dot-emacs

dot-emacs copied to clipboard

• My GNU Emacs Configuration

** What To Expect

I am using:

• Org mode (my main Emacs focus)
• Python (as a hobby programmer, not a professional)
• Cygwin/[[http://babun.github.io/][Babun]] on Windows
• Spell checking
• Flychecking
• Templating: Yasnippet/yankpad
• File Management: dired
• Typesetting: LaTeX (not active any more)

As of 2020-10-15, I am using following hosts with Emacs:

| Operating System | Emacs version | |------------------------------+-------------------| | Debian GNU/Linux 10 (buster) | GNU Emacs 27.0.50 | | Xubuntu GNU/Linux 20.04 LTS | GNU Emacs 26.3 | | Xubuntu GNU/Linux 20.04 LTS | GNU Emacs 28.0.50 |

All are running the same configuration. Some settings are only used on specific platforms though.

I once was using OS X on my personal computer but this is history. Thankfully. Corresponding OS X specific settings are for archiving purposes.

With my current employer, I'm able to use GNU/Linux also for business. Therefore, I don't have to use Windows at the moment. Thankfully. Corresponding OS X specific settings are for archiving purposes.

** Best Navigation Experience

For navigating through my =config.org= file, please do open it in Emacs so that you are able to collapse and expand its Org mode headings.

** Literate Configuration: My Tangling Approach

As of 2017-05, I moved my Emacs configuration format from [[http://orgmode.org/manual/Orgstruct-mode.html][OrgStruct mode]] to Org-mode babel + tangle. Originally, I found this process on http://www.holgerschurig.de/en/emacs-init-tangle/ However, I adapted its code and write additional features. I also simplified the file structure, threw away old stuff and added tons of comments for my configuration.

Now, my Emacs configuration is in a file named =config.org=. My =init.el= got some nifty Elisp code that converts/tangles (only) the Elisp blocks into the =config.el=. This generated file is interpreted by my GNU/Emacs on startup.

Please do read [[http://karl-voit.at/2017/06/03/emacs-org][my blog article on how tangling of this Emacs configuration works]].

Despite the size of my configuration, tangling takes only a fraction of a second and automatically happens on two occasions:

1. When I manually save the =config.org= file.
2. When Emacs starts and notices that =config.org= is newer than =config.el=.

This way, there is no unnecessary tangling process.

I also added some output functionality to the tangling method. This results in helpful lines in =Messages= like:

#+BEGIN_EXAMPLE [...] config • my-frame-is-landscape() my-frame-is-portrait() … The frame is in landscape mode config • Default split direction according to frame aspect ratio … config • no-littering … config • Logging of mode versions … Wrote /home/vk/.emacs.d/var/log/floyd.txt Added to /home/vk/.emacs.d/var/log/floyd.txt config • my-load-local-el() … config • Server mode … config • my-system-is-FOOBAR … config • System-specific paths … config • Cygwin Paths (Windows) … config • my-binary-found(binaryname) … config • my-binary-not-found-list and my-eval-if-binary-or-warn() … config • Test queries … »»» I could not locate the PATH-binary for: chrome config • System-specific browse-url-browser … »»» I could not locate the PATH-binary for: google-chrome config • Styling … config • Themes … [...] #+END_EXAMPLE

** In Case You Want to Use My Configuration

In short: don't.

Not because I don't like you to have my configuration. The reason is furthermore that it is not easy to accomplish the setup process. This is because I left out some parts like the ~contrib~ directory as explained above. Some of my settings are host-specific and/or depend on path variables or external tools.

You should only adopt Elisp code you need and understand to avoid [[https://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/DotEmacsBankruptcy][Emacs Bankruptcy]].

Therefore: please feel free to look up certain tricks and functions and add it to your configuration. But don't use my repository as is and expect it to run on your host.

** Stuff Which Is Not Contained in the Git Repository

Please take a look at my ~.gitignore~ file that contains some things I did not add to this git repository for a variety of reasons but are necessary for my configuration. Most important here are the directories ~elpa~ and ~contrib~. The latter one holds a number of external packages:

#+BEGIN_SRC sh :results output :wrap example echo "Last update of this list: $(date)" echo "------------------------------------------------------" ls -1 contrib | grep -v 2del | grep -v tar #+END_SRC

: Last update of this list: Do 15 Okt 2020 13:07:24 CEST : ------------------------------------------------------ : auto-dictionary-mode : browse-kill-ring.el : command-log-mode : cygwin-mount.el : date2name.el : define-word : dired-details.el : dired-hacks : dired-plus : dired-recent.el : dired-show-readme : edit-server.el : elpygen : emacs-emojify : emacs-git-gutter : emacs-which-key : ews-orgmode : explain-pause-mode : eyebrowse : filetags.el : goto-chg.el : helm-org-contacts : hideshow-orgmode : macrostep : message-outlook.el : move-text : no-littering : ob-restclient.el : orgaggregate : org.el : org-fancy-priorities : org-import-calendar.el : org-linker : org-linker-edna : org-mind-map : org-mind-map_OLD : org-mode : org-notmuch.el : org-protocol-capture-html : org-super-agenda : org-wunderlist : orly : outlookedit.el : outshine : ov : ox-clip : ox-pandoc : ox-rst : ox-slack : pdf-mode : pdf-view-restore : plantuml-mode : pylookup : raml-mode : s.el : setup-cygwin.el : slime-volleyball : sphinx-doc.el : sunrise-commander : synonyms : vcard-mode : wc.el

Some of those packages were added only for testing purpose. Most of them are added to my configuration permanently.

** Comments on ELPA, prelude, org-30000101

After migrating most of the package management to =use-package=, there are much less entries in the folder =contrib= and there is a new folder called =elpa=. Of course, I did not include elpa-packages in this git repository.

I also tested [[https://github.com/bbatsov/prelude][Emacs prelude]] for a couple of days. However, I was not very happy about it due to performance issues, unwanted behavior, and the feeling of losing control.

Please note that ~org-30000101~ is a [[http://article.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.orgmode/104548/][manually created and installed pseudo-package]] to prevent the installation of Org-mode via package manager. I am using the Org Maint version from git directly (within my ~contrib~ directory).

** Useful References

• http://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/CategoryDotEmacs
• http://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/LoadPath
  • ~$HOME/.emacs.d/lisp/~ seems to be quite common as directory path for installing external packages
  • However, I do prefer "contrib" instead of "lisp" because:
    • my own config (outside of ~$HOME/.emacs.d/lisp/~) is LISP as well
    • "lisp" does not contain the notion of "contributed from other people/projects"

** License

The code provided here is licensed under a GPL v3 license: see =license.txt= for details. Some smaller parts from other authors but included in my configuration might have a different license. Please check the source - it's included in the comments.