref{Q3.5.10}.
3378 @node Q3.5.5, Q3.5.6, Q3.5.4, Customization
3379 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.5.5: Scrolling one line at a time.
3381 Can the cursor keys scroll the screen a line at a time, rather than the
3382 default half page jump? I tend it to find it disorienting.
3387 (defun scroll-one-line-up (&optional arg)
3388 "Scroll the selected window up (forward in the text) one line (or N lines)."
3390 (scroll-up (or arg 1)))
3392 (defun scroll-one-line-down (&optional arg)
3393 "Scroll the selected window down (backward in the text) one line (or N)."
3395 (scroll-down (or arg 1)))
3397 (global-set-key [up] 'scroll-one-line-up)
3398 (global-set-key [down] 'scroll-one-line-down)
3401 The following will also work but will affect more than just the cursor
3402 keys (i.e. @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p}):
3405 (setq scroll-step 1)
3408 Starting with XEmacs-20.3 you can also change this with Customize.
3409 Select from the @code{Options} menu
3410 @code{Advanced (Customize)->Emacs->Environment->Windows->Scroll Step...} or type
3411 @kbd{M-x customize @key{RET} windows @key{RET}}.
3413 @node Q3.5.6, Q3.5.7, Q3.5.5, Customization
3414 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.5.6: How to map @kbd{Help} key alone on Sun type4 keyboard?
3416 The following works in GNU Emacs 19:
3419 (global-set-key [help] 'help-command);; Help
3422 The following works in XEmacs with the addition of shift:
3425 (global-set-key [(shift help)] 'help-command);; Help
3428 But it doesn't work alone. This is in the file @file{PROBLEMS} which
3429 should have come with your XEmacs installation: @emph{Emacs ignores the
3430 @kbd{help} key when running OLWM}.
3432 OLWM grabs the @kbd{help} key, and retransmits it to the appropriate
3437 @code{XSendEvent}. Allowing Emacs to react to synthetic
3438 events is a security hole, so this is turned off by default. You can
3439 enable it by setting the variable @code{x-allow-sendevents} to t. You
3440 can also cause fix this by telling OLWM to not grab the help key, with
3441 the null binding @code{OpenWindows.KeyboardCommand.Help:}.
3443 @node Q3.5.7, Q3.5.8, Q3.5.6, Customization
3444 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.5.7: How can you type in special characters in XEmacs?
3446 One way is to use the package @code{x-compose}. Then you can use
3447 sequences like @kbd{Compose " a} to get ä, etc.
3449 Another way is to use the @code{iso-insert} package. Then you can use
3450 sequences like @kbd{C-x 8 " a} to get ä, etc.
3452 @email{glynn@@sensei.co.uk, Glynn Clements} writes:
3455 It depends upon your X server.
3457 Generally, the simplest way is to define a key as Multi_key with
3459 @c hey, show some respect, willya -- there's xkeycaps, isn't there? --
3462 xmodmap -e 'keycode 0xff20 = Multi_key'
3465 You will need to pick an appropriate keycode. Use xev to find out the
3466 keycodes for each key.
3468 [NB: On a `Windows' keyboard, recent versions of XFree86 automatically
3469 define the right `Windows' key as Multi_key'.]
3471 Once you have Multi_key defined, you can use e.g.
3480 Also, recent versions of XFree86 define various AltGr-<key>
3481 combinations as dead keys, i.e.
3483 AltGr [ => dead_diaeresis
3484 AltGr ] => dead_tilde
3485 AltGr ; => dead_acute
3489 Running @samp{xmodmap -pk} will list all of the defined keysyms.
3492 For the related problem of @emph{displaying} non-ASCII characters in a
3493 non-Mule XEmacs, @xref{Q3.2.7}.
3495 @node Q3.5.8, Q3.5.9, Q3.5.7, Customization
3496 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.5.8: [This question intentionally left blank]
3498 Obsolete question, left blank to avoid renumbering.
3500 @node Q3.5.9, Q3.5.10, Q3.5.8, Customization
3501 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.5.9: How do I make the Delete key delete forward?
3503 With XEmacs-20.2 use the @code{delbs} package:
3509 This will give you the functions @code{delbs-enable-delete-forward} to
3510 set things up, and @code{delbs-disable-delete-forward} to revert to
3511 ``normal'' behavior. Note that @code{delbackspace} package is obsolete.
3513 Starting with XEmacs-20.3 better solution is to set variable
3514 @code{delete-key-deletes-forward} to t. You can also change this with
3515 Customize. Select from the @code{Options} menu
3516 @code{Advanced (Customize)->Emacs->Editing->Basics->Delete Key Deletes Forward} or
3517 type @kbd{M-x customize @key{RET} editing-basics @key{RET}}.
3519 Also see @ref{Q3.5.4}.
3521 @node Q3.5.10, Q3.5.11, Q3.5.9, Customization
3522 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.5.10: Can I turn on @dfn{sticky} modifier keys?
3524 Yes, with @code{(setq modifier-keys-are-sticky t)}. This will give the
3525 effect of being able to press and release Shift and have the next
3526 character typed come out in upper case. This will affect all the other
3527 modifier keys like Control and Meta as well.
3529 @email{ben@@xemacs.org, Ben Wing} writes:
3532 One thing about the sticky modifiers is that if you move the mouse out
3533 of the frame and back in, it cancels all currently ``stuck'' modifiers.
3536 @node Q3.5.11, Q3.6.1, Q3.5.10, Customization
3537 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.5.11: How do I map the arrow keys?
3539 Say you want to map @kbd{C-@key{right}} to forward-word:
3541 @email{sds@@usa.net, Sam Steingold} writes:
3545 ; both XEmacs and Emacs
3546 (define-key global-map [(control right)] 'forward-word)
3551 (define-key global-map [C-right] 'forward-word)
3556 (define-key global-map (kbd "C-<right>") 'forward-word)
3562 @node Q3.6.1, Q3.6.2, Q3.5.11, Customization
3563 @unnumberedsec 3.6: The Cursor
3564 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.6.1: Is there a way to make the bar cursor thicker?
3566 I'd like to have the bar cursor a little thicker, as I tend to "lose" it
3569 For a 1 pixel bar cursor, use:
3575 For a 2 pixel bar cursor, use:
3578 (setq bar-cursor 'anything-else)
3581 Starting with XEmacs-20.3 you can also change these with Customize.
3582 Select from the @code{Options} menu
3583 @code{Advanced (Customize)->Emacs->Environment->Display->Bar Cursor...} or type
3584 @kbd{M-x customize @key{RET} display @key{RET}}.
3586 You can use a color to make it stand out better:
3589 Emacs*cursorColor: Red
3592 @node Q3.6.2, Q3.6.3, Q3.6.1, Customization
3593 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.6.2: Is there a way to get back the block cursor?
3596 (setq bar-cursor nil)
3599 Starting with XEmacs 20.3 you can also change this with Customize.
3600 Select from the @code{Options} menu
3601 @code{Advanced (Customize)->Emacs->Environment->Display->Bar Cursor...} or type
3602 @kbd{M-x customize @key{RET} display @key{RET}}.
3604 @node Q3.6.3, Q3.7.1, Q3.6.2, Customization
3605 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.6.3: Can I make the cursor blink?
3613 This function toggles between a steady cursor and a blinking cursor.
3614 You may also set this mode from the menu bar by selecting @samp{Options
3615 => Frame Appearance => Blinking Cursor}. Remember to save options.
3617 @node Q3.7.1, Q3.7.2, Q3.6.3, Customization
3618 @unnumberedsec 3.7: The Mouse and Highlighting
3619 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.7.1: How can I turn off Mouse pasting?
3621 I keep hitting the middle mouse button by accident and getting stuff
3622 pasted into my buffer so how can I turn this off?
3624 Here is an alternative binding, whereby the middle mouse button selects
3625 (but does not cut) the expression under the mouse. Clicking middle on a
3626 left or right paren will select to the matching one. Note that you can
3627 use @code{define-key} or @code{global-set-key}.
3630 (defun mouse-set-point-and-select (event)
3631 "Sets the point at the mouse location, then marks following form"
3633 (mouse-set-point event)
3635 (define-key global-map [button2] 'mouse-set-point-and-select)
3638 @node Q3.7.2, Q3.7.3, Q3.7.1, Customization
3639 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.7.2: How do I set control/meta/etc modifiers on mouse buttons?
3641 Use, for instance, @code{[(meta button1)]}. For example, here is a common
3642 setting for Common Lisp programmers who use the bundled @code{ilisp}
3643 package, whereby meta-button1 on a function name will find the file where
3644 the function name was defined, and put you at that location in the source
3647 [Inside a function that gets called by the lisp-mode-hook and
3651 (local-set-key [(meta button1)] 'edit-definitions-lisp)
3654 @node Q3.7.3, Q3.7.4, Q3.7.2, Customization
3655 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.7.3: Clicking the left button does not do anything in buffer list.
3657 I do @kbd{C-x C-b} to get a list of buffers and the entries get
3658 highlighted when I move the mouse over them but clicking the left mouse
3659 does not do anything.
3661 Use the middle mouse button.
3663 @node Q3.7.4, Q3.7.5, Q3.7.3, Customization
3664 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.7.4: How can I get a list of buffers when I hit mouse button 3?
3666 The following code will replace the default popup on button3:
3669 (global-set-key [button3] 'popup-buffer-menu)
3672 @node Q3.7.5, Q3.7.6, Q3.7.4, Customization
3673 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.7.5: Why does cut-and-paste not work between XEmacs and a cmdtool?
3675 We don't know. It's a bug. There does seem to be a work-around,
3676 however. Try running xclipboard first. It appears to fix the problem
3677 even if you exit it. (This should be mostly fixed in 19.13, but we
3678 haven't yet verified that).
3680 @node Q3.7.6, Q3.7.7, Q3.7.5, Customization
3681 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.7.6: How I can set XEmacs up so that it pastes where the text cursor is?
3683 By default XEmacs pastes X selections where the mouse pointer is. How
3686 Examine the function @code{mouse-yank}, by typing @kbd{C-h f mouse-yank
3689 To get XEmacs to paste at the text cursor, add this your @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs}:
3692 (setq mouse-yank-at-point t)
3695 Starting with XEmacs-20.2 you can also change this with Customize.
3696 Select from the @code{Options} menu
3697 @code{Advanced (Customize)->Emacs->Editing->Mouse->Yank At Point...} or type
3698 @kbd{M-x customize @key{RET} mouse @key{RET}}.
3700 @node Q3.7.7, Q3.7.8, Q3.7.6, Customization
3701 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.7.7: How do I select a rectangular region?
3703 Just select the region normally, then use the rectangle commands (e.g.
3704 @code{kill-rectangle} on it. The region does not highlight as a
3705 rectangle, but the commands work just fine.
3707 To actually sweep out rectangular regions with the mouse you can use
3708 @code{mouse-track-do-rectangle} which is assigned to @kbd{M-button1}.
3709 Then use rectangle commands.
3711 You can also do the following to change default behavior to sweep out
3712 rectangular regions:
3715 (setq mouse-track-rectangle-p t)
3718 Starting with XEmacs-20.2 you can also change this with Customize.
3719 Select from the @code{Options} menu
3720 @code{Advanced (Customize)->Emacs->Editing->Mouse->Track Rectangle...} or type
3721 @kbd{M-x customize @key{RET} mouse @key{RET}}.
3725 mouse-track-do-rectangle: (event)
3726 -- an interactive compiled Lisp function.
3727 Like `mouse-track' but selects rectangles instead of regions.
3730 @node Q3.7.8, Q3.8.1, Q3.7.7, Customization
3731 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.7.8: Why does @kbd{M-w} take so long?
3733 It actually doesn't. It leaves the region visible for a second so that
3734 you can see what area is being yanked. If you start working, though, it
3735 will immediately complete its operation. In other words, it will only
3736 delay for a second if you let it.
3738 @node Q3.8.1, Q3.8.2, Q3.7.8, Customization
3739 @unnumberedsec 3.8: The Menubar and Toolbar
3740 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.8.1: How do I get rid of the menu (or menubar)?
3742 @c If you are running XEmacs 19.13 or earlier, add this command to your
3743 @c @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs}.
3746 @c (set-menubar nil)
3749 @c Starting with XEmacs 19.14 the preferred method is:
3752 (set-specifier menubar-visible-p nil)
3755 @node Q3.8.2, Q3.8.3, Q3.8.1, Customization
3756 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.8.2: Can I customize the basic menubar?
3758 For an extensive menubar, add this line to your @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs}:
3761 (load "big-menubar")
3764 If you'd like to write your own, this file provides as good a set of
3765 examples as any to start from. The file is located in
3766 @file{lisp/packages/big-menubar.el} in the XEmacs installation
3769 @node Q3.8.3, Q3.8.4, Q3.8.2, Customization
3770 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.8.3: How do I control how many buffers are listed in the menu @code{Buffers List}?
3772 Add the following to your @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs} (suit to fit):
3775 (setq buffers-menu-max-size 20)
3778 For no limit, use an argument of @samp{nil}.
3780 Starting with XEmacs-20.3 you can also change this with Customize.
3781 Select from the @code{Options} menu
3782 @code{Advanced (Customize)->Emacs->Environment->Menu->Buffers Menu->Max Size...} or
3783 type @kbd{M-x customize @key{RET} buffers-menu @key{RET}}.
3785 @node Q3.8.4, Q3.8.5, Q3.8.3, Customization
3786 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.8.4: Resources like @code{Emacs*menubar*font} are not working?
3788 I am trying to use a resource like @code{Emacs*menubar*font} to set the
3789 font of the menubar but it's not working.
3791 In Motif, the use of @samp{font} resources is obsoleted in order to
3792 support internationalization. If you are using the real Motif menubar,
3793 this resource is not recognized at all; you have to say:
3796 Emacs*menubar*fontList: FONT
3799 If you are using the Lucid menubar, for backward compatibility with
3800 existing user configurations, the @samp{font} resource is recognized.
3801 Since this is not supported by Motif itself, the code is a kludge and
3802 the @samp{font} resource will be recognized only if the @samp{fontList}
3803 resource resource is unset. This means that the resource
3812 Emacs*menubar*font: FONT
3815 even though the latter is more specific.
3817 In non-Motif configurations using @samp{--with-mule} and
3818 @samp{--with-xfs} it @emph{is} necessary to use the @code{fontSet}
3819 resource @emph{instead of} the @code{font} resource. The backward
3820 compatibility kludge was never implemented for non-Motif builds.
3827 @node Q3.8.5, Q3.9.1, Q3.8.4, Customization
3828 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.8.5: How can I bind a key to a function to toggle the toolbar?
3833 (defun my-toggle-toolbar ()
3835 (set-specifier default-toolbar-visible-p
3836 (not (specifier-instance default-toolbar-visible-p))))
3837 (global-set-key "\C-xT" 'my-toggle-toolbar)
3840 There are redisplay bugs in 19.14 that may make the preceding result in
3841 a messed-up display, especially for frames with multiple windows. You
3842 may need to resize the frame before XEmacs completely realizes the
3843 toolbar is really gone.
3845 Thanks to @email{martin@@xemacs.org, Martin Buchholz} for the correct
3848 @node Q3.9.1, Q3.9.2, Q3.8.5, Customization
3849 @unnumberedsec 3.9: Scrollbars
3850 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.9.1: How can I disable the scrollbar?
3852 To disable them for all frames, add the following line to
3853 your @file{.Xresources}:
3856 Emacs.scrollBarWidth: 0
3859 Or select from the @code{Options} menu @code{Frame Appearance->Scrollbars}.
3860 Remember to save options.
3862 To turn the scrollbar off on a per-frame basis, use the following
3866 (set-specifier scrollbar-width 0 (selected-frame))
3869 You can actually turn the scrollbars on at any level you want by
3870 substituting for (selected-frame) in the above command. For example, to
3871 turn the scrollbars off only in a single buffer:
3874 (set-specifier scrollbar-width 0 (current-buffer))
3877 @c In XEmacs versions prior to 19.14, you had to use the hairier construct:
3880 @c (set-specifier scrollbar-width (cons (selected-frame) 0))
3883 @node Q3.9.2, Q3.9.3, Q3.9.1, Customization
3884 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.9.2: How can one use resources to change scrollbar colors?
3886 Here's a recap of how to use resources to change your scrollbar colors:
3891 Emacs*XmScrollBar.Background: skyblue
3892 Emacs*XmScrollBar.troughColor: lightgray
3896 Emacs*Scrollbar.Foreground: skyblue
3897 Emacs*Scrollbar.Background: lightgray
3900 Note the capitalization of @code{Scrollbar} for the Athena widget.
3902 @node Q3.9.3, Q3.9.4, Q3.9.2, Customization
3903 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.9.3: Moving the scrollbar can move the point; can I disable this?
3905 When I move the scrollbar in an XEmacs window, it moves the point as
3906 well, which should not be the default behavior. Is this a bug or a
3907 feature? Can I disable it?
3909 The current behavior is a feature, not a bug. Point remains at the same
3910 buffer position as long as that position does not scroll off the screen.
3911 In that event, point will end up in either the upper-left or lower-left
3914 This cannot be changed.
3916 @node Q3.9.4, Q3.10.1, Q3.9.3, Customization
3917 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.9.4: How can I turn off automatic horizontal scrolling in specific modes?
3919 Do @code{(setq truncate-lines t)} in the mode-hooks for any modes
3920 in which you want lines truncated.
3922 More precisely: If @code{truncate-lines} is nil, horizontal scrollbars
3923 will never appear. Otherwise, they will appear only if the value of
3924 @code{scrollbar-height} for that buffer/window/etc. is non-zero. If you
3928 (set-specifier scrollbar-height 0)
3931 then horizontal scrollbars will not appear in truncated buffers unless
3932 the package specifically asked for them.
3934 @node Q3.10.1, Q3.10.2, Q3.9.4, Customization
3935 @unnumberedsec 3.10: Text Selections
3936 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.10.1: How can I turn off or change highlighted selections?
3938 The @code{zmacs} mode allows for what some might call gratuitous
3939 highlighting for selected regions (either by setting mark or by using
3940 the mouse). This is the default behavior. To turn off, add the
3941 following line to your @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs} file:
3944 (setq zmacs-regions nil)
3947 Starting with XEmacs-20.2 you can also change this with Customize. Select
3948 from the @code{Options} menu @code{Advanced (Customize)->Emacs->Editing->Basics->Zmacs
3949 Regions} or type @kbd{M-x customize @key{RET} editing-basics @key{RET}}.
3951 To change the face for selection, look at @code{Options->Customize} on
3954 @node Q3.10.2, Q3.10.3, Q3.10.1, Customization
3955 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.10.2: How do I get that typing on an active region removes it?
3957 I want to change things so that if I select some text and start typing,
3958 the typed text replaces the selected text, similar to Motif.
3960 You want to use something called @dfn{pending delete}. Pending delete
3961 is what happens when you select a region (with the mouse or keyboard)
3962 and you press a key to replace the selected region by the key you typed.
3963 Usually backspace kills the selected region.
3965 To get this behavior, add the following lines to your @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs}:
3969 ((fboundp 'turn-on-pending-delete)
3970 (turn-on-pending-delete))
3971 ((fboundp 'pending-delete-on)
3972 (pending-delete-on t)))
3975 Note that this will work with both Backspace and Delete. This code is a
3976 tad more complicated than it has to be for XEmacs in order to make it
3979 @node Q3.10.3, Q3.10.4, Q3.10.2, Customization
3980 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.10.3: Can I turn off the highlight during isearch?
3982 I do not like my text highlighted while I am doing isearch as I am not
3983 able to see what's underneath. How do I turn it off?
3985 Put the following in your @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs}:
3988 (setq isearch-highlight nil)
3991 Starting with XEmacs-20.2 you can also change this with Customize. Type
3992 @kbd{M-x customize-variable @key{RET} isearch-highlight @key{RET}}.
3994 Note also that isearch-highlight affects query-replace and ispell.
3995 Instead of disabling isearch-highlight you may find that a better
3996 solution consists of customizing the @code{isearch} face.
3998 @node Q3.10.4, Q3.10.5, Q3.10.3, Customization
3999 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.10.4: How do I turn off highlighting after @kbd{C-x C-p} (mark-page)?
4001 Put this in your @code{.emacs}:
4004 (setq zmacs-regions nil)
4007 @strong{Warning: This command turns off all region highlighting.}
4009 Also see @ref{Q3.10.1}.
4011 @node Q3.10.5, Q3.10.6, Q3.10.4, Customization
4012 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.10.5: The region disappears when I hit the end of buffer while scrolling.
4014 This has been fixed by default starting with XEmacs-20.3.
4016 With older versions you can turn this feature (if it indeed is a feature)
4020 (defadvice scroll-up (around scroll-up freeze)
4022 (let ((zmacs-region-stays t))
4026 (end-of-buffer (goto-char (point-max))))
4029 (defadvice scroll-down (around scroll-down freeze)
4031 (let ((zmacs-region-stays t))
4035 (beginning-of-buffer (goto-char (point-min))))
4039 Thanks to @email{raman@@adobe.com, T. V. Raman} for assistance in deriving this
4042 @node Q3.10.6, , Q3.10.5, Customization
4043 @unnumberedsubsec Q3.10.6: Why is killing so slow?
4045 This actually is an X Windows question, although you'll notice it with
4046 keyboard operations as well as while using the GUI. Basically, there
4047 are four ways to communicate interprogram via the X server:
4050 @item Primary selection
4051 a transient selection that gets replaced every time a new selection is made
4053 @item Secondary selection
4054 for "exchanging" with the primary selection
4057 a clipboard internal to the X server (deprecated)
4059 @item Clipboard selection
4060 a selection with a notification protocol that allows a separate app to
4061 manage the clipboard
4064 The cut buffers are deprecated because managing them is even more
4065 inefficient than the clipboard notification protocol. The primary
4066 selection works fine for many users and applications, but is not very
4067 robust under intensive or sophisticated use.
4069 In Motif and MS Windows, a clipboard has become the primary means for
4070 managing cut and paste. These means that "modern" applications tend to
4071 be oriented toward a true clipboard, rather than the primary selection.
4072 (On Windows, there is nothing equivalent to the primary selection.)
4073 It's not that XEmacs doesn't support the simple primary selection
4074 method, it's that more and more other applications don't.
4076 So the slowdown occurs because XEmacs now engages in the clipboard
4077 notification protocol on @emph{every} kill. This is especially slow on
4080 With most people running most clients and server on the same host, and
4081 many of the rest working over very fast communication, you may expect
4082 that the situation is not going to improve.
4084 There are a number of workarounds. The most effective is to use a
4085 special command to do selection ownership only when you intend to paste
4086 to another application. Useful commands are @code{kill-primary-selection}
4087 and @code{copy-primary-selection}. These work only on text selected
4088 with the mouse (probably; experiment), and are bound by default to the
4089 @kbd{Cut} and @kbd{Copy}, respectively, buttons on the toolbar.
4090 @code{copy-primary-selection} is also bound to @kbd{C-Insert}. You can
4091 yank the clipboard contents with @code{yank-primary-selection}, bound to
4092 the @kbd{Paste} toolbar button and @kbd{Sh-Insert}.
4094 If you are communicating by cut and paste with applications that use the
4095 primary selection, then you can customize
4096 @code{interprogram-cut-function} to @code{nil}, restoring the XEmacs
4097 version 20 behavior. How can you tell if a program will support this?
4098 Motifly-correct programs require the clipboard; you lose. For others,
4099 only by trying it. You also need to customize the complementary
4100 @code{interprogram-paste-function} to @code{nil}. (Otherwise
4101 XEmacs-to-XEmacs pastes will not work correctly.)
4103 You may get some relief on Motif by setting
4104 @code{x-selection-strict-motif-ownership} to nil, but this means you will
4105 only intermittently be able to paste XEmacs kills to Motif applications.
4107 Thanks to Jeff Mincy and Glynn Clements for corrections.
4109 @node Subsystems, Miscellaneous, Customization, Top
4110 @unnumbered 4 Major Subsystems
4112 This is part 4 of the XEmacs Frequently Asked Questions list. This
4113 section is devoted to major XEmacs subsystems.
4116 Reading Mail with VM:
4117 * Q4.0.1:: How do I set up VM to retrieve remote mail using POP?
4118 * Q4.0.2:: How do I get VM to filter mail for me?
4119 * Q4.0.3:: How can I get VM to automatically check for new mail?
4120 * Q4.0.4:: [This question intentionally left blank]
4121 * Q4.0.5:: How do I get my outgoing mail archived?
4122 * 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"?
4123 * Q4.0.7:: Is there a mailing list or FAQ for VM?
4124 * Q4.0.8:: Remote mail reading with VM.
4125 * Q4.0.9:: rmail or VM gets an error incorporating new mail.
4126 * Q4.0.10:: How do I make VM stay in a single frame?
4127 * Q4.0.11:: How do I make VM or mh-e display graphical smilies?
4128 * Q4.0.12:: Customization of VM not covered in the manual or here.
4130 Web browsing with W3:
4131 * Q4.1.1:: What is W3?
4132 * Q4.1.2:: How do I run W3 from behind a firewall?
4133 * Q4.1.3:: Is it true that W3 supports style sheets and tables?
4135 Reading Netnews and Mail with Gnus:
4136 * Q4.2.1:: GNUS, (ding) Gnus, Gnus 5, September Gnus, Red Gnus,argh!
4137 * Q4.2.2:: [This question intentionally left blank]
4138 * Q4.2.3:: How do I make Gnus stay within a single frame?
4139 * Q4.2.4:: How do I customize the From: line?
4142 * Q4.3.1:: How can I read and/or compose MIME messages?
4143 * Q4.3.2:: What is TM and where do I get it?
4144 * Q4.3.3:: Why isn't this @code{movemail} program working?
4145 * Q4.3.4:: Movemail is also distributed by Netscape? Can that cause problems?
4146 * Q4.3.5:: Where do I find pstogif (required by tm)?
4148 Sparcworks, EOS, and WorkShop:
4149 * Q4.4.1:: What is SPARCworks, EOS, and WorkShop
4150 * Q4.4.2:: How do I start the Sun Workshop support in XEmacs 21?
4153 * Q4.5.1:: What is/was Energize?
4156 * Q4.6.1:: What is Infodock?
4158 Other Unbundled Packages:
4159 * Q4.7.1:: What is AUC TeX? Where do you get it?
4160 * Q4.7.2:: Are there any Emacs Lisp Spreadsheets?
4161 * Q4.7.3:: [This question intentionally left blank]
4162 * Q4.7.4:: Problems installing AUC TeX
4163 * Q4.7.5:: Is there a reason for an Emacs package not to be included in XEmacs?
4164 * Q4.7.6:: Is there a MatLab mode?
4165 * Q4.7.7:: Can I edit files on other hosts?
4168 @node Q4.0.1, Q4.0.2, Subsystems, Subsystems
4169 @unnumberedsec 4.0: Reading Mail with VM
4170 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.0.1: How do I set up VM to retrieve mail from a remote site using POP?
4172 Use @code{vm-spool-files}, like this for example:
4175 (setq vm-spool-files '("/var/spool/mail/wing"
4176 "netcom23.netcom.com:110:pass:wing:MYPASS"))
4179 Of course substitute your actual password for MYPASS.
4181 @node Q4.0.2, Q4.0.3, Q4.0.1, Subsystems
4182 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.0.2: How do I get VM to filter mail for me?
4184 One possibility is to use procmail to split your mail before it gets to
4185 VM. I prefer this personally, since there are many strange and
4186 wonderful things one can do with procmail. Procmail may be found at
4187 @uref{ftp://ftp.informatik.rwth-aachen.de/pub/packages/procmail/}.
4189 Also see the Mail Filtering FAQ at:
4193 @uref{ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/mail/filtering-faq}.
4195 @c <URL:http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/mail/filtering-faq/faq.html>
4198 @node Q4.0.3, Q4.0.4, Q4.0.2, Subsystems
4199 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.0.3: How can I get VM to automatically check for new mail?
4201 @email{turner@@lanl.gov, John Turner} writes:
4207 (setq vm-auto-get-new-mail 60)
4211 @node Q4.0.4, Q4.0.5, Q4.0.3, Subsystems
4212 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.0.4: [This question intentionally left blank]
4214 Obsolete question, left blank to avoid renumbering.
4216 @node Q4.0.5, Q4.0.6, Q4.0.4, Subsystems
4217 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.0.5: How do I get my outgoing mail archived?
4220 (setq mail-archive-file-name "~/outbox")
4223 @node Q4.0.6, Q4.0.7, Q4.0.5, Subsystems
4224 @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"?
4226 Set @code{vm-reply-ignored-addresses} to a list, like
4229 (setq vm-reply-ignored-addresses
4230 '("wing@@nuspl@@nvwls.cc.purdue.edu,netcom[0-9]*.netcom.com"
4231 "wing@@netcom.com" "wing@@xemacs.org"))
4234 Note that each string is a regular expression.
4236 @node Q4.0.7, Q4.0.8, Q4.0.6, Subsystems
4237 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.0.7: Is there a mailing list or FAQ for VM?
4239 A FAQ for VM exists at @uref{http://www.wonderworks.com/vm/FAQ.html}.
4241 VM has its own newsgroups gnu.emacs.vm.info and gnu.emacs.vm.bug.
4243 @node Q4.0.8, Q4.0.9, Q4.0.7, Subsystems
4244 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.0.8: Remote mail reading with VM.
4246 My mailbox lives at the office on a big honkin server. My regular INBOX
4247 lives on my honkin desktop machine. I now can PPP to the office from
4248 home which is far from honking... I'd like to be able to read mail at
4249 home without storing it here and I'd like to use xemacs and VM at
4250 home... Is there a recommended setup?
4252 @email{nuspl@@nvwls.cc.purdue.edu, Joseph J. Nuspl Jr.} writes:
4255 There are several ways to do this.
4259 Set your display to your home machine and run dxpc or one of the other X
4263 NFS mount your desktop machine on your home machine and modify your pop
4264 command on your home machine to rsh to your desktop machine and actually
4268 Run a POP server on your desktop machine as well and do a sort of two
4273 @email{wmperry@@monolith.spry.com, William Perry} adds:
4276 Or you could run a pop script periodically on your desktop machine, and
4277 just use ange-ftp or NFS to get to your mailbox. I used to do this all
4278 the time back at IU.
4281 @node Q4.0.9, Q4.0.10, Q4.0.8, Subsystems
4282 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.0.9: rmail or VM gets an error incorporating new mail.
4284 Quoting the XEmacs PROBLEMS file:
4287 rmail and VM get new mail from @file{/usr/spool/mail/$USER} using a
4288 program called @code{movemail}. This program interlocks with
4289 @code{/bin/mail} using the protocol defined by @code{/bin/mail}.
4291 There are two different protocols in general use. One of them uses the
4292 @code{flock} system call. The other involves creating a lock file;
4293 @code{movemail} must be able to write in @file{/usr/spool/mail} in order
4294 to do this. You control which one is used by defining, or not defining,
4295 the macro @code{MAIL_USE_FLOCK} in @file{config.h} or the m- or s- file
4298 @strong{IF YOU DON'T USE THE FORM OF INTERLOCKING THAT IS NORMAL ON YOUR
4299 SYSTEM, YOU CAN LOSE MAIL!}
4301 If your system uses the lock file protocol, and fascist restrictions
4302 prevent ordinary users from writing the lock files in
4303 @file{/usr/spool/mail}, you may need to make @code{movemail} setgid to a
4304 suitable group such as @samp{mail}. You can use these commands (as
4312 If your system uses the lock file protocol, and fascist restrictions
4313 prevent ordinary users from writing the lock files in
4314 @file{/usr/spool/mail}, you may need to make @code{movemail} setgid to a
4315 suitable group such as @code{mail}. To do this, use the following
4316 commands (as root) after doing the make install.
4323 Installation normally copies movemail from the build directory to an
4324 installation directory which is usually under @file{/usr/local/lib}.
4325 The installed copy of @code{movemail} is usually in the directory
4326 @file{/usr/local/lib/emacs/VERSION/TARGET}. You must change the group
4327 and mode of the installed copy; changing the group and mode of the build
4328 directory copy is ineffective.
4331 @node Q4.0.10, Q4.0.11, Q4.0.9, Subsystems
4332 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.0.10: How do I make VM stay in a single frame?
4334 John.@email{Cooper@@Eng.Sun.COM, John S Cooper} writes:
4338 ; Don't use multiple frames
4339 (setq vm-frame-per-composition nil)
4340 (setq vm-frame-per-folder nil)
4341 (setq vm-frame-per-edit nil)
4342 (setq vm-frame-per-summary nil)
4346 @node Q4.0.11, Q4.0.12, Q4.0.10, Subsystems
4347 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.0.11: How do I make VM or mh-e display graphical smilies?
4349 For mh-e use the following:
4352 (add-hook 'mh-show-mode-hook '(lambda ()
4353 (smiley-region (point-min)
4357 @email{bill@@carpenter.ORG, WJCarpenter} writes:
4358 For VM use the following:
4360 (autoload 'smiley-region "smiley" nil t)
4361 (add-hook 'vm-select-message-hook
4363 (smiley-region (point-min)
4367 For tm use the following:
4369 (autoload 'smiley-buffer "smiley" nil t)
4370 (add-hook 'mime-viewer/plain-text-preview-hook 'smiley-buffer)
4373 @node Q4.0.12, Q4.1.1, Q4.0.11, Subsystems
4374 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.0.12: Customization of VM not covered in the manual, or here.
4376 @email{boffi@@hp735.stru.polimi.it, giacomo boffi} writes:
4379 The meta-answer is to look into the file @file{vm-vars.el}, in the vm
4380 directory of the lisp library.
4382 @file{vm-vars.el} contains, initializes and carefully describes, with
4383 examples of usage, the plethora of user options that @emph{fully}
4384 control VM's behavior.
4386 Enter vm-vars, @code{forward-search} for toolbar, find the variables
4387 that control the toolbar placement, appearance, existence, copy to your
4388 @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs} or @file{.vm} and modify according to the
4389 detailed instructions.
4391 The above also applies to all the various features of VM: search for
4392 some keywords, maybe the first you conjure isn't appropriate, find the
4393 appropriate variables, copy and experiment.
4396 @node Q4.1.1, Q4.1.2, Q4.0.12, Subsystems
4397 @unnumberedsec 4.1: Web browsing with W3
4398 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.1.1: What is W3?
4400 W3 is an advanced graphical browser written in Emacs lisp that runs on
4401 XEmacs. It has full support for cascaded style sheets, and more...
4403 It has a home web page at
4404 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/elisp/w3/docs.html}.
4406 @node Q4.1.2, Q4.1.3, Q4.1.1, Subsystems
4407 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.1.2: How do I run W3 from behind a firewall?
4409 There is a long, well-written, detailed section in the W3 manual that
4410 describes how to do this. Look in the section entitled "Firewalls".
4412 @node Q4.1.3, Q4.2.1, Q4.1.2, Subsystems
4413 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.1.3: Is it true that W3 supports style sheets and tables?
4415 Yes, and much more. W3, as distributed with the latest XEmacs is a
4416 full-featured web browser.
4418 @node Q4.2.1, Q4.2.2, Q4.1.3, Subsystems
4419 @unnumberedsec 4.2: Reading Netnews and Mail with Gnus
4420 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.2.1: GNUS, (ding) Gnus, Gnus 5, September Gnus, Red Gnus, Quassia Gnus, argh!
4422 The Gnus numbering issues are not meant for mere mortals to know them.
4423 If you feel you @emph{must} enter the muddy waters of Gnus, visit the
4424 excellent FAQ, maintained by Justin Sheehy, at:
4427 @uref{http://www.ccs.neu.edu/software/contrib/gnus/}
4430 See also Gnus home page
4432 @uref{http://www.gnus.org/}
4435 @node Q4.2.2, Q4.2.3, Q4.2.1, Subsystems
4436 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.2.2: This question intentionally left blank.
4438 Obsolete question, left blank to avoid renumbering.
4440 @node Q4.2.3, Q4.2.4, Q4.2.2, Subsystems
4441 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.2.3: How do I make Gnus stay within a single frame?
4443 The toolbar code to start Gnus opens the new frame---and it's a feature
4444 rather than a bug. If you don't like it, but would still like to click
4445 on the seemly icon, use the following code:
4448 (defun toolbar-news ()
4452 It will redefine the callback function of the icon to just call
4453 @code{gnus}, without all the fancy frame stuff.
4455 @node Q4.2.4, Q4.3.1, Q4.2.3, Subsystems
4456 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.2.4: How do I customize the From: line?
4458 How do I change the @code{From:} line? I have set gnus-user-from-line
4461 Gail Gurman <gail.gurman@@sybase.com>
4463 @noindent , but XEmacs Gnus doesn't use
4466 Gail Mara Gurman @email{gailg@@deall}
4468 @noindent and then complains
4469 that it's incorrect. Also, as you perhaps can see, my Message-ID is
4470 screwy. How can I change that?
4472 @email{larsi@@ifi.uio.no, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen} writes:
4475 Set @code{user-mail-address} to @samp{gail.gurman@@sybase.com} or
4476 @code{mail-host-address} to @samp{sybase.com}.
4479 @node Q4.3.1, Q4.3.2, Q4.2.4, Subsystems
4480 @unnumberedsec 4.3: Other Mail & News
4481 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.3.1: How can I read and/or compose MIME messages?
4484 VM supports MIME natively.
4486 You probably want to use the Tools for MIME (tm). @xref{Q4.3.2}, for
4489 @email{trey@@cs.berkeley.edu, Trey Jackson} has an Emacs & MIME web page at
4493 @uref{http://bmrc.berkeley.edu/~trey/emacs/mime.html}.
4496 Another possibility is RMIME. You may find RMIME at
4500 @uref{http://www.cinti.net/~rmoody/rmime/index.html}.
4503 @node Q4.3.2, Q4.3.3, Q4.3.1, Subsystems
4504 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.3.2: What is TM and where do I get it?
4506 TM stands for @dfn{Tools for MIME} and not Tiny MIME. TM integrates
4507 with all major XEmacs packages like Gnus (all flavors), VM, MH-E, and
4508 mailcrypt. It provides totally transparent and trouble-free MIME
4509 support. When appropriate a message will be decoded in place in an
4512 TM now comes as a package with XEmacs 19.16 and XEmacs 20.2.
4514 TM was written by @email{morioka@@jaist.ac.jp, MORIOKA Tomohiko} and
4515 @email{shuhei-k@@jaist.ac.jp, KOBAYASHI
4518 It is based on the work of @email{umerin@@mse.kyutech.ac.jp, UMEDA
4519 Masanobu}, the original writer of GNUS.
4521 The following information is from the @file{README}:
4523 @dfn{tm} is a MIME package for GNU Emacs.
4524 tm has following functions:
4527 @item MIME style multilingual header.
4528 @item MIME message viewer (mime/viewer-mode).
4529 @item MIME message composer (mime/editor-mode).
4530 @item MIME extenders for mh-e, GNUS, RMAIL and VM.
4533 tm is available from following anonymous ftp sites:
4535 @comment @item @uref{ftp://ftp.jaist.ac.jp/pub/GNU/elisp/mime/} (Japan).
4536 @comment @item @uref{ftp://ftp.nis.co.jp/pub/gnu/emacs-lisp/tm/} (Japan).
4537 @comment @c The host above is unknown.
4538 @comment @item @uref{ftp://ftp.nisiq.net/pub/gnu/emacs-lisp/tm/} (US).
4539 @comment @item @uref{ftp://ftp.miranova.com/pub/gnus/jaist.ac.jp/} (US).
4540 @item @uref{ftp://ftp.unicamp.br/pub/mail/mime/tm/} (Brasil).
4541 @item @uref{ftp://ftp.th-darmstadt.de/pub/editors/GNU-Emacs/lisp/mime/} (Germany).
4542 @item @uref{ftp://ftp.tnt.uni-hannover.de/pub/editors/xemacs/contrib/} (Germany).
4545 Don't let the installation procedure & instructions stop you from trying
4546 this package out---it's much simpler than it looks, and once installed,
4549 @node Q4.3.3, Q4.3.4, Q4.3.2, Subsystems
4550 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.3.3: Why isn't this @code{movemail} program working?
4552 Ben Wing @email{ben@@xemacs.org} writes:
4555 It wasn't chown'ed/chmod'd correctly.
4558 @node Q4.3.4, Q4.3.5, Q4.3.3, Subsystems
4559 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.3.4: Movemail is also distributed by Netscape? Can that cause problems?
4561 @email{steve@@xemacs.org, Steve Baur} writes:
4564 Yes. Always use the movemail installed with your XEmacs. Failure to do
4565 so can result in lost mail.
4568 Please refer to @email{jwz@@jwz.org, Jamie Zawinski's} notes at
4572 @uref{http://home.netscape.com/eng/mozilla/2.0/relnotes/demo/movemail.html}.
4573 In particular, this document will show you how to make Netscape use the
4574 version of movemail configured for your system by the person who built
4577 @node Q4.3.5, Q4.4.1, Q4.3.4, Subsystems
4578 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.3.5: Where do I find pstogif (required by tm)?
4580 pstogif is part of the latex2html package.
4582 @email{vroonhof@@math.ethz.ch, Jan Vroonhof} writes:
4584 latex2html is best found at the CTAN hosts and their mirrors
4589 @file{tex-archive/support/latex2html}.
4594 @item @uref{ftp://ftp.tex.ac.uk/tex-archive/support/latex2html/}.
4595 @item @uref{ftp://ftp.dante.de/tex-archive/support/latex2html/}.
4598 There is a good mirror at ftp.cdrom.com;
4602 @uref{ftp://ftp.cdrom.com/pub/tex/ctan/support/latex2html/}.
4604 @node Q4.4.1, Q4.4.2, Q4.3.5, Subsystems
4605 @unnumberedsec 4.4: Sparcworks, EOS, and WorkShop
4606 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.4.1: What is SPARCworks, EOS, and WorkShop?
4608 @email{turner@@lanl.gov, John Turner} writes:
4611 SPARCworks is SunSoft's development environment, comprising compilers
4612 (C, C++, FORTRAN 77, Fortran 90, Ada, and Pascal), a debugger, and other
4613 tools such as TeamWare (for configuration management), MakeTool, etc.
4616 See @uref{http://www.sun.com/software/Developer-products/}
4619 EOS stands for "Era on SPARCworks", but I don't know what Era stands
4622 EOS is the integration of XEmacs with the SPARCworks debugger. It
4623 allows one to use an XEmacs frame to view code (complete with
4624 fontification, etc.), set breakpoints, print variables, etc., while
4625 using the SPARCworks debugger. It works very well and I use it all the
4628 @email{cthomp@@xemacs.org, Chuck Thompson} writes:
4631 Era stood for "Emacs Rewritten Again". It was what we were calling the
4632 modified version of Lucid Emacs for Sun when I was dragged, er, allowed
4633 to work on this wonderful editor.
4636 @email{martin@@xemacs.org, Martin Buchholz} writes:
4639 EOS is being replaced with a new graphical development environment
4640 called Sun WorkShop, which is currently (07/96) in Alpha Test. For more
4645 @uref{http://www.sun.com/software/Products/Developer-products}.
4648 @node Q4.4.2, Q4.5.1, Q4.4.1, Subsystems
4649 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.4.2: How do I start the Sun Workshop support in XEmacs 21?
4651 Add the switch ---with-workshop to the configure command when building
4652 XEmacs and put the following in one of your startup files
4653 (e.g. site-start.el or .emacs):
4656 (when (featurep 'tooltalk)
4657 (load "tooltalk-macros")
4658 (load "tooltalk-util")
4659 (load "tooltalk-init"))
4660 (when (featurep 'sparcworks)
4661 (load "sunpro-init")
4664 (load "annotations")
4668 If you are not using the latest Workshop (5.0) you have to apply the
4672 --- /opt/SUNWspro/lib/eserve.el.ORIG Fri May 14 15:23:26 1999
4673 +++ /opt/SUNWspro/lib/eserve.el Fri May 14 15:24:54 1999
4674 @@@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@@@
4675 (defvar running-xemacs nil "t if we're running XEmacs")
4676 (defvar running-emacs nil "t if we're running GNU Emacs 19")
4678 -(if (string-match "^\\(19\\|20\\)\..*\\(XEmacs\\|Lucid\\)" emacs-version)
4679 +(if (string-match "\\(XEmacs\\|Lucid\\)" emacs-version)
4680 (setq running-xemacs t)
4681 (setq running-emacs t))
4686 @node Q4.5.1, Q4.6.1, Q4.4.2, Subsystems
4687 @unnumberedsec 4.5: Energize
4688 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.5.1: What is/was Energize?
4690 @email{gray@@meteor.harlequin.com, David N Gray} writes:
4692 The files in @file{lisp/energize} are to enable Emacs to interface with
4693 the "Energize Programming System", a C and C++ development environment,
4694 which was a product of Lucid, Inc. Tragically, Lucid went out of
4695 business in 1994, so although Energize is still a great system, if you
4696 don't already have it, there isn't any way to get it now. (Unless you
4697 happen to be in Japan; INS Engineering may still be selling it there.
4698 Tartan bought the rights to sell it in the rest of the world, but never
4702 @node Q4.6.1, Q4.7.1, Q4.5.1, Subsystems
4703 @unnumberedsec 4.6: Infodock
4704 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.6.1: What is Infodock?
4706 @uref{http://sourceforge.net/projects/infodock/, InfoDock} is an
4707 integrated productivity toolset, mainly aimed at technical people,
4708 hosted at SourceForge.
4710 InfoDock is built atop the XEmacs variant of GNU Emacs and so has all of
4711 the power of Emacs, but with an easier to use and more comprehensive
4712 menu-based user interface. The bottom portion of this text describes
4713 how it differs from XEmacs and GNU Emacs from the Free Software
4716 InfoDock is aimed at people who want a free, turn-key productivity
4717 environment. Although InfoDock is customizable, it is not intended for
4718 people who like basic versions of Emacs which need to be customized
4719 extensively for local use; standard Emacs distributions are better for
4720 such uses. InfoDock is for those people who want a complete,
4721 pre-customized environment in one package, which they need not touch
4722 more than once or twice a year to update to new revisions.
4724 InfoDock is pre-built for SPARC SunOS/Solaris systems, PA-RISC HP-UX,
4725 and Intel Linux systems. It is intended for use on a color display,
4726 although most features will work on monochrome monitors. Simply unpack
4727 InfoDock according to the instructions in the ID-INSTALL file and you
4730 The InfoDock Manual is concise, yet sufficient as a user guide for users
4731 who have never used an Emacs-type editor before. For users who are
4732 already familiar with Emacs, it supplements the information in the GNU
4735 InfoDock menus are much more extensive and more mature than standard
4736 Emacs menus. Each menu offers a @samp{Manual} item which displays
4737 documentation associated with the menu's functions.
4740 Four types of menubars are provided:
4743 An extensive menubar providing access to global InfoDock commands.
4745 Mode-specific menubars tailored to the current major mode.
4747 A simple menubar for basic editing to help novices get started with InfoDock.
4749 The standard XEmacs menubar.
4752 Most modes also include mode-specific popup menus. Additionally, region and
4753 rectangle popup menus are included.
4755 @samp{Hyperbole}, the everyday information manager, is a core part of
4756 InfoDock. This provides context-sensitive mouse keys, a rolodex-type
4757 contact manager, programmable hypertext buttons, and an autonumbered
4758 outliner with embedded hyperlink anchors.
4760 The @samp{OO-Browser}, a multi-language object-oriented code browser, is a
4761 standard part of InfoDock.
4763 InfoDock saves a more extensive set of user options than other Emacs
4766 InfoDock inserts a useful file header in many file types, showing the
4767 author, summary, and last modification time of each file. A summary
4768 program can then be used to summarize all of the files in a directory,
4769 for easy MANIFEST file creation.
4771 Your working set of buffers is automatically saved and restored (if you
4772 answer yes to a prompt) between InfoDock sessions.
4774 Refined color choices for code highlighting are provided for both dark and
4775 light background display frames.
4777 The @kbd{C-z} key prefix performs frame-based commands which parallel the
4778 @kbd{C-x} key prefix for window-based commands.
4780 The Smart Menu system is included for producing command menus on dumb
4783 Lisp libraries are better categorized according to function.
4785 Extensions and improvements to many areas of Emacs are included, such as:
4786 paragraph filling, mail reading with Rmail, shell handling, outlining, code
4787 highlighting and browsing, and man page browsing.
4789 InfoDock questions, answers and discussion should go to the mail list
4793 @email{infodock@@infodock.com}. Use
4794 @email{infodock-request@@infodock.com} to be added or removed from the
4795 list. Always include your InfoDock version number when sending help
4798 InfoDock is available across the Internet via anonymous FTP. To get
4799 it, first move to a directory into which you want the InfoDock archive
4800 files placed. We will call this <DIST-DIR>.
4806 Ftp to ftp.xemacs.org (Internet Host ID = 128.174.252.16):
4809 prompt> ftp ftp.xemacs.org
4812 Login as @samp{anonymous} with your own <user-id>@@<site-name> as a password.
4815 Name (ftp.xemacs.org): anonymous
4816 331 Guest login ok, send your complete e-mail address as password.
4817 Password: -<your-user-id>@@<your-domain>
4818 230 Guest login ok, access restrictions apply.
4821 Move to the location of the InfoDock archives:
4824 ftp> cd pub/infodock
4827 Set your transfer mode to binary:
4838 Interactive mode off.
4841 Retrieve the InfoDock archives that you want, either by using a
4842 @samp{get <file>} for each file you want or by using the following to
4843 get a complete distribution, including all binaries:
4846 ftp> mget ID-INSTALL
4850 Close the FTP connection:
4857 Read the @file{ID-INSTALL} file which you just retrieved for
4858 step-by-step installation instructions.
4860 @node Q4.7.1, Q4.7.2, Q4.6.1, Subsystems
4861 @unnumberedsec 4.7: Other Unbundled Packages
4862 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.7.1: What is AUC TeX? Where do you get it?
4864 AUC TeX is a package written by @email{abraham@@dina.kvl.dk, Per Abrahamsen}.
4865 Starting with XEmacs 19.16, AUC TeX is bundled with XEmacs. The
4866 following information is from the @file{README} and website.
4868 AUC TeX is an extensible package that supports writing and formatting
4869 TeX files for most variants of GNU Emacs. Many different macro packages
4870 are supported, including AMS TeX, LaTeX, and TeXinfo.
4872 The most recent version is always available by ftp at
4876 @uref{ftp://sunsite.dk/packages/auctex/auctex.tar.gz}.
4878 In case you don't have access to anonymous ftp, you can get it by an
4879 email request to @email{ftpmail@@decwrl.dec.com}.
4881 WWW users may want to check out the AUC TeX page at
4885 @uref{http://sunsite.dk/auctex/}.
4887 @node Q4.7.2, Q4.7.3, Q4.7.1, Subsystems
4888 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.7.2: Are there any Emacs Lisp Spreadsheets?
4890 Yes. Check out @dfn{dismal} (which stands for Dis' Mode Ain't Lotus) at
4894 @uref{ftp://cs.nyu.edu/pub/local/fox/dismal/}.
4896 @node Q4.7.3, Q4.7.4, Q4.7.2, Subsystems
4897 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.7.3: [This question intentionally left blank]
4899 @node Q4.7.4, Q4.7.5, Q4.7.3, Subsystems
4900 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.7.4: Problems installing AUC TeX.
4902 @email{vroonhof@@math.ethz.ch, Jan Vroonhof} writes:
4905 AUC TeX works fine on both stock Emacs and XEmacs has been doing so for
4906 a very very long time. This is mostly due to the work of
4907 @email{abraham@@dina.kvl.dk, Per Abrahamsen} (clap clap) in particular his @file{easymenu}
4908 package. Which leads to what is probably the problem...
4911 Most problems with AUC TeX are one of two things:
4915 The TeX-lisp-directory in @file{tex-site.el} and the makefile don't
4918 Fix: make sure you configure AUC TeX properly @strong{before} installing.
4921 You have an old version of easymenu.el in your path.
4923 Fix: use @code{locate-library} and remove old versions to make sure it
4924 @strong{only} finds the one that came with XEmacs.
4928 @node Q4.7.5, Q4.7.6, Q4.7.4, Subsystems
4929 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.7.5: Is there a reason for an Emacs package not to be included in XEmacs?
4931 The reason for an Emacs package not to be included in XEmacs is
4932 usually one or more of the following:
4936 The package has not been ported to XEmacs. This will typically happen
4937 when it uses GNU-Emacs-specific features, which make it fail under
4940 Porting a package to XEmacs can range from a trivial amount of change to
4941 a partial or full rewrite. Fortunately, the authors of modern packages
4942 usually choose to support both Emacsen themselves.
4945 The package has been decided not to be appropriate for XEmacs. It may
4946 have an equivalent or better replacement within XEmacs, in which case
4947 the developers may choose not to burden themselves with supporting an
4950 Each package bundled with XEmacs means more work for the maintainers,
4951 whether they want it or not. If you are ready to take over the
4952 maintenance responsibilities for the package you port, be sure to say
4953 so---we will more likely include it.
4956 The package simply hasn't been noted by the XEmacs development. If
4957 that's the case, the messages like yours are very useful for attracting
4961 The package was noted by the developers, but they simply haven't yet
4962 gotten around to including/porting it. Wait for the next release or,
4963 even better, offer your help. It will be gladly accepted and
4967 @node Q4.7.6, Q4.7.7, Q4.7.5, Subsystems
4968 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.7.5: Is there a MatLab mode?
4970 Yes, a matlab mode and other items are available at the
4971 @uref{ftp://ftp.mathworks.com/pub/contrib/emacs_add_ons,
4972 MathWorks' emacs_add_ons ftp directory}.
4974 @node Q4.7.7, , Q4.7.6, Subsystems
4975 @unnumberedsubsec Q4.7.7: Can I edit files on other hosts?
4977 Yes. Of course XEmacs can use any network file system (such as NFS or
4978 Windows file sharing) you have available, and includes some
4979 optimizations and safety features appropriate to those environments.
4981 It is also possible to transparently edit files via FTP, ssh, or rsh. That
4982 is, XEmacs makes a local copy using the transport in the background, and
4983 automatically refreshes the remote original from that copy when you save
4984 it. XEmacs also is capable of doing file system manipulations like
4985 creating and removing directories and files. The FTP interface is
4986 provided by the standard @samp{efs} package @ref{Top, EFS, , efs}. The
4987 ssh/rsh interface is provided by the optional @samp{tramp} package
4988 @ref{Top, TRAMP, , tramp}.
4990 @node Miscellaneous, MS Windows, Subsystems, Top
4991 @unnumbered 5 The Miscellaneous Stuff
4993 This is part 5 of the XEmacs Frequently Asked Questions list. This
4994 section is devoted to anything that doesn't fit neatly into the other
4998 Major & Minor Modes:
4999 * Q5.0.1:: How can I do source code highlighting using font-lock?
5000 * Q5.0.2:: I do not like cc-mode. How do I use the old c-mode?
5001 * Q5.0.3:: How do I get @samp{More} Syntax Highlighting on by default?
5002 * Q5.0.4:: How can I enable auto-indent and/or Filladapt?
5003 * Q5.0.5:: How can I get XEmacs to come up in text/auto-fill mode by default?
5004 * Q5.0.6:: How do I start up a second shell buffer?
5005 * Q5.0.7:: Telnet from shell filters too much.
5006 * Q5.0.8:: Why does edt emulation not work?
5007 * Q5.0.9:: How can I emulate VI and use it as my default mode?
5008 * Q5.0.10:: [This question intentionally left blank]
5009 * Q5.0.11:: [This question intentionally left blank]
5010 * Q5.0.12:: How do I disable gnuserv from opening a new frame?
5011 * Q5.0.13:: How do I start gnuserv so that each subsequent XEmacs is a client?
5012 * Q5.0.14:: Strange things are happening in Shell Mode.
5013 * Q5.0.15:: Where do I get the latest CC Mode?
5014 * Q5.0.16:: I find auto-show-mode disconcerting. How do I turn it off?
5015 * Q5.0.17:: How can I get two instances of info?
5016 * Q5.0.18:: [This question intentionally left blank]
5017 * Q5.0.19:: Is there something better than LaTeX mode?
5018 * Q5.0.20:: Is there a way to start a new XEmacs if there's no gnuserv running, and otherwise use gnuclient?
5020 Emacs Lisp Programming Techniques:
5021 * Q5.1.1:: The difference in key sequences between XEmacs and GNU Emacs?
5022 * Q5.1.2:: Can I generate "fake" keyboard events?
5023 * Q5.1.3:: Could you explain @code{read-kbd-macro} in more detail?
5024 * Q5.1.4:: What is the performance hit of @code{let}?
5025 * Q5.1.5:: What is the recommended use of @code{setq}?
5026 * Q5.1.6:: What is the typical misuse of @code{setq}?
5027 * Q5.1.7:: I like the @code{do} form of cl, does it slow things down?
5028 * Q5.1.8:: I like recursion, does it slow things down?
5029 * Q5.1.9:: How do I put a glyph as annotation in a buffer?
5030 * Q5.1.10:: @code{map-extents} won't traverse all of my extents!
5031 * Q5.1.11:: My elisp program is horribly slow. Is there an easy way to find out where it spends time?
5034 * Q5.2.1:: How do I turn off the sound?
5035 * Q5.2.2:: How do I get funky sounds instead of a boring beep?
5036 * Q5.2.3:: What's NAS, how do I get it?
5037 * Q5.2.4:: Sunsite sounds don't play.
5040 * Q5.3.1:: How do you make XEmacs indent CL if-clauses correctly?
5041 * Q5.3.2:: [This question intentionally left blank]
5042 * Q5.3.3:: How can I print WYSIWYG a font-locked buffer?
5043 * Q5.3.4:: Getting @kbd{M-x lpr} to work with postscript printer.
5044 * Q5.3.5:: How do I specify the paths that XEmacs uses for finding files?
5045 * Q5.3.6:: [This question intentionally left blank]
5046 * Q5.3.7:: Can I have the end of the buffer delimited in some way?
5047 * Q5.3.8:: How do I insert today's date into a buffer?
5048 * Q5.3.9:: Are only certain syntactic character classes available for abbrevs?
5049 * Q5.3.10:: How can I get those oh-so-neat X-Face lines?
5050 * Q5.3.11:: How do I add new Info directories?
5051 * Q5.3.12:: What do I need to change to make printing work?
5054 @node Q5.0.1, Q5.0.2, Miscellaneous, Miscellaneous
5055 @unnumberedsec 5.0: Major & Minor Modes
5056 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.0.1: How can I do source code highlighting using font-lock?
5058 For most modes, font-lock is already set up and just needs to be turned
5059 on. This can be done by adding the line:
5062 (require 'font-lock)
5065 to your @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs}. (You can turn it on for the
5066 current buffer and session only by @kbd{M-x font-lock-mode}.) See the
5067 file @file{etc/sample.init.el} (@file{etc/sample.emacs} in XEmacs
5068 versions prior to 21.4) for more information.
5071 @c (add-hook 'emacs-lisp-mode-hook 'turn-on-font-lock)
5072 @c (add-hook 'dired-mode-hook 'turn-on-font-lock)
5074 See also @code{Syntax Highlighting} from the @code{Options} menu.
5075 Remember to save options.
5077 @node Q5.0.2, Q5.0.3, Q5.0.1, Miscellaneous
5078 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.0.2: I do not like cc-mode. How do I use the old c-mode?
5080 Well, first off, consider if you really want to do this. cc-mode is
5081 much more powerful than the old c-mode. If you're having trouble
5082 getting your old offsets to work, try using @code{c-set-offset} instead.
5083 You might also consider using the package @code{cc-compat}.
5085 But, if you still insist, add the following lines to your @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs}:
5088 (fmakunbound 'c-mode)
5089 (makunbound 'c-mode-map)
5090 (fmakunbound 'c++-mode)
5091 (makunbound 'c++-mode-map)
5092 (makunbound 'c-style-alist)
5093 (load-library "old-c-mode")
5094 (load-library "old-c++-mode")
5097 This must be done before any other reference is made to either c-mode or
5100 @node Q5.0.3, Q5.0.4, Q5.0.2, Miscellaneous
5101 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.0.3: How do I get @samp{More} Syntax Highlighting on by default?
5103 Use the following code in your @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs}:
5106 (setq-default font-lock-maximum-decoration t)
5109 @c In versions of XEmacs prior to 19.14, you had to use a kludgy solution
5113 @c (setq c-font-lock-keywords c-font-lock-keywords-2
5114 @c c++-font-lock-keywords c++-font-lock-keywords-2
5115 @c lisp-font-lock-keywords lisp-font-lock-keywords-2)
5118 @c It will work for C, C++ and Lisp.
5120 See also @code{Syntax Highlighting} from the @code{Options} menu.
5121 Remember to save options.
5123 @node Q5.0.4, Q5.0.5, Q5.0.3, Miscellaneous
5124 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.0.4: How can I enable auto-indent and/or Filladapt?
5126 Put the following line in your @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs}:
5129 (setq indent-line-function 'indent-relative-maybe)
5132 If you want to get fancy, try the @code{filladapt} package available
5133 standard with XEmacs. Put this into your @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs}:
5136 (require 'filladapt)
5137 (setq-default filladapt-mode t)
5138 (add-hook 'c-mode-hook 'turn-off-filladapt-mode)
5141 This will enable Filladapt for all modes except C mode, where it doesn't
5142 work well. To turn Filladapt on only in particular major modes, remove
5143 the @code{(setq-default ...)} line and use
5144 @code{turn-on-filladapt-mode}, like this:
5147 (add-hook 'text-mode-hook 'turn-on-filladapt-mode)
5150 You can customize filling and adaptive filling with Customize.
5151 Select from the @code{Options} menu
5152 @code{Advanced (Customize)->Emacs->Editing->Fill->Fill...}
5153 or type @kbd{M-x customize @key{RET} fill @key{RET}}.
5155 Note that well-behaving text-lookalike modes will run
5156 @code{text-mode-hook} by default (e.g. that's what Message does). For
5157 the nasty ones, you'll have to provide the @code{add-hook}s yourself.
5159 Please note that the @code{fa-extras} package is no longer useful.
5161 @node Q5.0.5, Q5.0.6, Q5.0.4, Miscellaneous
5162 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.0.5: How can I get XEmacs to come up in text/auto-fill mode by default?
5164 Try the following lisp in your @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs}:
5167 (setq default-major-mode 'text-mode)
5168 (setq text-mode-hook 'turn-on-auto-fill)
5171 @strong{WARNING}: note that changing the value of
5172 @code{default-major-mode} from @code{fundamental-mode} can break a large
5173 amount of built-in code that expects newly created buffers to be in
5174 @code{fundamental-mode}. (Changing from @code{fundamental-mode} to
5175 @code{text-mode} might not wreak too much havoc, but changing to
5176 something more exotic like a lisp-mode would break many Emacs packages).
5178 Note that Emacs by default starts up in buffer @code{*scratch*} in
5179 @code{initial-major-mode}, which defaults to
5180 @code{lisp-interaction-mode}. Thus adding the following form to your
5181 Emacs init file will cause the initial @code{*scratch*} buffer to be put
5182 into auto-fill'ed @code{text-mode}:
5185 (setq initial-major-mode
5188 (turn-on-auto-fill)))
5191 Note that after your init file is loaded, if
5192 @code{inhibit-startup-message} is @code{nil} (the default) and the
5193 startup buffer is @code{*scratch*} then the startup message will be
5194 inserted into @code{*scratch*}; it will be removed after a timeout by
5195 erasing the entire @code{*scratch*} buffer. Keep in mind this default
5196 usage of @code{*scratch*} if you desire any prior manipulation of
5197 @code{*scratch*} from within your Emacs init file. In particular,
5198 anything you insert into @code{*scratch*} from your init file will be
5199 later erased. Also, if you change the mode of the @code{*scratch*}
5200 buffer, be sure that this will not interfere with possible later
5201 insertion of the startup message (e.g. if you put @code{*scratch*} into
5202 a nonstandard mode that has automatic font lock rules, then the startup
5203 message might get fontified in a strange foreign manner, e.g. as code in
5204 some programming language).
5206 @node Q5.0.6, Q5.0.7, Q5.0.5, Miscellaneous
5207 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.0.6: How do I start up a second shell buffer?
5209 In the @code{*shell*} buffer:
5212 M-x rename-buffer @key{RET} *shell-1* @key{RET}
5216 This will then start a second shell. The key is that no buffer named
5217 @samp{*shell*} can exist. It might be preferable to use @kbd{M-x
5218 rename-uniquely} to rename the @code{*shell*} buffer instead of @kbd{M-x
5221 Alternately, you can set the variable @code{shell-multiple-shells}.
5222 If the value of this variable is non-nil, each time shell mode is invoked,
5225 @node Q5.0.7, Q5.0.8, Q5.0.6, Miscellaneous
5226 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.0.7: Telnet from shell filters too much
5228 I'm using the Emacs @kbd{M-x shell} function, and I would like to invoke
5229 and use a telnet session within it. Everything works fine except that
5230 now all @samp{^M}'s are filtered out by Emacs. Fixes?
5232 Use @kbd{M-x rsh} or @kbd{M-x telnet} to open remote sessions rather
5233 than doing rsh or telnet within the local shell buffer. Starting with
5234 XEmacs-20.3 you can also use @kbd{M-x ssh} to open secure remote session
5235 if you have @code{ssh} installed.
5237 @node Q5.0.8, Q5.0.9, Q5.0.7, Miscellaneous
5238 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.0.8: Why does edt emulation not work?
5240 We don't know, but you can use tpu-edt emulation instead, which works
5241 fine and is a little fancier than the standard edt emulation. To do
5242 this, add the following line to your @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs}:
5248 If you don't want it to replace @kbd{C-h} with an edt-style help menu
5252 (global-set-key [(control h)] 'help-for-help)
5255 @node Q5.0.9, Q5.0.10, Q5.0.8, Miscellaneous
5256 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.0.9: How can I emulate VI and use it as my default mode?
5258 Our recommended VI emulator is viper. To make viper-mode the default,
5259 add this to your @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs}:
5265 @email{kifer@@CS.SunySB.EDU, Michael Kifer} writes:
5268 This should be added as close to the top of @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs} as you can get
5269 it, otherwise some minor modes may not get viper-ized.
5272 @node Q5.0.10, Q5.0.11, Q5.0.9, Miscellaneous
5273 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.0.10: [This question intentionally left blank]
5275 Obsolete question, left blank to avoid renumbering
5277 @node Q5.0.11, Q5.0.12, Q5.0.10, Miscellaneous
5278 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.0.11: [This question intentionally left blank]
5280 Obsolete question, left blank to avoid renumbering
5282 @node Q5.0.12, Q5.0.13, Q5.0.11, Miscellaneous
5283 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.0.12: How do I disable gnuserv from opening a new frame?
5285 If you set the @code{gnuserv-frame} variable to the frame that should be
5286 used to display buffers that are pulled up, a new frame will not be
5287 created. For example, you could put
5290 (setq gnuserv-frame (selected-frame))
5293 early on in your @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs}, to ensure that the first frame created
5294 is the one used for your gnuserv buffers.
5296 There is an option to set the gnuserv target to the current frame. See
5297 @code{Options->Display->"Other Window" Location->Make Current Frame Gnuserv Target}
5299 Starting with XEmacs-20.3 you can also change this with Customize.
5300 Select from the @code{Options} menu
5301 @code{Advanced (Customize)->Emacs->Environment->Gnuserv->Gnuserv Frame...}
5302 or type @kbd{M-x customize @key{RET} gnuserv @key{RET}}.
5305 @node Q5.0.13, Q5.0.14, Q5.0.12, Miscellaneous
5306 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.0.13: How do I start gnuserv so that each subsequent XEmacs is a client?
5308 Put the following in your @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs} file to start the server:
5314 Start your first XEmacs as usual. After that, you can do:
5317 gnuclient randomfilename
5320 from the command line to get your existing XEmacs process to open a new
5321 frame and visit randomfilename in that window. When you're done editing
5322 randomfilename, hit @kbd{C-x #} to kill the buffer and get rid of the
5325 See also man page of gnuclient.
5327 @node Q5.0.14, Q5.0.15, Q5.0.13, Miscellaneous
5328 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.0.14: Strange things are happening in Shell Mode.
5330 Sometimes (i.e. it's not repeatable, and I can't work out why it
5331 happens) when I'm typing into shell mode, I hit return and only a
5332 portion of the command is given to the shell, and a blank prompt is
5333 returned. If I hit return again, the rest of the previous command is
5336 @email{martin@@xemacs.org, Martin Buchholz} writes:
5339 There is a known problem with interaction between @code{csh} and the
5340 @code{filec} option and XEmacs. You should add the following to your
5344 if ( "$TERM" == emacs || "$TERM" == unknown ) unset filec
5348 @node Q5.0.15, Q5.0.16, Q5.0.14, Miscellaneous
5349 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.0.15: Where do I get the latest CC Mode?
5351 @email{bwarsaw@@cnri.reston.va.us, Barry A. Warsaw} writes:
5354 This can be had from @uref{http://www.python.org/emacs/}.
5357 @node Q5.0.16, Q5.0.17, Q5.0.15, Miscellaneous
5358 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.0.16: I find auto-show-mode disconcerting. How do I turn it off?
5360 @code{auto-show-mode} controls whether or not a horizontal scrollbar
5361 magically appears when a line is too long to be displayed. This is
5362 enabled by default. To turn it off, put the following in your
5363 @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs}:
5366 (setq auto-show-mode nil)
5367 (setq-default auto-show-mode nil)
5370 @node Q5.0.17, Q5.0.18, Q5.0.16, Miscellaneous
5371 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.0.17: How can I get two instances of info?
5373 Before 21.4, you can't. The @code{info} package does not provide for
5374 multiple info buffers. In 21.4, this should be fixed. #### how?
5376 @node Q5.0.18, Q5.0.19, Q5.0.17, Miscellaneous
5377 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.0.18: [This question intentionally left blank]
5379 @node Q5.0.19, Q5.0.20, Q5.0.18, Miscellaneous
5380 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.0.19: Is there something better than LaTeX mode?
5382 @email{dak@@fsnif.neuroinformatik.ruhr-uni-bochum.de, David Kastrup} writes:
5385 The standard TeX modes leave much to be desired, and are somewhat
5386 leniently maintained. Serious TeX users use AUC TeX (@pxref{Q4.7.1}).
5389 @node Q5.0.20, Q5.1.1, Q5.0.19, Miscellaneous
5390 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.0.20: Is there a way to start a new XEmacs if there's no gnuserv running, and otherwise use gnuclient?
5392 @email{vroonhof@@math.ethz.ch, Jan Vroonhof} writes:
5394 Here is one of the solutions, we have this in a script called
5395 @file{etc/editclient.sh}.
5398 if gnuclient -batch -eval t >/dev/null 2>&1
5400 exec gnuclient $@{1+"$@@"@}
5402 xemacs -unmapped -f gnuserv-start &
5403 until gnuclient -batch -eval t >/dev/null 2>&1
5407 exec gnuclient $@{1+"$@@"@}
5411 Note that there is a known problem when running XEmacs and 'gnuclient
5412 -nw' on the same TTY.
5415 @node Q5.1.1, Q5.1.2, Q5.0.20, Miscellaneous
5416 @unnumberedsec 5.1: Emacs Lisp Programming Techniques
5417 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.1.1: What is the difference in key sequences between XEmacs and GNU Emacs?
5419 @email{clerik@@naggum.no, Erik Naggum} writes;
5422 Emacs has a legacy of keyboards that produced characters with modifier
5423 bits, and therefore map a variety of input systems into this scheme even
5424 today. XEmacs is instead optimized for X events. This causes an
5425 incompatibility in the way key sequences are specified, but both Emacs
5426 and XEmacs will accept a key sequence as a vector of lists of modifiers
5427 that ends with a key, e.g., to bind @kbd{M-C-a}, you would say
5428 @code{[(meta control a)]} in both Emacsen. XEmacs has an abbreviated
5429 form for a single key, just (meta control a). Emacs has an abbreviated
5430 form for the Control and the Meta modifiers to string-characters (the
5431 ASCII characters), as in @samp{\M-\C-a}. XEmacs users need to be aware
5432 that the abbreviated form works only for one-character key sequences,
5433 while Emacs users need to be aware that the string-character is rather
5434 limited. Specifically, the string-character can accommodate only 256
5435 different values, 128 of which have the Meta modifier and 128 of which
5436 have not. In each of these blocks, only 32 characters have the Control
5437 modifier. Whereas @code{[(meta control A)]} differs from @code{[(meta
5438 control a)]} because the case differs, @samp{\M-\C-a} and @samp{\M-\C-A}
5439 do not. Programmers are advised to use the full common form, both
5440 because it is more readable and less error-prone, and because it is
5441 supported by both Emacsen.
5444 Another (even safer) way to be sure of the key-sequences is to use the
5445 @code{read-kbd-macro} function, which takes a string like @samp{C-c
5446 <up>}, and converts it to the internal key representation of the Emacs
5447 you use. The function is available both on XEmacs and GNU Emacs.
5449 @node Q5.1.2, Q5.1.3, Q5.1.1, Miscellaneous
5450 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.1.2: Can I generate "fake" keyboard events?
5452 I wonder if there is an interactive function that can generate
5453 @dfn{fake} keyboard events. This way, I could simply map them inside
5459 (defun cg--generate-char-event (ch)
5460 "Generate an event, as if ch has been typed"
5461 (dispatch-event (character-to-event ch)))
5463 ;; Backspace and Delete stuff
5464 (global-set-key [backspace]
5465 (lambda () (interactive) (cg--generate-char-event 127)))
5466 (global-set-key [unknown_keysym_0x4]
5467 (lambda () (interactive) (cg--generate-char-event 4)))
5470 @node Q5.1.3, Q5.1.4, Q5.1.2, Miscellaneous
5471 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.1.3: Could you explain @code{read-kbd-macro} in more detail?
5473 The @code{read-kbd-macro} function returns the internal Emacs
5474 representation of a human-readable string (which is its argument).
5478 (read-kbd-macro "C-c C-a")
5479 @result{} [(control ?c) (control ?a)]
5481 (read-kbd-macro "C-c C-. <up>")
5482 @result{} [(control ?c) (control ?.) up]
5485 In GNU Emacs the same forms will be evaluated to what GNU Emacs
5486 understands internally---the sequences @code{"\C-x\C-c"} and @code{[3
5487 67108910 up]}, respectively.
5489 The exact @dfn{human-readable} syntax is defined in the docstring of
5490 @code{edmacro-mode}. I'll repeat it here, for completeness.
5493 Format of keyboard macros during editing:
5495 Text is divided into @dfn{words} separated by whitespace. Except for
5496 the words described below, the characters of each word go directly as
5497 characters of the macro. The whitespace that separates words is
5498 ignored. Whitespace in the macro must be written explicitly, as in
5499 @kbd{foo @key{SPC} bar @key{RET}}.
5503 The special words @kbd{RET}, @kbd{SPC}, @kbd{TAB}, @kbd{DEL}, @kbd{LFD},
5504 @kbd{ESC}, and @kbd{NUL} represent special control characters. The
5505 words must be written in uppercase.
5508 A word in angle brackets, e.g., @code{<return>}, @code{<down>}, or
5509 @code{<f1>}, represents a function key. (Note that in the standard
5510 configuration, the function key @code{<return>} and the control key
5511 @key{RET} are synonymous.) You can use angle brackets on the words
5512 @key{RET}, @key{SPC}, etc., but they are not required there.
5515 Keys can be written by their @sc{ascii} code, using a backslash followed
5516 by up to six octal digits. This is the only way to represent keys with
5520 One or more prefixes @kbd{M-} (meta), @kbd{C-} (control), @kbd{S-}
5521 (shift), @kbd{A-} (alt), @kbd{H-} (hyper), and @kbd{s-} (super) may
5522 precede a character or key notation. For function keys, the prefixes
5523 may go inside or outside of the brackets: @code{C-<down>} @equiv{}
5524 @code{<C-down>}. The prefixes may be written in any order: @kbd{M-C-x}
5525 @equiv{} @kbd{C-M-x}.
5527 Prefixes are not allowed on multi-key words, e.g., @kbd{C-abc}, except
5528 that the Meta prefix is allowed on a sequence of digits and optional
5529 minus sign: @kbd{M--123} @equiv{} @kbd{M-- M-1 M-2 M-3}.
5532 The @code{^} notation for control characters also works: @kbd{^M}
5536 Double angle brackets enclose command names: @code{<<next-line>>} is
5537 shorthand for @kbd{M-x next-line @key{RET}}.
5540 Finally, @code{REM} or @code{;;} causes the rest of the line to be
5541 ignored as a comment.
5544 Any word may be prefixed by a multiplier in the form of a decimal number
5545 and @code{*}: @code{3*<right>} @equiv{} @code{<right> <right> <right>},
5546 and @code{10*foo} @equiv{}
5550 @code{foofoofoofoofoofoofoofoofoofoo}.
5552 Multiple text keys can normally be strung together to form a word, but
5553 you may need to add whitespace if the word would look like one of the
5554 above notations: @code{; ; ;} is a keyboard macro with three semicolons,
5555 but @code{;;;} is a comment. Likewise, @code{\ 1 2 3} is four keys but
5556 @code{\123} is a single key written in octal, and @code{< right >} is
5557 seven keys but @code{<right>} is a single function key. When in doubt,
5561 @node Q5.1.4, Q5.1.5, Q5.1.3, Miscellaneous
5562 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.1.4: What is the performance hit of @code{let}?
5564 In most cases, not noticeable. Besides, there's no avoiding
5565 @code{let}---you have to bind your local variables, after all. Some
5566 pose a question whether to nest @code{let}s, or use one @code{let} per
5567 function. I think because of clarity and maintenance (and possible
5568 future implementation), @code{let}-s should be used (nested) in a way to
5569 provide the clearest code.
5571 @node Q5.1.5, Q5.1.6, Q5.1.4, Miscellaneous
5572 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.1.5: What is the recommended use of @code{setq}?
5575 @item Global variables
5577 You will typically @code{defvar} your global variable to a default
5578 value, and use @code{setq} to set it later.
5580 It is never a good practice to @code{setq} user variables (like
5581 @code{case-fold-search}, etc.), as it ignores the user's choice
5582 unconditionally. Note that @code{defvar} doesn't change the value of a
5583 variable if it was bound previously. If you wish to change a
5584 user-variable temporarily, use @code{let}:
5587 (let ((case-fold-search nil))
5588 ... ; code with searches that must be case-sensitive
5592 You will notice the user-variables by their docstrings beginning with an
5593 asterisk (a convention).
5595 @item Local variables
5597 Bind them with @code{let}, which will unbind them (or restore their
5598 previous value, if they were bound) after exiting from the @code{let}
5599 form. Change the value of local variables with @code{setq} or whatever
5600 you like (e.g. @code{incf}, @code{setf} and such). The @code{let} form
5601 can even return one of its local variables.
5606 ;; iterate through the elements of the list returned by
5607 ;; `hairy-function-that-returns-list'
5608 (let ((l (hairy-function-that-returns-list)))
5610 ... do something with (car l) ...
5614 Another typical usage includes building a value simply to work with it.
5617 ;; Build the mode keymap out of the key-translation-alist
5618 (let ((inbox (file-truename (expand-file-name box)))
5620 ... code dealing with inbox ...
5624 This piece of code uses the local variable @code{inbox}, which becomes
5625 unbound (or regains old value) after exiting the form. The form also
5626 returns the value of @code{inbox}, which can be reused, for instance:
5629 (setq foo-processed-inbox
5634 @node Q5.1.6, Q5.1.7, Q5.1.5, Miscellaneous
5635 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.1.6: What is the typical misuse of @code{setq} ?
5637 A typical misuse is probably @code{setq}ing a variable that was meant to
5638 be local. Such a variable will remain bound forever, never to be
5639 garbage-collected. For example, the code doing:
5642 (defun my-function (whatever)
5644 ... build a large list ...
5648 does a bad thing, as @code{a} will keep consuming memory, never to be
5649 unbound. The correct thing is to do it like this:
5652 (defun my-function (whatever)
5653 (let (a) ; default initialization is to nil
5654 ... build a large list ...
5655 ... and exit, unbinding `a' in the process ...)
5658 Not only is this prettier syntactically, but it makes it possible for
5659 Emacs to garbage-collect the objects which @code{a} used to reference.
5661 Note that even global variables should not be @code{setq}ed without
5662 @code{defvar}ing them first, because the byte-compiler issues warnings.
5663 The reason for the warning is the following:
5666 (defun flurgoze nil) ; ok, global internal variable
5669 (setq flurghoze t) ; ops! a typo, but semantically correct.
5670 ; however, the byte-compiler warns.
5672 While compiling toplevel forms:
5673 ** assignment to free variable flurghoze
5676 @node Q5.1.7, Q5.1.8, Q5.1.6, Miscellaneous
5677 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.1.7: I like the @code{do} form of cl, does it slow things down?
5679 It shouldn't. Here is what Dave Gillespie has to say about cl.el
5683 Many of the advanced features of this package, such as @code{defun*},
5684 @code{loop}, and @code{setf}, are implemented as Lisp macros. In
5685 byte-compiled code, these complex notations will be expanded into
5686 equivalent Lisp code which is simple and efficient. For example, the
5694 are expanded at compile-time to the Lisp forms
5698 (setcar p (cons x (car p)))
5701 which are the most efficient ways of doing these respective operations
5702 in Lisp. Thus, there is no performance penalty for using the more
5703 readable @code{incf} and @code{push} forms in your compiled code.
5705 @emph{Interpreted} code, on the other hand, must expand these macros
5706 every time they are executed. For this reason it is strongly
5707 recommended that code making heavy use of macros be compiled. (The
5708 features labelled @dfn{Special Form} instead of @dfn{Function} in this
5709 manual are macros.) A loop using @code{incf} a hundred times will
5710 execute considerably faster if compiled, and will also garbage-collect
5711 less because the macro expansion will not have to be generated, used,
5712 and thrown away a hundred times.
5714 You can find out how a macro expands by using the @code{cl-prettyexpand}
5718 @node Q5.1.8, Q5.1.9, Q5.1.7, Miscellaneous
5719 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.1.8: I like recursion, does it slow things down?
5721 Yes. Emacs byte-compiler cannot do much to optimize recursion. But
5722 think well whether this is a real concern in Emacs. Much of the Emacs
5723 slowness comes from internal mechanisms such as redisplay, or from the
5724 fact that it is an interpreter.
5726 Please try not to make your code much uglier to gain a very small speed
5727 gain. It's not usually worth it.
5729 @node Q5.1.9, Q5.1.10, Q5.1.8, Miscellaneous
5730 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.1.9: How do I put a glyph as annotation in a buffer?
5732 Here is a solution that will insert the glyph annotation at the
5733 beginning of buffer:
5736 (make-annotation (make-glyph '([FORMAT :file FILE]
5737 [string :data "fallback-text"]))
5743 Replace @samp{FORMAT} with an unquoted symbol representing the format of
5744 the image (e.g. @code{xpm}, @code{xbm}, @code{gif}, @code{jpeg}, etc.)
5745 Instead of @samp{FILE}, use the image file name
5750 @file{/usr/local/lib/xemacs-21.4/etc/recycle.xpm}).
5752 You can turn this to a function (that optionally prompts you for a file
5753 name), and inserts the glyph at @code{(point)} instead of
5756 @node Q5.1.10, Q5.1.11, Q5.1.9, Miscellaneous
5757 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.1.10: @code{map-extents} won't traverse all of my extents!
5759 I tried to use @code{map-extents} to do an operation on all the extents
5760 in a region. However, it seems to quit after processing a random number
5761 of extents. Is it buggy?
5763 No. The documentation of @code{map-extents} states that it will iterate
5764 across the extents as long as @var{function} returns @code{nil}.
5765 Unexperienced programmers often forget to return @code{nil} explicitly,
5766 which results in buggy code. For instance, the following code is
5767 supposed to delete all the extents in a buffer, and issue as many
5768 @samp{fubar!} messages.
5771 (map-extents (lambda (ext ignore)
5773 (message "fubar!")))
5776 Instead, it will delete only the first extent, and stop right there --
5777 because @code{message} will return a non-nil value. The correct code
5781 (map-extents (lambda (ext ignore)
5787 @node Q5.1.11, Q5.2.1, Q5.1.10, Miscellaneous
5788 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.1.11: My elisp program is horribly slow. Is there
5789 an easy way to find out where it spends time?
5792 @email{hniksic@@xemacs.org, Hrvoje Niksic} writes:
5794 Under XEmacs 20.4 and later you can use @kbd{M-x profile-key-sequence},
5795 press a key (say @key{RET} in the Gnus Group buffer), and get the
5796 results using @kbd{M-x profile-results}. It should give you an idea of
5797 where the time is being spent.
5800 @node Q5.2.1, Q5.2.2, Q5.1.11, Miscellaneous
5801 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.2.1: How do I turn off the sound?
5803 Add the following line to your @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs}:
5806 (setq bell-volume 0)
5807 (setq sound-alist nil)
5810 That will make your XEmacs totally silent---even the default ding sound
5811 (TTY beep on TTY-s) will be gone.
5813 Starting with XEmacs 20.2 you can also change these with Customize.
5814 Select from the @code{Options} menu
5815 @code{Advanced (Customize)->Emacs->Environment->Sound->Sound...} or type
5816 @kbd{M-x customize @key{RET} sound @key{RET}}.
5819 @node Q5.2.2, Q5.2.3, Q5.2.1, Miscellaneous
5820 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.2.2: How do I get funky sounds instead of a boring beep?
5822 Make sure your XEmacs was compiled with sound support, and then put this
5823 in your @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs}:
5826 (load-default-sounds)
5829 @c The sound support in XEmacs 19.14 was greatly improved over previous
5832 @node Q5.2.3, Q5.2.4, Q5.2.2, Miscellaneous
5833 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.2.3: What's NAS, how do I get it?
5835 @xref{Q2.0.3}, for an explanation of the @dfn{Network Audio System}.
5837 @node Q5.2.4, Q5.3.1, Q5.2.3, Miscellaneous
5838 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.2.4: Sunsite sounds don't play.
5840 I'm having some trouble with sounds I've downloaded from sunsite. They
5841 play when I run them through @code{showaudio} or cat them directly to
5842 @file{/dev/audio}, but XEmacs refuses to play them.
5844 @email{gutschk@@uni-muenster.de, Markus Gutschke} writes:
5847 [Many of] These files have an (erroneous) 24byte header that tells about
5848 the format that they have been recorded in. If you cat them to
5849 @file{/dev/audio}, the header will be ignored and the default behavior
5850 for /dev/audio will be used. This happens to be 8kHz uLaw. It is
5851 probably possible to fix the header by piping through @code{sox} and
5852 passing explicit parameters for specifying the sampling format; you then
5853 need to perform a 'null' conversion from SunAudio to SunAudio.
5856 @node Q5.3.1, Q5.3.2, Q5.2.4, Miscellaneous
5857 @unnumberedsec 5.3: Miscellaneous
5858 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.3.1: How do you make XEmacs indent CL if-clauses correctly?
5860 I'd like XEmacs to indent all the clauses of a Common Lisp @code{if} the
5861 same amount instead of indenting the 3rd clause differently from the
5864 One way is to add, to @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs}:
5867 (put 'if 'lisp-indent-function nil)
5870 However, note that the package @code{cl-indent} that comes with
5871 XEmacs sets up this kind of indentation by default. @code{cl-indent}
5872 also knows about many other CL-specific forms. To use @code{cl-indent},
5877 (setq lisp-indent-function (function common-lisp-indent-function))
5880 One can also customize @file{cl-indent.el} so it mimics the default
5881 @code{if} indentation @code{then} indented more than the @code{else}.
5885 (put 'if 'common-lisp-indent-function '(nil nil &body))
5888 Also, a new version (1.2) of @file{cl-indent.el} was posted to
5889 comp.emacs.xemacs on 12/9/94. This version includes more documentation
5890 than previous versions. This may prove useful if you need to customize
5891 any indent-functions.
5893 @node Q5.3.2, Q5.3.3, Q5.3.1, Miscellaneous
5894 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.3.2: [This question intentionally left blank]
5896 Obsolete question, left blank to avoid renumbering.
5898 @node Q5.3.3, Q5.3.4, Q5.3.2, Miscellaneous
5899 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.3.3: How can I print WYSIWYG a font-locked buffer?
5901 Font-lock looks nice. How can I print (WYSIWYG) the highlighted
5904 The package @code{ps-print}, which is now included with XEmacs, provides
5905 the ability to do this. The source code contains complete instructions
5906 on its use, in @file{<xemacs_src_root>/lisp/packages/ps-print.el}.
5908 @node Q5.3.4, Q5.3.5, Q5.3.3, Miscellaneous
5909 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.3.4: Getting @kbd{M-x lpr} to work with postscript printer.
5911 My printer is a Postscript printer and @code{lpr} only works for
5912 Postscript files, so how do I get @kbd{M-x lpr-region} and @kbd{M-x
5913 lpr-buffer} to work?
5915 Put something like this in your @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs}:
5918 (setq lpr-command "a2ps")
5919 (setq lpr-switches '("-p" "-1"))
5922 If you don't use a2ps to convert ASCII to postscript (why not, it's
5923 free?), replace with the command you do use. Note also that some
5924 versions of a2ps require a @samp{-Pprinter} to ensure spooling.
5926 @node Q5.3.5, Q5.3.6, Q5.3.4, Miscellaneous
5927 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.3.5: How do I specify the paths that XEmacs uses for finding files?
5929 You can specify what paths to use by using a number of different flags
5930 when running configure. See the section MAKE VARIABLES in the top-level
5931 file INSTALL in the XEmacs distribution for a listing of those flags.
5933 Most of the time, however, the simplest fix is: @strong{do not} specify
5934 paths as you might for GNU Emacs. XEmacs can generally determine the
5935 necessary paths dynamically at run time. The only path that generally
5936 needs to be specified is the root directory to install into. That can
5937 be specified by passing the @code{--prefix} flag to configure. For a
5938 description of the XEmacs install tree, please consult the @file{NEWS}
5941 @node Q5.3.6, Q5.3.7, Q5.3.5, Miscellaneous
5942 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.3.6: [This question intentionally left blank]
5944 Obsolete question, left blank to avoid renumbering.
5946 @node Q5.3.7, Q5.3.8, Q5.3.6, Miscellaneous
5947 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.3.7: Can I have the end of the buffer delimited in some way?
5949 Say, with: @samp{[END]}?
5954 (let ((ext (make-extent (point-min) (point-max))))
5955 (set-extent-property ext 'start-closed t)
5956 (set-extent-property ext 'end-closed t)
5957 (set-extent-property ext 'detachable nil)
5958 (set-extent-end-glyph ext (make-glyph [string :data "[END]"])))
5961 Since this is XEmacs, you can specify an icon to be shown on
5962 window-system devices. To do so, change the @code{make-glyph} call to
5963 something like this:
5966 (make-glyph '([xpm :file "~/something.xpm"]
5967 [string :data "[END]"]))
5970 You can inline the @sc{xpm} definition yourself by specifying
5971 @code{:data} instead of @code{:file}. Here is such a full-featured
5972 version that works on both X and TTY devices:
5975 (let ((ext (make-extent (point-min) (point-max))))
5976 (set-extent-property ext 'start-closed t)
5977 (set-extent-property ext 'end-closed t)
5978 (set-extent-property ext 'detachable nil)
5979 (set-extent-end-glyph ext (make-glyph '([xpm :data "\
5981 static char* eye = @{
5990 \"___________`_`_`___b_b_b_b_________`____\",
5991 \"_________`_`_`___b_c_c_c_b_b____________\",
5992 \"_____`_`_`_e___b_b_c_c_c___b___b_______`\",
5993 \"___`_`_e_a___b_b_d___b___b___b___b______\",
5994 \"_`_`_e_a_e___b_b_d_b___b___b___b___b____\",
5995 \"_`_`_a_e_a___b_b_d___b___b___b___b___b__\",
5996 \"_`_`_e_a_e___b_b_d_b___b___b___b___b_b__\",
5997 \"___`_`_e_a___b_b_b_d_c___b___b___d_b____\",
5998 \"_____`_`_e_e___b_b_b_d_c___b_b_d_b______\",
5999 \"_`_____`_`_`_`___b_b_b_d_d_d_d_b________\",
6000 \"___`_____`_`_`_`___b_b_b_b_b_b__________\",
6002 [string :data "[END]"]))))
6005 Note that you might want to make this a function, and put it to a hook.
6006 We leave that as an exercise for the reader.
6008 @node Q5.3.8, Q5.3.9, Q5.3.7, Miscellaneous
6009 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.3.8: How do I insert today's date into a buffer?
6014 (insert (current-time-string))
6017 @node Q5.3.9, Q5.3.10, Q5.3.8, Miscellaneous
6018 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.3.9: Are only certain syntactic character classes available for abbrevs?
6020 @email{gutschk@@uni-muenster.de, Markus Gutschke} writes:
6023 Yes, abbrevs only expands word-syntax strings. While XEmacs does not
6024 prevent you from defining (e.g. with @kbd{C-x a g} or @kbd{C-x a l})
6025 abbrevs that contain special characters, it will refuse to expand
6026 them. So you need to ensure, that the abbreviation contains letters and
6027 digits only. This means that @samp{xd}, @samp{d5}, and @samp{5d} are
6028 valid abbrevs, but @samp{&d}, and @samp{x d} are not.
6030 If this sounds confusing to you, (re-)read the online documentation for
6031 abbrevs (@kbd{C-h i m XEmacs @key{RET} m Abbrevs @key{RET}}), and then come back and
6032 read this question/answer again.
6035 Starting with XEmacs 20.3 this restriction has been lifted.
6037 @node Q5.3.10, Q5.3.11, Q5.3.9, Miscellaneous
6038 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.3.10: How can I get those oh-so-neat X-Face lines?
6040 Firstly there is an ftp site which describes X-faces and has the
6041 associated tools mentioned below, at
6042 @uref{ftp://ftp.cs.indiana.edu:/pub/faces/}.
6048 Create 48x48x1 bitmap with your favorite tool
6051 Convert to "icon" format using one of xbm2ikon, pbmtoicon, etc.,
6052 and then compile the face.
6056 cat file.xbm | xbm2ikon |compface > file.face
6060 Then be sure to quote things that are necessary for emacs strings:
6063 cat ./file.face | sed 's/\\/\\\\/g'
6067 | sed 's/\"/\\\"/g' > ./file.face.quoted
6071 Then set up emacs to include the file as a mail header - there were a
6072 couple of suggestions here---either something like:
6075 (setq mail-default-headers
6076 "X-Face: @email{Ugly looking text string here}")
6079 Or, alternatively, as:
6082 (defun mail-insert-x-face ()
6084 (goto-char (point-min))
6085 (search-forward mail-header-separator)
6088 (insert-file-contents "~/.face")))
6090 (add-hook 'mail-setup-hook 'mail-insert-x-face)
6094 However, 2 things might be wrong:
6096 Some versions of pbmtoicon produces some header lines that is not
6097 expected by the version of compface that I grabbed. So I found I had to
6098 include a @code{tail +3} in the pipeline like this:
6101 cat file.xbm | xbm2ikon | tail +3 |compface > file.face
6104 Some people have also found that if one uses the @code{(insert-file)}
6105 method, one should NOT quote the face string using the sed script .
6107 It might also be helpful to use @email{stig@@hackvan.com, Stig's} script
6108 (included in the compface distribution at XEmacs.org) to do the
6110 @comment For convenience xbm2xface is available for anonymous FTP at
6111 @comment @uref{ftp://ftp.miranova.com/pub/xemacs/xbm2xface.pl}.
6113 Contributors for this item:
6124 @node Q5.3.11, Q5.3.12, Q5.3.10, Miscellaneous
6125 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.3.11: How do I add new Info directories?
6127 You use something like:
6130 (setq Info-directory-list (cons
6131 (expand-file-name "~/info")
6132 Info-default-directory-list))
6135 @email{davidm@@prism.kla.com, David Masterson} writes:
6138 Emacs Info and XEmacs Info do many things differently. If you're trying to
6139 support a number of versions of Emacs, here are some notes to remember:
6143 Emacs Info scans @code{Info-directory-list} from right-to-left while
6144 XEmacs Info reads it from left-to-right, so append to the @emph{correct}
6148 Use @code{Info-default-directory-list} to initialize
6149 @code{Info-directory-list} @emph{if} it is available at startup, but not
6150 all Emacsen define it.
6153 Emacs Info looks for a standard @file{dir} file in each of the
6154 directories scanned from #1 and magically concatenates them together.
6157 XEmacs Info looks for a @file{localdir} file (which consists of just the
6158 menu entries from a @file{dir} file) in each of the directories scanned
6159 from #1 (except the first), does a simple concatenation of them, and
6160 magically attaches the resulting list to the end of the menu in the
6161 @file{dir} file in the first directory.
6164 Another alternative is to convert the documentation to HTML with
6165 texi2html and read it from a web browser like Lynx or W3.
6168 @node Q5.3.12, , Q5.3.11, Miscellaneous
6169 @unnumberedsubsec Q5.3.12: What do I need to change to make printing work?
6171 For regular printing there are two variables that can be customized.
6175 This should be set to a command that takes standard input and sends
6176 it to a printer. Something like:
6179 (setq lpr-command "lp")
6183 This should be set to a list that contains whatever the print command
6184 requires to do its job. Something like:
6187 (setq lpr-switches '("-depson"))
6191 For postscript printing there are three analogous variables to
6195 @item ps-lpr-command
6196 This should be set to a command that takes postscript on standard input
6197 and directs it to a postscript printer.
6199 @item ps-lpr-switches
6200 This should be set to a list of switches required for
6201 @code{ps-lpr-command} to do its job.
6203 @item ps-print-color-p
6204 This boolean variable should be set @code{t} if printing will be done in
6205 color, otherwise it should be set to @code{nil}.
6208 NOTE: It is an undocumented limitation in XEmacs that postscript
6209 printing (the @code{Pretty Print Buffer} menu item) @strong{requires} a
6210 window system environment. It cannot be used outside of X11.
6212 @node MS Windows, Current Events, Miscellaneous, Top
6213 @unnumbered 6 XEmacs on MS Windows
6215 This is part 6 of the XEmacs Frequently Asked Questions list, written by
6216 Hrvoje Niksic and others. This section is devoted to the MS Windows
6221 * Q6.0.1:: What is the status of the XEmacs port to Windows?
6222 * Q6.0.2:: What flavors of MS Windows are supported? The list name implies NT only.
6223 * Q6.0.3:: Are binaries available?
6224 * Q6.0.4:: Can I build XEmacs on MS Windows with X support? Do I need to?
6225 * Q6.0.5:: I'd like to help out. What do I do?
6226 * Q6.0.6:: What are Cygwin and MinGW, and do I need them to run XEmacs?
6227 * Q6.0.7:: What exactly are all the different ways to build XEmacs under Windows?
6229 Building XEmacs on MS Windows:
6230 * Q6.1.1:: What compiler/libraries do I need to compile XEmacs?
6231 * Q6.1.2:: How do I compile the native port?
6232 * Q6.1.3:: What do I need for Cygwin?
6233 * Q6.1.4:: How do I compile under Cygwin?
6234 * Q6.1.5:: How do I compile using MinGW (aka @samp{the -mno-cygwin flag to gcc})?
6235 * Q6.1.6:: I decided to run with X. Where do I get an X server?
6236 * Q6.1.7:: How do I compile with X support?
6238 Customization and User Interface:
6239 * Q6.2.1:: How does the port cope with differences in the Windows user interface?
6240 * Q6.2.2:: How do I change fonts in XEmacs on MS Windows?
6241 * Q6.2.3:: Where do I put my @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs} file?
6242 * Q6.2.4:: How do I get Windows Explorer to associate a file type with XEmacs?
6243 * Q6.2.5:: Is it possible to print from XEmacs?
6246 * Q6.3.1:: Does XEmacs rename all the @samp{win32-*} symbols to @samp{w32-*}?
6247 * Q6.3.2:: What are the differences between the various MS Windows emacsen?
6248 * Q6.3.3:: XEmacs 21.1 on Windows used to spawn an ugly console window on every startup. Has that been fixed?
6249 * Q6.3.4:: What is the porting team doing at the moment?
6252 * Q6.4.1:: XEmacs won't start on Windows.
6253 * Q6.4.2:: Why do I get a blank toolbar on Windows 95?
6254 * Q6.4.3:: XEmacs complains "No such file or directory, diff"
6258 @node Q6.0.1, Q6.0.2, MS Windows, MS Windows
6259 @unnumberedsec 6.0: General Info
6260 @unnumberedsubsec Q6.0.1: What is the status of the XEmacs port to Windows?
6262 Is XEmacs really ported to MS Windows? What is the status of the port?
6264 Beginning with release 21.0, XEmacs has worked under MS Windows. A
6265 group of dedicated developers actively maintains and improves the
6266 Windows-specific portions of the code. The mailing list at
6267 @email{xemacs-nt@@xemacs.org} is dedicated to that effort (please use
6268 the -request address to subscribe). (Despite its name, XEmacs actually
6269 works on all versions of Windows.)
6271 As of May 2001, XEmacs on MS Windows is stable and full-featured, and
6272 has been so for a year or more -- in fact, some features, such as
6273 printing, actually work better on Windows than native Unix. However,
6274 the internationalization (Mule) support does not work -- although this
6275 is being actively worked on.
6278 @node Q6.0.2, Q6.0.3, Q6.0.1, MS Windows
6279 @unnumberedsubsec Q6.0.2: What flavors of MS Windows are supported? The list name implies NT only.
6281 The list name is misleading, as XEmacs supports and has been compiled on
6282 Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows ME, Windows
6283 XP, and all newer versions of Windows. The MS Windows-specific code is
6284 based on Microsoft Win32 API, and will not work on MS Windows 3.x or on
6287 XEmacs also supports the Cygwin and MinGW development and runtime
6288 environments, where it also uses native Windows code for graphical
6292 @node Q6.0.3, Q6.0.4, Q6.0.2, MS Windows
6293 @unnumberedsubsec Q6.0.3: Are binaries available?
6295 Binaries are available at @uref{http://www.xemacs.org/Download/win32/}
6296 for the native and Cygwin MS Windows versions of 21.4, and the native
6299 The 21.4 binaries use a modified version of the Cygwin installer. Run
6300 the provided @file{setup.exe}, and follow the instructions.
6303 @node Q6.0.4, Q6.0.5, Q6.0.3, MS Windows
6304 @unnumberedsubsec Q6.0.4: Can I build XEmacs on MS Windows with X support? Do I need to?
6306 Yes, you can, but no you do not need to. In fact, we recommend that you
6307 use a native-GUI version unless you have a specific need for an X
6310 @node Q6.0.5, Q6.0.6, Q6.0.4, MS Windows
6311 @unnumberedsubsec Q6.0.5: I'd like to help out. What do I do?
6313 It depends on the knowledge and time you possess. If you are a
6314 programmer, try to build XEmacs and see if you can improve it.
6315 Windows-specific improvements like integration with established
6316 Windows environments are especially sought after.
6318 Otherwise, you can still help by downloading the binaries, using
6319 XEmacs as your everyday editor and reporting bugs you find to the
6322 Another area where we need help is the documentation: We need good
6323 documentation for building XEmacs and for using it. This FAQ is a
6324 small step in that direction.
6326 @node Q6.0.6, Q6.0.7, Q6.0.5, MS Windows
6327 @unnumberedsubsec Q6.0.6: What are Cygwin and MinGW, and do I need them to run XEmacs?
6329 To answer the second part of the question: No, you, you don't need
6330 Cygwin or MinGW to build or to run XEmacs. But if you have them and
6331 want to use them, XEmacs supports these environments.
6333 (One important reason to support Cygwin is that it lets the MS Windows
6334 developers test out their code in a Unix environment without actually
6335 having to have a Unix machine around. For this reason alone, Cygwin
6336 support is likely to remain supported for a long time in XEmacs. Same
6337 goes for the X support under Cygwin, for the same reasons. MinGW
6338 support, on the other hand, depends on volunteers to keep it up to date;
6339 but this is generally not hard.)
6341 Cygwin is a set of tools providing Unix-like API on top of Win32.
6342 It makes it easy to port large Unix programs without significant
6343 changes to their source code. It is a development environment as well
6344 as a runtime environment.
6346 When built with Cygwin, XEmacs supports all display types -- TTY, X &
6347 Win32 GUI, and can be built with support for all three simultaneously.
6348 If you build with Win32 GUI support then the Cygwin version uses the
6349 majority of the Windows-specific code, which is mostly related to
6350 display. If you want to build with X support you need X libraries (and
6351 an X server to display XEmacs on); see @ref{Q6.1.4}. TTY and Win32 GUI
6352 require no additional libraries beyond what comes standard with Cygwin.
6354 The advantages of the Cygwin version are that it integrates well with
6355 the Cygwin environment for existing Cygwin users; uses configure so
6356 building with different features is very easy; and actively supports X &
6357 TTY. Furthermore, the entire Cygwin environment and compiler are free,
6358 whereas Visual C++ costs money.
6360 The disadvantage is that it requires the whole Cygwin environment,
6361 whereas the native port requires only a suitable MS Windows compiler.
6362 Also, it follows the Unix filesystem and process model very closely
6363 (some will undoubtedly view this as an advantage).
6365 See @uref{http://sources.redhat.com/cygwin/} for more information on
6368 MinGW is a collection of header files and import libraries that allow
6369 one to use GCC under the Cygwin environment to compile and produce
6370 exactly the same native Win32 programs that you can using Visual C++.
6371 Programs compiled with MinGW make use of the standard Microsoft runtime
6372 library @file{MSVCRT.DLL}, present on all Windows systems, and look,
6373 feel, and act like a standard Visual-C-produced application. (The only
6374 difference is the compiler.) This means that, unlike a
6375 standardly-compiled Cygwin application, no extra runtime support
6376 (e.g. Cygwin's @file{cygwin1.dll}) is required. This, along with the
6377 fact that GCC is free (and works in a nice Unix-y way in a nice Unix-y
6378 environment, for those die-hard Unix hackers out there), is the main
6379 advantage of MinGW. It is also potentially faster than Cygwin because
6380 it has less overhead when calling Windows, but you lose the POSIX
6381 emulation layer, which makes Unix programs harder to port. (But this is
6382 irrelevant for XEmacs since it's already ported to Win32.)
6384 See @uref{http://www.mingw.org/} for more information on MinGW.
6386 @node Q6.0.7, Q6.1.1, Q6.0.6, MS Windows
6387 @unnumberedsubsec Q6.0.7: What exactly are all the different ways to build XEmacs under Windows?
6389 XEmacs can be built in several ways in the MS Windows environment.
6391 The standard way is what we call the "native" port. It uses the Win32
6392 API and has no connection with X whatsoever -- it does not require X
6393 libraries to build, nor does it require an X server to run. The native
6394 port is the most reliable version and provides the best graphical
6395 support. Almost all development is geared towards this version, and
6396 there is little reason not to use it.
6398 The second way to build is the Cygwin port. It takes advantage of
6399 Cygnus emulation library under Win32. @xref{Q6.0.6}, for more
6402 A third way is the MinGW port. It uses the Cygwin environment to build
6403 but does not require it at runtime. @xref{Q6.0.6}, for more
6406 Finally, you might also be able to build the non-Cygwin, non-MinGW "X"
6407 port. This was actually the first version of XEmacs that ran under MS
6408 Windows, and although the code is still in XEmacs, it's essentially
6409 orphaned and it's unlikely it will compile without a lot of work. If
6410 you want an MS Windows versin of XEmacs that supports X, use the Cygwin
6411 version. (The X support there is actively maintained, so that Windows
6412 developers can test the X support in XEmacs.)
6415 @node Q6.1.1, Q6.1.2, Q6.0.7, MS Windows
6416 @unnumberedsec 6.1: Building XEmacs on MS Windows
6417 @unnumberedsubsec Q6.1.1: What compiler/libraries do I need to compile XEmacs?
6419 You need Visual C++ 4.2, 5.0, or 6.0 for the native version. (We have
6420 some beta testers currently trying to compile with VC.NET, aka version
6421 7.0, but we can't yet report complete success.) For the Cygwin and MinGW
6422 versions, you need the Cygwin environment, which comes with GCC, the
6423 compiler used for those versions. @xref{Q6.0.6}, for more information
6424 on Cygwin and MinGW.
6426 @node Q6.1.2, Q6.1.3, Q6.1.1, MS Windows
6427 @unnumberedsubsec Q6.1.2: How do I compile the native port?
6429 Please read the file @file{nt/README} in the XEmacs distribution, which
6430 contains the full description.
6432 @node Q6.1.3, Q6.1.4, Q6.1.2, MS Windows
6433 @unnumberedsubsec Q6.1.3: What do I need for Cygwin?
6435 You can find the Cygwin tools and compiler at:
6437 @uref{http://sources.redhat.com/cygwin/}
6439 Click on the @samp{Install now!} link, which will download a file
6440 @file{setup.exe}, which you can use to download everything else. (You
6441 will need to pick a mirror site; @samp{mirrors.rcn.net} is probably the
6442 best.) You should go ahead and install everything -- you'll get various
6443 ancillary libraries that XEmacs needs or likes, e.g. XPM, PNG, JPEG,
6446 If you want to compile under X, you will also need the X libraries; see
6449 If you want to compile without X, you will need the @file{xpm-nox}
6450 library, which must be specifically selected in the Cygwin netinstaller;
6451 it is not selected by default. The package has had various names.
6452 Currently it is called @file{cygXpm-noX4.dll}.
6455 @node Q6.1.4, Q6.1.5, Q6.1.3, MS Windows
6456 @unnumberedsubsec Q6.1.4: How do I compile under Cygwin?
6458 Similar as on Unix; use the usual `configure' and `make' process.
6459 Some problems to watch out for:
6463 make sure HOME is set. This controls where you
6464 @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs} file comes from;
6467 CYGWIN needs to be set to tty for process support to work, e.g. CYGWIN=tty;
6470 picking up some other grep or other UNIX-like tools can kill configure;
6473 static heap too small, adjust @file{src/sheap-adjust.h} to a more positive
6477 (Unconfirmed) The Cygwin version doesn't understand
6478 @file{//machine/path} type paths so you will need to manually mount a
6479 directory of this form under a unix style directory for a build to work
6483 If you're building @strong{WITHOUT} X11, don't forget to change symlinks
6484 @file{/usr/lib/libXpm.a} and @file{/usr/lib/libXpm.dll.a} to point to
6485 the non-X versions of these libraries. By default they point to the X
6489 /usr/lib/libXpm.a -> /usr/lib/libXpm-noX.a
6490 /usr/lib/libXpm.dll.a -> /usr/lib/libXpm-noX.dll.a
6493 (This advice may now be obsolete because of the availability of the
6494 cygXpm-noX4.dll package from Cygwin. Send confirmation to
6495 @email{faq@@xemacs.org}.)
6498 Other problems are listed in the @file{PROBLEMS} file, in the top-level
6499 directory of the XEmacs sources.
6504 @node Q6.1.5, Q6.1.6, Q6.1.4, MS Windows
6505 @unnumberedsubsec Q6.1.5: How do I compile using MinGW (aka @samp{the -mno-cygwin flag to gcc})?
6507 Similar to the method for Unix. Things to remember:
6511 Specify the target host on the command line for @file{./configure}, e.g.
6512 @samp{./configure i586-pc-mingw32}.
6515 Be sure that your build directory is mounted such that it has the
6516 same path either as a cygwin path (@file{/build/xemacs}) or as a Windows
6517 path (@file{c:\build\xemacs}).
6520 Build @samp{gcc -mno-cygwin} versions of the extra libs, i.e. @file{libpng},
6521 @file{compface}, etc.
6524 Specify the target location of the extra libs on the command line
6525 to @file{configure}, e.g.
6526 @samp{./configure --site-prefixes=/build/libs i586-pc-mingw32}.
6530 @node Q6.1.6, Q6.1.7, Q6.1.5, MS Windows
6531 @unnumberedsubsec Q6.1.6: I decided to run with X. Where do I get an X server?
6533 As of May 2001, we are recommending that you use the port of XFree86 to
6534 Cygwin. This has recently stabilized, and will undoubtedly soon make
6535 most other MS Windows X servers obsolete. It is what the Windows
6536 developers use to test the MS Windows X support.
6538 To install, go to @uref{http://xfree86.cygwin.com/}. There is a
6539 detailed description on that site of exactly how to install it. This
6540 installation also provides the libraries, include files, and other stuff
6541 needed for development; a large collection of internationalized fonts;
6542 the standard X utilities (xterm, twm, etc.) -- in a word, the works.
6544 NOTE: As of late May 2001, there is a bug in the file
6545 @file{startxwin.bat}, used to start X Windows. It passes the option
6546 @samp{-engine -4} to the X server, which is bogus -- you need to edit
6547 the file and change it to @samp{-engine 4}.
6550 @node Q6.1.7, Q6.2.1, Q6.1.6, MS Windows
6551 @unnumberedsubsec Q6.1.7: How do I compile with X support?
6553 To compile under Cygwin, all you need to do is install XFree86
6554 (@pxref{Q6.1.6}). Once installed, @file{configure} should automatically
6555 find the X libraries and compile with X support.
6557 As noted above, the non-Cygwin X support is basically orphaned, and
6558 probably won't work. But if it want to try, it's described in
6559 @file{nt/README} in some detail. Basically, you need to get X11
6560 libraries from ftp.x.org, and compile them. If the precompiled versions
6561 are available somewhere, we don't know of it.
6564 @node Q6.2.1, Q6.2.2, Q6.1.7, MS Windows
6565 @unnumberedsec 6.2: Customization and User Interface
6566 @unnumberedsubsec Q6.2.1: How does the port cope with differences in the Windows user interface?
6568 The XEmacs (and Emacs in general) user interface is pretty different
6569 from what is expected of a typical MS Windows program. How does the MS
6570 Windows port cope with it?
6572 As a general rule, we follow native MS Windows conventions as much as
6573 possible. 21.4 is a fairly complete Windows application, supporting
6574 native printing, system file dialog boxes, tool tips, etc. In cases
6575 where there's a clear UI conflict, we currently use normal Unix XEmacs
6576 behavior by default, but make sure the MS Windows "look and feel" (mark
6577 via shift-arrow, self-inserting deletes region, Alt selects menu items,
6578 etc.) is easily configurable (respectively: using the variable
6579 @code{shifted-motion-keys-select-region} in 21.4 and above [it's in fact
6580 the default in these versions], or the @file{pc-select} package; using
6581 the @file{pending-del} package; and setting the variable
6582 @code{menu-accelerator-enabled} to @code{menu-force} in 21.4 and above).
6583 In fact, if you use the sample @file{init.el} file as your init file,
6584 you will get all these behaviors automatically turned on.
6586 In future versions, some of these features might be turned on by
6587 default in the MS Windows environment.
6590 @node Q6.2.2, Q6.2.3, Q6.2.1, MS Windows
6591 @unnumberedsubsec Q6.2.2: How do I change fonts in XEmacs on MS Windows?
6593 In 21.4 and above, you can use the "Options" menu to change the font.
6594 You can also do it in your init file, e.g. like this:
6597 (set-face-font 'default "Lucida Console:Regular:10")
6598 (set-face-font 'modeline "MS Sans Serif:Regular:10")
6602 @node Q6.2.3, Q6.2.4, Q6.2.2, MS Windows
6603 @unnumberedsubsec Q6.2.3: Where do I put my @file{init.el}/@file{.emacs} file?
6605 @file{init.el} is the name of the init file starting with 21.4, and is
6606 located in the subdirectory @file{.xemacs/} of your home directory. In
6607 prior versions, the init file is called @file{.emacs} and is located in
6608 your home directory. Your home directory under Windows is determined by
6609 the @samp{HOME} environment variable. If this is not set, it defaults to
6612 To set this variable, modify @file{AUTOEXEC.BAT} under Windows 95/98, or
6613 select @samp{Control Panel->System->Advanced->Environment Variables...}
6614 under Windows NT/2000.
6617 @node Q6.2.4, Q6.2.5, Q6.2.3, MS Windows
6618 @unnumberedsubsec Q6.2.4: How do I get Windows Explorer to associate a file type with XEmacs?
6620 @unnumberedsubsubsec Associating a new file type with XEmacs.
6622 In Explorer select @samp{View/Options/File Types}, press @samp{[New
6623 Type...]} and fill in the dialog box, e.g.:
6626 Description of type: Emacs Lisp source
6627 Associated extension: el
6628 Content Type (MIME): text/plain
6631 then press @samp{[New...]} and fill in the @samp{Action} dialog box as
6638 Application used to perform action:
6639 D:\Full\path\for\xemacs.exe "%1"
6649 DDE Application Not Running:
6656 @unnumberedsubsubsec Associating an existing file type with XEmacs.
6658 In Explorer select @samp{View/Options/File Types}. Click on the file
6659 type in the list and press @samp{[Edit...]}. If the file type already
6660 has an @samp{Open} action, double click on it and fill in the
6661 @samp{Action} dialog box as described above; otherwise create a new
6664 If the file type has more than one action listed, you probably want to
6665 make the @samp{Open} action that you just edited the default by clicking on
6666 it and pressing @samp{Set Default}.
6668 Note for Windows 2000 users: Under Windows 2000, get to @samp{File Types}
6669 using @samp{Control Panel->Folder Options->File Types}.
6672 @node Q6.2.5, Q6.3.1, Q6.2.4, MS Windows
6673 @unnumberedsubsec Q6.2.5: Is it possible to print from XEmacs?
6675 As of 21.4, printing works on Windows, using simply @samp{File->Print},
6676 and can be configured with @samp{File->Page Setup}.
6678 Prior to 21.4, there is no built-in support, but there are some clever
6679 hacks out there. If you know how, please let us know and we'll put it
6683 @node Q6.3.1, Q6.3.2, Q6.2.5, MS Windows
6684 @unnumberedsec 6.3: Miscellaneous
6685 @unnumberedsubsec Q6.3.1: Does XEmacs rename all the @samp{win32-*} symbols to @samp{w32-*}?
6687 In his flavor of Emacs 20, Richard Stallman has renamed all the @samp{win32-*}
6688 symbols to @samp{w32-*}. Does XEmacs do the same?
6690 We consider such a move counter-productive, thus we do not use the
6691 @samp{w32} prefix. (His rather questionable justification was that he
6692 did not consider Windows to be a "winning" platform.) However, the name
6693 @samp{Win32} is not particularly descriptive outside the Windows world,
6694 and using just @samp{windows-} would be too generic. So we chose a
6695 compromise, the prefix @samp{mswindows-} for Windows-related variables
6698 Thus all the XEmacs variables and functions directly related to either
6699 the Windows GUI or OS are prefixed @samp{mswindows-} (except for a
6700 couple of debugging variables, prefixed @samp{debug-mswindows-}). From
6701 an architectural perspective, however, we believe that this is mostly a
6702 non-issue because there should be a very small number of
6703 window-systems-specific variables anyway. Whenever possible, we try to
6704 provide generic interfaces that apply to all window systems.
6707 @c The user variables
6708 @c that share functionality with existing NT Emacs variables are be named
6709 @c with our convention, but we provide the GNU Emacs names as
6710 @c compatibility aliases.
6713 @node Q6.3.2, Q6.3.3, Q6.3.1, MS Windows
6714 @unnumberedsubsec Q6.3.2: What are the differences between the various MS Windows emacsen?
6716 XEmacs, Win-Emacs, DOS Emacs, NT Emacs, this is all very confusing.
6717 Could you briefly explain the differences between them?
6719 Here is a recount of various Emacs versions running on MS Windows:
6729 Beginning with XEmacs 19.12, XEmacs' architecture was redesigned
6730 in such a way to allow clean support of multiple window systems. At
6731 this time the TTY support was added, making X and TTY the first two
6732 "window systems" supported by XEmacs. The 19.12 design is the basis for
6733 the current native MS Windows code.
6736 Some time during 1997, David Hobley (soon joined by Marc Paquette)
6737 imported some of the NT-specific portions of GNU Emacs, making XEmacs
6738 with X support compile under Windows NT, and creating the "X" port.
6741 Several months later, Jonathan Harris sent out initial patches to use
6742 the Win32 API, thus creating the native port. Since then, various
6743 people have contributed, including Kirill M. Katsnelson (contributed
6744 support for menubars, subprocesses and network, as well as loads of
6745 other code), Andy Piper (ported XEmacs to Cygwin environment,
6746 contributed Windows unexec, Windows-specific glyphs and toolbars code,
6747 and more), Ben Wing (loads of improvements; primary MS Windows developer
6748 since 2000), Jeff Sparkes (contributed scrollbars support) and many
6758 NT Emacs is a version of GNU Emacs modified to compile and run under MS
6759 Windows 95 and NT using the native Win32 API. As such, it is close in
6760 spirit to the XEmacs "native" port.
6763 NT Emacs has been written by Geoff Voelker, and more information can be
6768 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/windows/ntemacs.html}.
6777 Win-Emacs was a port of Lucid Emacs 19.6 to MS Windows using X
6778 compatibility libraries. Win-Emacs was written by Ben Wing. The MS
6779 Windows code never made it back to Lucid Emacs, and its creator (Pearl
6780 Software) has long since gone out of business.
6789 GNU Emacs features support for MS-DOS and DJGPP (D.J. Delorie's DOS
6790 port of GCC). Such an Emacs is heavily underfeatured, because it does
6791 not support long file names, lacks proper subprocesses support, and
6792 is far too big compared with typical DOS editors.
6796 GNU Emacs compiled with Win32
6801 Starting with version 19.30, it has been possible to compile GNU Emacs
6802 under MS Windows using the DJGPP compiler and X libraries. The result
6803 is very similar to GNU Emacs compiled under MS DOS, only it works
6804 somewhat better because it runs in 32-bit mode, makes use of all the
6805 system memory, supports long file names, etc.
6811 @node Q6.3.3, Q6.3.4, Q6.3.2, MS Windows
6812 @unnumberedsubsec Q6.3.3: XEmacs 21.1 on Windows used to spawn an ugly console window on every startup. Has that been fixed?
6816 The console was there because @file{temacs} (and in turn, @file{xemacs})
6817 was a console application, and Windows typically creates a new
6818 console for a console process unless the creating process requests that
6819 one isn't created. This used to be fixed with @file{runemacs}, a small
6820 Windows application that existed merely to start @file{xemacs}, stating
6821 that it didn't want a console.
6823 XEmacs 21.4 fixes this cleanly by the virtue of being a true "GUI"
6824 application. The explanation of what that means is included for
6827 When building an application to be run in a Win32 environment, you must
6828 state which sub-system it is to run in. Valid subsystems include
6829 "console" and "gui". The subsystem you use affects the run time
6830 libraries linked into your application, the start up function that is
6831 run before control is handed over to your application, the entry point
6832 to your program, and how Windows normally invokes your program. (Console
6833 programs automatically get a console created for them at startup if
6834 their stdin/stdout don't point anywhere useful, which is the case when
6835 run from the GUI. This is a stupid design, of course -- instead, the
6836 console should get created only when the first I/O actually occurs!
6837 GUI programs have an equally stupid design: When called from
6838 @file{CMD.EXE}/@file{COMMAND.COM}, their stdin/stdout will be set to
6839 point nowhere useful, even though the command shell has its own
6840 stdin/stdout. It's as if someone who had learned a bit about stdio but
6841 had no actual knowledge of interprocess communication designed the
6842 scheme; unfortunately, the whole process-communication aspect of the
6843 Win32 API is equally badly designed.) For example, the entry point for a
6844 console app is "main" (which is what you'd expect for a C/C++ program),
6845 but the entry point for a "gui" app is "WinMain". This confuses and
6846 annoys a lot of programmers who've grown up on Unix systems, where the
6847 kernel doesn't really care whether your application is a gui program or
6850 For reasons not altogether clear, and are lost in the mists of time and
6851 tradition, XEmacs on Win32 started out as a console application, and
6852 therefore a console was automatically created for it. (It may have been
6853 made a console application partly because a console is needed in some
6854 circumstances, especially under Win95, to interrupt, terminate, or send
6855 signals to a child process, and because of the bogosity mentioned above
6856 with GUI programs and the standard command shell. Currently, XEmacs
6857 just creates and immediately hides a console when necessary, and
6858 works around the "no useful stdio" problem by creating its own console
6859 window as necessary to display messages in.)
6862 @node Q6.3.4, Q6.4.1, Q6.3.3, MS Windows
6863 @unnumberedsubsec Q6.3.4: What is the porting team doing at the moment?
6867 The porting team is continuing work on the MS Windows-specific code.
6868 Major projects are the development of Mule (internationalization)
6869 support for Windows and the improvement of the widget support (better
6870 support for dialog boxes, buttons, edit fields, and similar UI
6875 @node Q6.4.1, Q6.4.2, Q6.3.4, MS Windows
6876 @unnumberedsec 6.3: Troubleshooting
6877 @unnumberedsubsec Q6.4.1 XEmacs won't start on Windows.
6879 XEmacs relies on a process called "dumping" to generate a working
6880 executable. Under MS-Windows this process effectively fixes the memory
6881 addresses of information in the executable. When XEmacs starts up it tries
6882 to reserve these memory addresses so that the dumping process can be
6883 reversed -- putting the information back at the correct addresses.
6884 Unfortunately some .DLLs (for instance the soundblaster driver) occupy
6885 memory addresses that can conflict with those needed by the dumped XEmacs
6886 executable. In this instance XEmacs will fail to start without any
6887 explanation. Note that this is extremely machine specific.
6889 21.1.10 includes a fix for this that makes more intelligent guesses
6890 about which memory addresses will be free, and this should cure the
6891 problem for most people. 21.4 implements "portable dumping", which
6892 eliminates the problem altogether. We recommend you use the 21.4
6893 binaries, but you can use the 21.1 binaries if you are very paranoid
6894 about stability. @xref{Q6.0.3}.
6896 @node Q6.4.2, Q6.4.3, Q6.4.1, MS Windows
6897 @unnumberedsubsec Q6.4.2 Why do I get a blank toolbar on Windows 95?
6899 You need at least version 4.71 of the system file @file{comctl32.dll}.
6900 The updated version is supplied with Internet Explorer 4 and later but if
6901 you are avoiding IE you can also download it from the Microsoft web
6902 site. Go into support and search for @file{comctl32.dll}. The download
6903 is a self-installing executable.
6905 @node Q6.4.3, , Q6.4.2, MS Windows
6906 @unnumberedsubsec Q6.4.3 XEmacs complains "No such file or directory, diff"
6908 or "ispell" or other commands that seem related to whatever you just
6909 tried to do (M-x ediff or M-$, for example).
6911 There are a large number of common (in the sense that "everyone has
6912 these, they really do") Unix utilities that are not provided with
6913 XEmacs. The GNU Project's implementations are available for Windows in
6914 the the Cygwin distribution (@uref{http://www.cygwin.com/}), which also
6915 provides a complete Unix emulation environment (and thus makes ports of
6916 Unix utilities nearly trivial). Another implementation is that from
6917 MinGW (@uref{http://www.mingw.org/msys.shtml}). If you know of others,
6922 @node Current Events, Legacy Versions, MS Windows, Top
6923 @unnumbered 7 What the Future Holds
6925 This is part 7 of the XEmacs Frequently Asked Questions list. This
6926 section will change frequently, and (in theory) should contain any
6927 interesting items that have transpired recently. (But in practice it's
6928 not getting updated like this.)
6930 This section also contains descriptions of the new features in all the
6931 recent releases of XEmacs. For the most part, the information below is
6932 a synopsis of the more complete information that can be found in the
6933 file @file{NEWS} in the @file{etc} directory of the XEmacs distribution.
6934 You can view this file in XEmacs using @kbd{C-h n} or the @samp{Help}
6937 Information on older versions of XEmacs can be find in @file{ONEWS} in
6938 the same directory, or @file{OONEWS} for really old versions.
6942 * Q7.0.1:: What new features will be in XEmacs soon?
6943 * Q7.0.2:: What's new in XEmacs 21.4?
6944 * Q7.0.3:: What's new in XEmacs 21.1?
6945 * Q7.0.4:: What's new in XEmacs 20.4?
6946 * Q7.0.5:: What's new in XEmacs 20.3?
6947 * Q7.0.6:: What's new in XEmacs 20.2?
6950 @node Q7.0.1, Q7.0.2, Current Events, Current Events
6951 @unnumberedsec 7.0: Changes
6952 @unnumberedsubsec Q7.0.1: What new features will be in XEmacs soon?
6956 @node Q7.0.2, Q7.0.3, Q7.0.1, Current Events
6957 @unnumberedsubsec Q7.0.2: What's new in XEmacs 21.4?
6959 21.4 was the "stable" version of the 21.2 series, which was considered
6960 "experimental" throughout its life; thus there were no "official"
6961 releases at all. In essence, XEmacs is now following the "alternating"
6962 scheme of Linux, where at any point there are at least two different
6963 development branches, one "stable" and one "experimental". Periodic
6964 releases happen in both branches, but those in the experimental branch
6965 are not tested as well, and there's no guarantee they will work at all.
6966 The experiemental branch is open to any and all code that's acceptable
6967 to the developers; the stable branch, however, is in general limited
6968 only to bug fixes, and all contributions are carefully reviewed to make
6969 sure they will increase and not decrease stability.
6971 21.3 never existed at all; it was decided to follow the Linux scheme
6972 exactly, where odd-numbered series are experimental and even-numbered
6975 The following lists summarizes the essential changes made in this
6976 version. For a fuller list, see the @file{NEWS} in the @file{etc}
6977 directory of the XEmacs distribution, or use @kbd{C-h n} or the
6978 @samp{Help} menu to view this file inside of XEmacs.
6980 @unnumberedsubsubsec User-visible changes in XEmacs 21.4
6985 The delete key now deletes forward by default.
6987 Shifted motion keys now select text by default.
6989 You can now build XEmacs with support for GTK+ widget set.
6991 ~/.xemacs/init.el is now the preferred location for the init
6992 file. (XEmacs now supports a `~/.xemacs/init.el' startup file. Custom
6993 file will move to ~/.xemacs/custom.el.)
6995 Much-improved sample init.el, showing how to use many useful features.
6997 XEmacs support for menu accelerators has been much improved.
6999 Default menubar improvements. (Default menubar has many new commands and
7000 better organization. The font-menu is now available under MS Windows.)
7002 Dialog box improvements, including a real file dialog box. (XEmacs now has a proper file dialog box under MS Windows (and GTK)! The old clunky file dialog box is improved. Keyboard traversal now works correctly in MS Windows dialog boxes. There is a Search dialog box available from Edit->Find...)
7006 There is a new MS Windows installer, netinstall, ported from Cygwin.
7008 The subprocess quote-handling mechanism under Windows is much improved.
7010 Printing support now available under MS Windows.
7012 Selection improvements. (Kill and yank now interact with the clipboard under Windows. MS Windows support for selection is now much more robust. Motif selection support is now more correct (but slower).)
7014 Mail spool locking now works correctly.
7016 International support changes. (The default coding-priority-list is now
7017 safer. International keysyms are now supported under X. MS Windows
7018 1251 code page now supported. Czech, Thai, Cyrillic-KOI8, Vietnamese,
7019 Ethiopic now supported. Proper support for words in Latin 3 and Latin
7022 Help buffers contain hyperlinks, and other changes.
7024 The modeline's text is now scrollable.
7026 The mouse wheel under MS Windows now functions correctly.
7028 Interactive searching and matching case improvements. (Incremental search will now highlight all visible matches. Interactive searches always respect uppercase characters.)
7030 Rectangle functions rewritten to avoid inserting extra spaces.
7032 New command `kill-entire-line' that always kills the entire line.
7034 Default values correctly stored in minibuffer histories.
7036 You can now create "indirect buffers", like in GNU Emacs.
7038 Pixel-based scrolling has been implemented.
7040 Operation progress can be displayed using graphical widgets.
7042 User names following a tilde can now be completed at file name prompts.
7044 XEmacs can now play sound using Enlightenment Sound Daemon (ESD).
7046 X-Face support is now available under MS Windows.
7048 The PostgreSQL Relational Database Management System is now supported.
7050 Indentation no longer indents comments that begin at column zero.
7052 Face and variable settings can have comments in Customize.
7054 New locations for early package hierarchies.
7056 The `auto-save' library has been greatly improved.
7058 New variable `mswindows-alt-by-itself-activates-menu'.
7060 Other init-file-related changes. (Init file in your home directory may be called `.emacs.el'. New command-line switches -user-init-file and -user-init-directory.)
7062 Etags changes. See @file{NEWS} for full details.
7065 @unnumberedsubsubsec Lisp and internal changes in XEmacs 21.4
7069 @c APA: Texi2html produces invalid HTML from an empty list of bullets!
7070 @c Please uncomment following list when it does contain bullets.
7074 @node Q7.0.3, Q7.0.4, Q7.0.2, Current Events
7075 @unnumberedsubsec Q7.0.3: What's new in XEmacs 21.1?
7077 21.1 was the "stable" version of "experimental" 21.0 series.
7080 The following lists summarizes the essential changes made in this
7081 version. For a fuller list, see the @file{NEWS} in the @file{etc}
7082 directory of the XEmacs distribution, or use @kbd{C-h n} or the
7083 @samp{Help} menu to view this file inside of XEmacs.
7085 @unnumberedsubsubsec User-visible changes in XEmacs 21.1
7090 XEmacs is now supported under Microsoft Windows 95/98 and Windows NT
7091 operating systems. To discuss Windows-specific issues, subscribe to the
7092 mailing list at @email{xemacs-nt-request@@xemacs.org}.
7095 XEmacs has been unbundled into constituent installable packages.
7098 @strong{Other notable changes}: The @samp{Options} menu has been ported to
7099 Custom; XEmacs now is able to choose X visuals and use private
7100 colormaps; You can drag the vertical divider of "horizontally"
7101 (side-by-side) split windows.
7104 @strong{Building changes}: XEmacs can be built with support for 31-bit Lisp
7105 integers and 32-bit pointers (previously, it was 28-bit integers and
7106 pointers); XEmacs can be built with LDAP support; @file{dir} files can be
7107 removed in the Info subsystem, and will be regenerated on-the-fly.
7110 @strong{New packages}: @file{imenu}, @file{popper}, @file{gdb-highlight}
7113 @strong{Package changes}: Many changes to @file{cc-mode}, @file{gnus},
7114 @file{gnuclient}. See @file{NEWS} for full details.
7117 @strong{New commands, variables and functions}:
7118 @code{center-to-window-line} (like @code{recenter} but doesn't force a
7119 redisplay); variable @code{user-full-name} (customize what your full
7120 name looks like in mail); @kbd{M-x customize-changed-options} (customize
7121 options whose default values changes because you upgraded your XEmacs);
7122 @kbd{M-x add-log-convert} (converts an old-style ChangeLog buffer to
7123 new-style); @kbd{M-x zap-up-to-char} (like @code{zap-to-char} but
7124 doesn't delete the char searched for); commands to store, retrieve and
7125 increment numbers in registers, useful for macros.
7128 @strong{Changes to commands, variables, and functions}: @kbd{M-x
7129 query-replace} and friends operate only on the region when it's active;
7130 @code{echo-keystrokes} can now be a floating-point number; @kbd{M-.}
7131 searches exact tag matches before inexact ones; function
7132 @code{user-full-name} with no arguments returns the var
7133 @code{user-full-name}; a prefix arg to @kbd{M-:} and @kbd{C-h c} inserts
7134 the result in the current buffer.
7137 @strong{Other changes}: Under X, new application class @samp{XEmacs};
7138 byte-compilation of user-specs now works.
7141 @strong{XEmacs/Mule (internationalization) changes}: Mule support now
7142 works on TTY's; Egg/SJ3 input method now officially supported (Quail and
7143 Egg/Skk already available through LEIM since 20.3); localized Japanese
7144 menubars if XEmacs is built with the right support.
7148 @unnumberedsubsubsec Lisp and internal changes in XEmacs 21.1
7153 @strong{Specifier changes}: The window locale now has a higher
7154 precedence than the buffer locale when instantiating; new macro
7155 @code{let-specifier}; new specifiers
7156 @code{vertical-scrollbar-visible-p}, horizontal-scrollbar-visible-p',
7157 @code{scrollbar-on-left-p}, @code{scrollbar-on-top-p},
7158 @code{vertical-divider-always-visible-p},
7159 @code{vertical-divider-shadow-thickness},
7160 @code{vertical-divider-line-width}, @code{vertical-divider-spacing};
7161 specifiers and symbols whose value is a specifier allowed as modeline
7165 @strong{Frame focus changes}: @code{focus-follows-mouse} works like FSF,
7166 prevents any attempt to permanently change the selected frame; new
7167 function @code{focus-frame} sets the window system focus a frame; new
7168 special forms @code{save-selected-frame} and @code{with-selected-frame}.
7171 @strong{Window function changes}: @code{select-window} now has optional
7172 argument @var{NORECORD} to inhibit recording a buffer change;
7173 @code{vertical-motion} now correctly handles optional @var{WINDOW}
7174 argument and has new optional argument @var{PIXELS}, to have the
7175 returned values be in pixels; new function
7176 @code{vertical-motion-pixels}; new functions
7177 @code{window-text-area-pixel-@{width,height,edges@}}; new functions
7178 @code{shrink-window-pixels} and @code{enlarge-window-pixels}; new
7179 function @code{window-displayed-text-pixel-height}.
7182 @strong{Other function changes}: Arithmetic comparison functions
7183 @code{<}, @code{>}, @code{=}, @code{/=} now accept a variable number of
7184 arguments; hashtables now have a consistent read/print syntax; keyword
7185 symbols cannot be set to a value other than themselves; @code{concat} no
7186 longer accepts integer arguments; new function @code{string}, like
7187 @code{list}, @code{vector}, etc.; new function @code{temp-directory}
7188 (OS-independent way to get a temp directory); @code{load-average} has
7189 optional argument @var{USE-FLOATS}; @code{make-event} implemented
7190 completely; new function @code{function-interactive} (returns a
7191 function's interactive spec); new functions @code{lmessage},
7192 @code{lwarn} (printf-like versions of @code{display-wessage},
7193 @code{display-warning}); new keyword @code{:version} to
7197 @strong{Performance}: when the new GNU Malloc aka Doug Lea Malloc is
7198 available, it will be used (better performance on libc6 Linux systems);
7199 tracking line-numbers in modeline is now efficient; profiling records a
7200 call-count of all called functions, retrievable through
7201 @code{profile-call-count-results}.
7204 @strong{Startup and path searching}: code to assemble paths at startup
7205 rewritten for new package system; new function @code{split-path} (splits
7206 by @code{path-separator}); @code{Info-default-directory-list} obsolete,
7207 use @code{Info-directory-list} instead; site-lisp is deprecated and no
7208 longer on the load-path by default.
7212 @node Q7.0.4, Q7.0.5, Q7.0.3, Current Events
7213 @unnumberedsubsec Q7.0.4: What's new in XEmacs 20.4?
7215 XEmacs 20.4 is a bugfix release with no user-visible changes.
7216 @c Filled in from NEWS file of 20.5-b33
7218 @node Q7.0.5, Q7.0.6, Q7.0.4, Current Events
7219 @unnumberedsubsec Q7.0.5: What's new in XEmacs 20.3?
7221 XEmacs 20.3 was released in November 1997. It contains many bugfixes,
7222 and a number of new features, including Autoconf 2 based configuration,
7223 additional support for Mule (Multi-language extensions to Emacs), many
7224 more customizations, multiple frames on TTY-s, support for multiple info
7225 directories, an enhanced gnuclient, improvements to regexp matching,
7226 increased MIME support, and many, many synches with GNU Emacs 20.
7228 The XEmacs/Mule support has been only seriously tested in a Japanese
7229 locale, and no doubt many problems still remain. The support for
7230 ISO-Latin-1 and Japanese is fairly strong. MULE support comes at a
7231 price---about a 30% slowdown from 19.16. We're making progress on
7232 improving performance and XEmacs 20.3 compiled without Mule (which is
7233 the default) is definitely faster than XEmacs 19.16.
7235 XEmacs 20.3 is the first non-beta v20 release, and will be the
7236 basis for all further development.
7238 @node Q7.0.6, , Q7.0.5, Current Events
7239 @unnumberedsubsec Q7.0.6: What's new in XEmacs 20.2?
7241 The biggest changes in 20.2 include integration of EFS (the next
7242 generation of ange-ftp) and AUC Tex (the Emacs subsystem that includes a
7243 major mode for editing Tex and LaTeX, and a lot of other stuff). Many
7244 bugs from 20.0 have been fixed for this release. 20.2 also contains a
7245 new system for customizing XEmacs options, invoked via @kbd{M-x
7248 XEmacs 20.2 is the development release (20.0 was beta), and is no longer
7249 considered unstable.
7251 For older news, see the file @file{ONEWS} in the @file{etc} directory of
7252 the XEmacs distribution.
7256 @node Legacy Versions, , Current Events, Top
7257 @unnumbered 8 New information about old XEmacsen
7259 This is part 8 of the XEmacs Frequently Asked Questions list. It will
7260 occasionally be updated to reflect new information about versions which
7261 are no longer being revised by the XEmacs Project. The primary purpose
7262 is advice on compatibility of older XEmacsen with new packages and
7263 updated versions of packages, but bug fixes (which will not be applied
7264 to released XEmacsen, but users can apply themselves) are also accepted.
7268 * Q8.0.1:: Gnus 5.10 won't display smileys in XEmacs 21.1.
7271 @node Q8.0.1, , , Legacy Versions
7272 @unnumberedsubsec Q8.0.1: Gnus 5.10 won't display smileys in XEmacs 21.1.
7274 @email{eeide@@cs.utah.edu, Eric Eide} wrote:
7279 Eric> Summary: with Gnus 5.10.1 in XEmacs 21.1.14, I don't see
7280 Eric> any smileys :-(.
7282 After a bit of sleuthing, I discovered the essence of the problem.
7287 (insert-file-contents "foo.xpm")
7291 returns the empty string. This is because something somewhere
7292 replaces the XPM data with a glyph --- I haven't figured out where
7296 @email{kyle_jones@@wonderworks.com, Kyle Jones} replies:
7302 (setq format-alist nil)
7305 The image-mode stuff is gone from format-alist in the 21.4