@quotation
This list of frequently asked questions about GNU Emacs with answers
-("FAQ") may be translated into other languages, transformed into other
+(``FAQ'') may be translated into other languages, transformed into other
formats (e.g. Texinfo, Info, WWW, WAIS), and updated with new information.
The same conditions apply to any derivative of the FAQ as apply to the FAQ
The archive is at @uref{ftp://ftp-mailing-list-archives.gnu.org}.
-The archive can be browsed over the web at
+The archive can be browsed over the web at
@uref{http://mail.gnu.org/archive/html/, the GNU mail archive}.
Web-based Usenet search services, such as
Emacs General Public License
@item DISTRIB
-Emacs Availability Information, including the popular "Free Software
-Foundation Order Form"
+Emacs Availability Information, including the popular Free Software
+Foundation Order Form
@item FTP
How to get GNU Software by Internet FTP or by UUCP
GNU Service Directory
@item SUN-SUPPORT
-including "Using Emacstool with GNU Emacs"
+including ``Using Emacstool with GNU Emacs''
@end table
@end example
For more information, send email to @email{mail-server@@rtfm.mit.edu}
-with "help" and "index" in the body on separate lines.
+with @samp{help} and @samp{index} in the body on separate lines.
@item
As the very last resort, you can e-mail a request to
To do this relative to your home directory:
@lisp
-(setq load-path (cons "~/mysubdir/" load-path)
+(setq load-path (cons "~/mysubdir/" load-path))
@end lisp
@node Using an already running Emacs process, Compiler error messages, Changing load-path, Common requests
@end itemize
@node Overwrite mode, Turning off beeping, Horizontal scrolling, Common requests
-@section How do I make Emacs "typeover" or "overwrite" instead of inserting?
+@section How do I make Emacs ``typeover'' or ``overwrite'' instead of inserting?
@cindex @key{Insert}
@cindex @code{overwrite-mode}
@cindex Overwriting existing text
was compiled with the X toolkit.
@node Evaluating Emacs Lisp code, Changing the length of a Tab, Valid X resources, Common requests
-@section How do I execute ("evaluate") a piece of Emacs Lisp code?
+@section How do I execute (``evaluate'') a piece of Emacs Lisp code?
@cindex Evaluating Lisp code
@cindex Lisp forms, evaluating
additional information.
@node Underlining paragraphs, Repeating a command as many times as possible, Inserting > at the beginning of each line, Common requests
-@section How do I insert "_^H" before each character in a region to get an underlined paragraph?
+@section How do I insert @samp{_^H} before each character in a region to get an underlined paragraph?
@cindex Underlining a region of text
@cindex @code{underline-region}
You probably don't want to do this, since backups are useful, especially
when something goes wrong.
-To avoid seeing backup files (and other "uninteresting" files) in Dired,
+To avoid seeing backup files (and other ``uninteresting'' files) in Dired,
load @code{dired-x} by adding the following to your @file{.emacs} file:
@lisp
@code{font-lock-maximum-decoration} with @kbd{C-h v} (or @kbd{M-x
describe-variable @key{RET}}).
-@cindex Lazy font-lock
-You might also want to investigate @code{fast-lock-mode} and
-@code{lazy-lock-mode}, versions of @code{font-lock-mode} that speed up
-highlighting. These are the alternatives for @code{jit-lock-mode} in
-versions of Emacs before 21.1. The advantage of @code{lazy-lock-mode}
-is that it only fontifies buffers when certain conditions are met, such
-as after a certain amount of idle time, or after you have finished
-scrolling through text. See the documentation for @code{lazy-lock-mode}
-by typing @kbd{C-h f @code{lazy-lock-mode}} (@kbd{M-x describe-function
-@key{RET} lazy-lock-mode @key{RET}}).
-
Also see the documentation for the function @code{font-lock-mode},
available by typing @kbd{C-h f font-lock-mode} (@kbd{M-x
describe-function @key{RET} font-lock-mode @key{RET}}).
default, a backslash (@samp{\}) will appear in the mode line.
If you are running a version of Emacs before 20.1, get @code{crypt++}
-(@pxref{Packages that do not come with Emacs}). Among other things,
+(@pxref{Packages that do not come with Emacs}). Among other things,
@code{crypt++} transparently modifies MS-DOS files as they are loaded
and saved, allowing you to ignore the different conventions that Unix
and MS-DOS have for delineating the end of a line.
@end example
@noindent
-This method may result in "ILLEGAL DATATYPE" and other random errors on
+This method may result in ``ILLEGAL DATATYPE'' and other random errors on
some machines.
@email{daveg@@csvax.cs.caltech.edu, David Gillespie} explains how this
@end example
@node Shell process exits abnormally, Problems with Shell Mode on MS-Windows, ^M in the shell buffer, Bugs and problems
-@section Why do I get "Process shell exited abnormally with code 1"?
+@section Why do I get ``Process shell exited abnormally with code 1''?
@cindex Abnormal exits from @code{shell-mode}
@cindex @code{shell-mode} exits
@cindex Process shell exited
the problems in those cases.
@node Termcap/Terminfo entries for Emacs, Spontaneous entry into isearch-mode, Problems with Shell Mode on MS-Windows, Bugs and problems
-@section Where is the termcap/terminfo entry for terminal type "emacs"?
+@section Where is the termcap/terminfo entry for terminal type @samp{emacs}?
@cindex Termcap
@cindex Terminfo
@cindex Emacs entries for termcap/terminfo
@end example
@node Spontaneous entry into isearch-mode, Problems talking to certain hosts, Termcap/Terminfo entries for Emacs, Bugs and problems
-@section Why does Emacs spontaneously start displaying "I-search:" and beeping?
+@section Why does Emacs spontaneously start displaying @samp{I-search:} and beeping?
@cindex Spontaneous entry into isearch-mode
@cindex isearch-mode, spontaneous entry into
@cindex Beeping without obvious reason
@end itemize
@node Errors with init files, Emacs ignores X resources, Problems talking to certain hosts, Bugs and problems
-@section Why does Emacs say "Error in init file"?
+@section Why does Emacs say @samp{Error in init file}?
@cindex Error in @file{.emacs}
@cindex Error in init file
@cindex Init file, errors in
@end itemize
@node Dired claims that no file is on this line, , Security risks with Emacs, Bugs and problems
-@section Dired says, "no file on this line" when I try to do something.
+@section Dired says, @samp{no file on this line} when I try to do something.
@cindex Dired does not see a file
@c FIXME: I think this is fixed in Emacs 21, but I didn't have time to
@uref{ftp://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/emacs/emacs-@value{VER}.tar.gz}
The above will obviously change as new versions of Emacs come out. For
-instance, when Emacs 21.42 is released, it will most probably be
+instance, when Emacs 22.42 is released, it will most probably be
available as
-@uref{ftp://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/emacs/emacs-21.42.tar.gz}
+@uref{ftp://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/emacs/emacs-22.42.tar.gz}
Again, you should use one of the GNU mirror sites (see @ref{Current GNU
distributions}, and adjust the URL accordingly) so as to reduce load on
@file{libX11.a}. This may be missing.
On OpenWindows, you may need to use @code{add_services} to add the
-"OpenWindows Programmers" optional software category from the CD-ROM.
+``OpenWindows Programmers'' optional software category from the CD-ROM.
On HP-UX 8.0, you may need to run @code{update} again to load the
X11-PRG ``fileset''. This may be missing even if you specified ``all
List (ELL)}, maintained by @email{stephen@@anc.ed.ac.uk, Stephen Eglen},
aims to provide one compact list with links to all of the current Emacs
Lisp files on the internet. The ELL can be browsed over the web, or
-from Emacs with @uref{http://www.anc.ed.ac.uk/~stephen/emacs/ell.el,
+from Emacs with @uref{http://www.anc.ed.ac.uk/~stephen/emacs/ell.el,
the @file{ell} package}.
Many authors post their packages to the @uref{news:gnu.emacs.sources,
@uref{http://www.gnu.org/order/ftp.html}
@node Difference between Emacs and XEmacs, Emacs for MS-DOS, Current GNU distributions, Finding Emacs and related packages
-@section What is the difference between Emacs and XEmacs (formerly "Lucid Emacs")?
+@section What is the difference between Emacs and XEmacs (formerly Lucid Emacs)?
@cindex XEmacs
@cindex Difference Emacs and XEmacs
@cindex Lucid Emacs
@cindex Epoch
-XEmacs is a branch version of Emacs. It was earlier called as Lucid
-Emacs, and it was based on a prerelease version of Emacs 19. In this
-FAQ, we use the name ``Emacs'' only for the official version.
+XEmacs is a branch version of Emacs. It was first called Lucid Emacs,
+and was initially derived from a prerelease version of Emacs 19. In
+this FAQ, we use the name ``Emacs'' only for the official version.
Emacs and XEmacs each come with Lisp packages that are lacking in the
other. The two versions have some significant differences at the Lisp
-programming level. Many XEmacs features have found their way into
-recent versions of Emacs, and more features can be expected in the
-future, but there are still many differences between the two.
-
-We have used some of the code in XEmacs, and would like to use other
-parts, but the earlier XEmacs maintainers did not always keep track of
-the authors of contributed code, which makes it impossible for the FSF
-to get copyright papers signed for that code. (The FSF requires these
-papers for all the code included in the Emacs release, aside from
-generic C support packages that retain their separate identity and are
-not integrated into the code of Emacs proper.)
+programming level. Their current features are roughly comparable,
+though the support for some operating systems, character sets and
+specific packages might be quite different.
+
+Some XEmacs code has been contributed to Emacs, and we would like to
+use other parts, but the earlier XEmacs maintainers did not always
+keep track of the authors of contributed code, which makes it
+impossible for the FSF to get copyright papers signed for that code.
+(The FSF requires these papers for all the code included in the Emacs
+release, aside from generic C support packages that retain their
+separate identity and are not integrated into the code of Emacs
+proper.)
If you want to talk about these two versions and distinguish them,
please call them ``Emacs'' and ``XEmacs.'' To contrast ``XEmacs''
with ``GNU Emacs'' would be misleading, since XEmacs too has its
-origin in the GNU Project.
+origin in the work of the GNU Project. Terms such as ``Emacsen'' and
+``(X)Emacs'' are not wrong, but they are not very clear, so it
+is better to write ``Emacs and XEmacs.''
@node Emacs for MS-DOS, Emacs for Windows, Difference between Emacs and XEmacs, Finding Emacs and related packages
@section Where can I get Emacs for my PC running MS-DOS?
Windows 9X, Windows ME, and Windows 2000. More information is available
from
-@uref{http://www.simtel.net/pub/djgpp/v2gnu/emacs.README}
+@uref{ftp://ftp.delorie.com/pub/djgpp/current/v2gnu/emacs.README}
The binary itself is available in the files @file{em*.zip} in the
directory
-@uref{http://www.simtel.net/pub/djgpp/v2gnu/}
+@uref{ftp://ftp.delorie.com/pub/djgpp/current/v2gnu/}
If you prefer to compile Emacs for yourself, you can do so with the
current distribution directly. You will need a 386 (or
better) processor, and to be running MS-DOS 3.0 or later. According to
-@email{eliz@@is.elta.co.il, Eli Zaretskii} and
+@email{eliz@@gnu.org, Eli Zaretskii} and
@email{hankedr@@dms.auburn.edu, Darrel Hankerson}, you will need the
following:
You can get the latest release of DJGPP by retrieving all of
the files in
-@uref{http://www.simtel.net/pub/gnu/djgpp/v2*}
+@uref{ftp://ftp.delorie.com/pub/djgpp/current/v2*}
@item Unpacking program
The easiest way is to use @code{djtar} which comes with DJGPP v2.x,
@item make, mv, sed, and rm
All of these utilities are available at
-@uref{http://www.simtel.net/pub/gnu/djgpp/v2gnu}
+@uref{ftp://ftp.delorie.com/pub/djgpp/current/v2gnu}
16-bit utilities can be found in GNUish, at
regarding Emacs under MS-DOS.
For a list of other MS-DOS implementations of Emacs (and Emacs
-look-alikes), consult the list of "Emacs implementations and literature,"
+look-alikes), consult the list of ``Emacs implementations and literature,''
available at
@uref{ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/comp.emacs/}
@cindex Apple computers, Emacs for
@cindex Macintosh, Emacs for
-An unofficial port of GNU Emacs 18.59 to the Macintosh is available at a
-number of ftp sites, the home being
-@uref{ftp://ftp.cs.cornell.edu/pub/parmet/Emacs-1.17.sit.bin}.
-
-A port of Emacs 20.4 is available at
-@uref{http://www.cs.hku.hk/~choi/emacs/index.html}.
-
Beginning with version 21.1, the Macintosh is supported in the official
Emacs distribution; see the files @file{mac/README} and
@file{mac/INSTALL} in the Emacs distribution for build instructions.
-Apple's forthcoming "OS X" is based largely on NeXTSTEP and OpenStep.
+Apple's ``OS X'' is based largely on NeXTSTEP and OpenStep.
@xref{Emacs for NeXTSTEP}, for more details about that version.
@node Emacs for VMS and DECwindows, Modes for various languages, Emacs for Apple computers, Finding Emacs and related packages
Most of these modes are now available in standard Emacs distribution.
To get additional modes, see @ref{Finding a package with particular
-functionality}.
+functionality}.
Barry Warsaw's @code{cc-mode} now works for C, C@t{++}, Objective-C, and
Java code. It is distributed with Emacs, but has
@email{daveg@@csvax.cs.caltech.edu, Dave Gillespie}
@item Latest version
-2.02g (part of Emacs since version 21.4)
+2.02g (part of Emacs since version 22.1)
@item Distribution
No separate distribution outside of Emacs. Older versions
@email{dak@@gnu.org, David Kastrup}
@item Latest version
-11.52
+11.54
@item Distribution
@uref{ftp://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/auctex/}
@end table
@node Patch, , JDE, Major packages and programs
-@section Patch --- program to apply "diffs" for updating files
+@section Patch --- program to apply ``diffs'' for updating files
@cindex Updating files with diffs
@cindex Patching source files with diffs
@cindex Diffs and patching
@noindent
can be placed directly into the @file{.emacs} file. If the key binding is
-local, the command is used in conjunction with the "add-hook" command.
-For example, in tex-mode, a local binding might be
+local, the command is used in conjunction with the @samp{add-hook} function.
+For example, in TeX mode, a local binding might be
@lisp
(add-hook 'tex-mode-hook
@end itemize
@node Invalid prefix characters, Terminal setup code works after Emacs has begun, Binding keys to commands, Key bindings
-@section Why does Emacs say "Key sequence XXX uses invalid prefix characters"?
+@section Why does Emacs say @samp{Key sequence XXX uses invalid prefix characters}?
@cindex Prefix characters, invalid
@cindex Invalid prefix characters
@cindex Misspecified key sequences
@cindex Generating control characters
@cindex Control characters, generating
-On terminals (but not under X), some common "aliases" are:
+On terminals (but not under X), some common ``aliases'' are:
@table @asis