EMACS(1)EMACS(1)NAMEemacs - GNU project Emacs
SYNOPSISemacs [ command-line switches ] [ files ... ]
DESCRIPTION
GNU Emacs is a new version of Emacs, written by the author of the
original (PDP-10) Emacs, Richard Stallman. Its user functionality
encompasses everything other Emacs editors do, and it is easily
extensible since its editing commands are written in Lisp.
Emacs has an extensive interactive help facility, but the facility
assumes that you know how to manipulate Emacs windows and buffers.
CTRL-h (backspace or CTRL-h) enters the Help facility. Help Tutorial
(CTRL-h t) requests an interactive tutorial which can teach beginners
the fundamentals of Emacs in a few minutes. Help Apropos (CTRL-h a)
helps you find a command given its functionality, Help Character (CTRL-
h c) describes a given character's effect, and Help Function (CTRL-h f)
describes a given Lisp function specified by name.
Emacs's Undo can undo several steps of modification to your buffers, so
it is easy to recover from editing mistakes.
GNU Emacs's many special packages handle mail reading (RMail) and
sending (Mail), outline editing (Outline), compiling (Compile), running
subshells within Emacs windows (Shell), running a Lisp read-eval-print
loop (Lisp-Interaction-Mode), and automated psychotherapy (Doctor).
There is an extensive reference manual, but users of other Emacses
should have little trouble adapting even without a copy. Users new to
Emacs will be able to use basic features fairly rapidly by studying the
tutorial and using the self-documentation features.
Emacs Options
The following options are of general interest:
file Edit file.
+number Go to the line specified by number (do not insert a space
between the "+" sign and the number).
-q Do not load an init file.
-u user Load user's init file.
-t file Use specified file as the terminal instead of using
stdin/stdout. This must be the first argument specified in the
command line.
The following options are lisp-oriented (these options are processed in
the order encountered):
-f function
Execute the lisp function function.
-l file Load the lisp code in the file file.
The following options are useful when running Emacs as a batch editor:
-batch Edit in batch mode according to the other command line
arguments. The editor will send messages to stdout. This
option must be the first in the argument list.
-kill Exit Emacs while in batch mode.
MANUALS
You can order printed copies of the GNU Emacs Manual for $20.00/copy
postpaid from the Free Software Foundation, which develops GNU
software. Their address is:
Free Software Foundation
675 Mass Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02139
See the file etc/DISTRIB in the Emacs distribution for full ordering
information. Your local Emacs maintainer might also have copies
available. As with all software and publications from FSF, everyone is
permitted to make and distribute copies of the Emacs manual. The TeX
source to the manual is also included in the Emacs source distribution.
FILES
/usr/lib/emacs/lisp - Lisp source files and compiled files that define
most editing commands. Some are preloaded; others are autoloaded from
this directory when used.
/usr/lib/emacs/etc - various programs that are used with GNU Emacs, and
some files of information.
/usr/lib/emacs/etc/DOC* - contains the documentation strings for the
Lisp primitives and preloaded Lisp functions of GNU Emacs. They are
stored here to reduce the size of Emacs proper.
/usr/lib/emacs/etc/DISTRIB discusses GNU Emacs distribution and
contains an order form for all of the software and manuals available
from the Free Software Foundation.
These files also have information useful to anyone wishing to write
programs in the Emacs Lisp extension language, which is documented in
the GNU Emacs Lisp Manual.
/usr/lib/emacs/info - files for the Info documentation browser (a
subsystem of Emacs) to refer to. Currently not much of Unix is
documented here, but the complete text of the Emacs reference manual is
included in a convenient tree structured form.
/usr/lib/emacs/lock - holds lock files that are made for all files
being modified in Emacs, to prevent simultaneous modification of one
file by two users.
BUGS
There is a mailing list, bug-gnu-emacs@prep.ai.mit.edu on the internet
(ucbvax!prep.ai.mit.edu!bug-gnu-emacs on UUCPnet), for reporting Emacs
bugs and fixes. But before reporting something as a bug, please try to
be sure that it really is a bug, not a misunderstanding or a deliberate
feature. We ask you to read the section ``Reporting Emacs Bugs'' near
the end of the reference manual (or Info system) for hints on how and
when to report bugs. Also, include the version number of the Emacs you
are running in every bug report that you send in.
Do not expect a personal answer to a bug report. The purpose of
reporting bugs is to get them fixed for everyone in the next release,
if possible. For personal assistance, look in the SERVICE file (see
above) for a list of people who offer it.
Please do not send anything but bug reports to this mailing list. Send
requests to be added to mailing lists to the special list info-gnu-
emacs-request@prep.ai.mit.edu (or the corresponding UUCP address). For
more information about Emacs mailing lists, see the file
/usr/lib/emacs/etc/MAILINGLISTS. Bugs tend actually to be fixed if
they can be isolated, so it is in your interest to report them in such
a way that they can be easily reproduced.
Bugs that I know about are: shell will not work with programs running
in Raw mode on some Unix versions.
UNRESTRICTIONS
Emacs is free; anyone may redistribute copies of Emacs to anyone under
the terms stated in the Emacs General Public License, a copy of which
accompanies each copy of Emacs and which also appears in the reference
manual.
Copies of Emacs may sometimes be received packaged with distributions
of Unix systems, but it is never included in the scope of any license
covering those systems. Such inclusion violates the terms on which
distribution is permitted. In fact, the primary purpose of the General
Public License is to prohibit anyone from attaching any other
restrictions to redistribution of Emacs.
Richard Stallman encourages you to improve and extend Emacs, and urges
that you contribute your extensions to the GNU library. Eventually GNU
(Gnu's Not Unix) will be a complete replacement for Berkeley Unix.
Everyone will be able to use the GNU system for free.
AUTHORS
Emacs was written by Richard Stallman and the Free Software Foundation.
Joachim Martillo and Robert Krawitz added the X features.
4th Berkeley Distribution 1990 November 13EMACS(1)
