This is the guide to the XEmacs Frequently Asked Questions list--a
compendium of questions and answers pertaining to one of the finest
-programs ever written. It is much more than just a Text Editor.
+programs ever written. XEmacs is much more than just a Text Editor.
- This FAQ is freely redistributable. I take no liability for the
-correctness and safety of any procedures or advice given here. This
-FAQ is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY
-WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
-FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
+ This FAQ is freely redistributable. This FAQ is distributed in the
+hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the
+implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
If you have a Web browser, the official hypertext version is at
-`http://www.xemacs.org/faq/xemacs-faq.html'.
-
- This version is somewhat nicer than the unofficial hypertext versions
-that are archived at Utrecht, Oxford, Smart Pages, and other FAQ
-archives.
+`http://www.xemacs.org/faq/xemacs-faq.html'
* Menu:
* Q1.0.4:: Why Another Version of Emacs?
* Q1.0.5:: Why Haven't XEmacs and GNU Emacs Merged?
* Q1.0.6:: Where can I get help?
-* Q1.0.7:: Where is the mailing list archived?
+* Q1.0.7:: Where are the mailing lists archived?
* Q1.0.8:: How do you pronounce XEmacs?
* Q1.0.9:: What does XEmacs look like?
* Q1.0.10:: Is there a port of XEmacs to Microsoft ('95 or NT)?
* Q1.2.3:: Who contributed to the FAQ in the past?
Internationalization:
-* Q1.3.1:: What is the status of XEmacs v20?
-* Q1.3.2:: What is the status of Asian-language support, aka MULE?
+* Q1.3.1:: What is the status of internationalization support aka MULE (including Asian language support?
+* Q1.3.2:: How can I help with internationalization?
* Q1.3.3:: How do I type non-ASCII characters?
* Q1.3.4:: Can XEmacs messages come out in a different language?
-* Q1.3.5:: Please explain the various input methods in MULE/XEmacs 20.0
-* Q1.3.6:: How do I portably code for MULE/XEmacs 20.0?
+* Q1.3.5:: Please explain the various input methods in MULE/XEmacs
+* Q1.3.6:: How do I portably code for MULE/XEmacs?
* Q1.3.7:: How about Cyrillic Modes?
Getting Started:
* Q5.1.4:: What is the performance hit of `let'?
* Q5.1.5:: What is the recommended use of `setq'?
* Q5.1.6:: What is the typical misuse of `setq' ?
-* Q5.1.7:: I like the the `do' form of cl, does it slow things down?
+* Q5.1.7:: I like the `do' form of cl, does it slow things down?
* Q5.1.8:: I like recursion, does it slow things down?
* Q5.1.9:: How do I put a glyph as annotation in a buffer?
* Q5.1.10:: `map-extents' won't traverse all of my extents!
* Q1.0.4:: Why Another Version of Emacs?
* Q1.0.5:: Why Haven't XEmacs and GNU Emacs Merged?
* Q1.0.6:: Where can I get help?
-* Q1.0.7:: Where is the mailing list archived?
+* Q1.0.7:: Where are the mailing lists archived?
* Q1.0.8:: How do you pronounce XEmacs?
* Q1.0.9:: What does XEmacs look like?
* Q1.0.10:: Is there a port of XEmacs to Microsoft ('95 or NT)?
* Q1.2.3:: Who contributed to the FAQ in the past?
Internationalization:
-* Q1.3.1:: What is the status of XEmacs v20?
-* Q1.3.2:: What is the status of Asian-language support, aka MULE?
+* Q1.3.1:: What is the status of internationalization support aka MULE (including Asian language support?
+* Q1.3.2:: How can I help with internationalization?
* Q1.3.3:: How do I type non-ASCII characters?
* Q1.3.4:: Can XEmacs messages come out in a different language?
-* Q1.3.5:: Please explain the various input methods in MULE/XEmacs 20.0
-* Q1.3.6:: How do I portably code for MULE/XEmacs 20.0?
+* Q1.3.5:: Please explain the various input methods in MULE/XEmacs
+* Q1.3.6:: How do I portably code for MULE/XEmacs?
* Q1.3.7:: How about Cyrillic Modes?
Getting Started:
Q1.0.2: What is the current version of XEmacs?
----------------------------------------------
- XEmacs 21.1.8 is the current stable version of XEmacs.
-
- XEmacs 20.4 is a minor upgrade from 20.3, containing many bugfixes.
-It was released in February 1998.
+ XEmacs versions 21.1.* are releases made from the current stable
+sources. XEmacs versions 21.2.* are releases made from the development
+sources. Check at `http://www.xemacs.org' for the current minor
+version.
XEmacs 19.16 was the last release of v19, released in November, 1997,
which was also the last version without international language support.
\1f
File: xemacs-faq.info, Node: Q1.0.7, Next: Q1.0.8, Prev: Q1.0.6, Up: Introduction
-Q1.0.7: Where is the mailing list archived?
--------------------------------------------
+Q1.0.7: Where are the mailing lists archived?
+---------------------------------------------
The archives can be found at `http://www.xemacs.org/Lists/Archive'
TeX, you can generate your own manual from the XEmacs sources.
HTML and Postscript versions of XEmacs manuals may be available from
-the XEmacs web site in the future.
+the XEmacs web site in the future. Send requests to <faq@xemacs.org>.
\1f
File: xemacs-faq.info, Node: Q1.1.1, Next: Q1.1.2, Prev: Q1.0.14, Up: Introduction
Please make sure that `XEmacs FAQ' appears on the Subject: line. If
you think you have a better way of answering a question, or think a
question should be included, we'd like to hear about it. Questions and
-answers included into the FAQ will be edited for spelling and grammar,
+answers included into the FAQ will be edited for spelling and grammar
and will be attributed. Answers appearing without attribution are
-either from versions of the FAQ dated before May 1996, or are from one
-of the four people listed at the top of this document. Answers quoted
-from Usenet news articles will always be attributed, regardless of the
-author.
+either from versions of the FAQ dated before May 1996 or are from
+previous FAQ maintainers. Answers quoted from Usenet news articles will
+always be attributed, regardless of the author.
\1f
File: xemacs-faq.info, Node: Q1.1.2, Next: Q1.1.3, Prev: Q1.1.1, Up: Introduction
1.3: Internationalization
=========================
-Q1.3.1: What is the status of XEmacs v20?
------------------------------------------
+Q1.3.1: What is the status of internationalization support aka MULE (including Asian language support?
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- XEmacs v20 is the version of XEmacs that includes MULE
-(Asian-language) support. XEmacs 20.0 was released in February 1997,
-followed by XEmacs 20.2 in May, XEmacs 20.3 in November and XEmacs 20.4
-in February 1998. When compiled without MULE support, 20.4 is
-approximately as stable as 19.16, and probably faster (due to
-additional optimization work.)
-
- As of XEmacs 20.3, version 20 is _the_ supported version of XEmacs.
-This means that 19.16 will optionally receive stability fixes (if any),
-but that all the real development work will be done on the v20 tree.
-
- The incompatible changes in XEmacs 20 include the additional
-byte-codes, new primitive data types (`character', `char-table', and
-`range-table'). This means that the character-integer equivalence
-inherent to all the previous Emacs and XEmacs releases no longer
-applies.
-
- However, to avoid breaking old code, many functions that should
-normally accept characters work with integers, and vice versa. For more
-information, see the Lisp reference manual. Here is a relevant excerpt,
-for your convenience.
-
- In XEmacs version 19, and in all versions of FSF GNU Emacs, a
- "character" in XEmacs Lisp is nothing more than an integer. This
- is yet another holdover from XEmacs Lisp's derivation from
- vintage-1980 Lisps; modern versions of Lisp consider this
- equivalence a bad idea, and have separate character types. In
- XEmacs version 20, the modern convention is followed, and
- characters are their own primitive types. (This change was
- necessary in order for MULE, i.e. Asian-language, support to be
- correctly implemented.)
-
- Even in XEmacs version 20, remnants of the equivalence between
- characters and integers still exist; this is termed the "char-int
- confoundance disease". In particular, many functions such as `eq',
- `equal', and `memq' have equivalent functions (`old-eq',
- `old-equal', `old-memq', etc.) that pretend like characters are
- integers are the same. Byte code compiled under any version 19
- Emacs will have all such functions mapped to their `old-'
- equivalents when the byte code is read into XEmacs 20. This is to
- preserve compatibility--Emacs 19 converts all constant characters
- to the equivalent integer during byte-compilation, and thus there
- is no other way to preserve byte-code compatibility even if the
- code has specifically been written with the distinction between
- characters and integers in mind.
-
- Every character has an equivalent integer, called the "character
- code". For example, the character `A' is represented as the
- integer 65, following the standard ASCII representation of
- characters. If XEmacs was not compiled with MULE support, the
- range of this integer will always be 0 to 255--eight bits, or one
- byte. (Integers outside this range are accepted but silently
- truncated; however, you should most decidedly _not_ rely on this,
- because it will not work under XEmacs with MULE support.) When
- MULE support is present, the range of character codes is much
- larger. (Currently, 19 bits are used.)
-
- FSF GNU Emacs uses kludgy character codes above 255 to represent
- keyboard input of ASCII characters in combination with certain
- modifiers. XEmacs does not use this (a more general mechanism is
- used that does not distinguish between ASCII keys and other keys),
- so you will never find character codes above 255 in a non-MULE
- XEmacs.
-
- Individual characters are not often used in programs. It is far
- more common to work with _strings_, which are sequences composed of
- characters.
+ Both the stable and development versions of XEmacs include
+internationalization support (aka MULE). MULE currently works on UNIX
+and Linux systems; work for supporting MULE on Windows operating systems
+is in progress. Binaries compiled without MULE support run faster than
+MULE capable XEmacsen.
\1f
File: xemacs-faq.info, Node: Q1.3.2, Next: Q1.3.3, Prev: Q1.3.1, Up: Introduction
-Q1.3.2: What is the status of Asian-language support, aka MULE?
----------------------------------------------------------------
-
- MULE support is now available for UNIX versions of XEmacs.
+Q1.3.2: How can I help with internationalization?
+-------------------------------------------------
If you would like to help, you may want to join the
<xemacs-mule@xemacs.org> mailing list. Especially needed are people
The message-catalog support has mostly been written but doesn't
currently work. The first release of XEmacs 20 will _not_ support it.
-However, menubar localization _does_ work, even in 19.14. To enable
-it, add to your `Emacs' file entries like this:
+However, menubar localization _does_ work. To enable it, add to your
+`Emacs' file entries like this:
Emacs*XlwMenu.resourceLabels: True
Emacs*XlwMenu.file.labelString: Fichier
\1f
File: xemacs-faq.info, Node: Q1.3.5, Next: Q1.3.6, Prev: Q1.3.4, Up: Introduction
-Q1.3.5: Please explain the various input methods in MULE/XEmacs 20.0
---------------------------------------------------------------------
+Q1.3.5: Please explain the various input methods in MULE/XEmacs
+---------------------------------------------------------------
MORIOKA Tomohiko <morioka@jaist.ac.jp> writes:
\1f
File: xemacs-faq.info, Node: Q1.3.6, Next: Q1.3.7, Prev: Q1.3.5, Up: Introduction
-Q1.3.6: How do I portably code for MULE/XEmacs 20?
---------------------------------------------------
+Q1.3.6: How do I portably code for MULE/XEmacs?
+-----------------------------------------------
MORIOKA Tomohiko <morioka@jaist.ac.jp> writes:
Q2.0.1: Running XEmacs without installing
-----------------------------------------
- The `INSTALL' file says that up to 108 MB of space is needed
-temporarily during installation! How can I just try it out?
+ How can I just try XEmacs without installing it?
XEmacs will run in place without requiring installation and copying
of the Lisp directories, and without having to specify a special
This will let you run XEmacs without massive copying.
+\1f
+File: xemacs-faq.info, Node: Q2.0.2, Next: Q2.0.3, Prev: Q2.0.1, Up: Installation
+
+Q2.0.2: XEmacs is too big
+-------------------------
+
+ The space required by the installation directories can be reduced
+dramatically if desired. Gzip all the .el files. Remove all the
+packages you'll never want to use. Remove the TexInfo manuals. Remove
+the Info (and use just hardcopy versions of the manual). Remove most
+of the stuff in etc. Remove or gzip all the source code. Gzip or
+remove the C source code. Configure it so that copies are not made of
+the support lisp.
+
+ These are all Emacs Lisp source code and bytecompiled object code.
+You may safely gzip everything named *.el here. You may remove any
+package you don't use. _Nothing bad will happen if you delete a package
+that you do not use_. You must be sure you do not use it though, so be
+conservative at first.
+
+ Possible candidates for deletion include w3, games, hyperbole, mh-e,
+hm-html-menus, vm, viper, oobr, gnus, etc. Ask yourself, _Do I ever
+want to use this package?_ If the answer is no, then it is a candidate
+for removal.
+
+ First, gzip all the .el files. Then go about package by package and
+start gzipping the .elc files. Then run XEmacs and do whatever it is
+you normally do. If nothing bad happens, then delete the directory. Be
+conservative about deleting directories, and it would be handy to have a
+backup around in case you get too zealous.
+
+ `prim', `modes', `packages', and `utils' are four directories you
+definitely do *not* want to delete, although certain packages can be
+removed from them if you do not use them.
+
+ Online texinfo sources in the `info' can either be compressed them
+or remove them. In either case, `C-h i' (info mode) will no longer
+work.
+
+\1f
+File: xemacs-faq.info, Node: Q2.0.3, Next: Q2.0.4, Prev: Q2.0.2, Up: Installation
+
+Q2.0.3: Compiling XEmacs with Netaudio.
+---------------------------------------
+
+ What is the best way to compile XEmacs with the netaudio system,
+since I have got the netaudio system compiled but installed at a weird
+place, I am not root. Also in the READMEs it does not say anything
+about compiling with the audioserver?
+
+ You should only need to add some stuff to the configure command line.
+To tell it to compile in netaudio support: `--with-sound=both', or
+`--with-sound=nas' if you don't want native sound support for some
+reason.) To tell it where to find the netaudio includes and libraries:
+
+ --site-libraries=WHATEVER
+ --site-includes=WHATEVER
+
+ Then (fingers crossed) it should compile and it will use netaudio if
+you have a server running corresponding to the X server. The netaudio
+server has to be there when XEmacs starts. If the netaudio server goes
+away and another is run, XEmacs should cope (fingers crossed, error
+handling in netaudio isn't perfect).
+
+ BTW, netaudio has been renamed as it has a name clash with something
+else, so if you see references to NAS or Network Audio System, it's the
+same thing. It also might be found at
+`ftp://ftp.x.org/contrib/audio/nas/'.
+
+\1f
+File: xemacs-faq.info, Node: Q2.0.4, Next: Q2.0.5, Prev: Q2.0.3, Up: Installation
+
+Q2.0.4: Problems with Linux and ncurses.
+----------------------------------------
+
+ On Linux 1.3.98 with termcap 2.0.8 and the ncurses that came with
+libc 5.2.18, XEmacs 20.0b20 is unable to open a tty device:
+
+ src/xemacs -nw -q
+ Initialization error:
+ Terminal type `xterm' undefined (or can't access database?)
+
+ Ben Wing <ben@xemacs.org> writes:
+
+ Your ncurses configuration is messed up. Your /usr/lib/terminfo
+ is a bad pointer, perhaps to a CD-ROM that is not inserted.
+
projects / chise / xemacs-chise.git.1 / blobdiff