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'Using Emacs' Series

cestlaz.github.io

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Re: 'Using Emacs' Series

#21

Post by geokon »

TeMPOraL wrote: post #10
rafiei wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

1. You shouldn't be updating your `.gitignore` continuously. You need to ignore everything and explicitly define exceptions e.g. * !.gitignore !init.el 2. The reason I prefer ~/.emacs.d/ is that I have it in a git repo and on every system, I'll just clone the repo and soft link it in the home directory. This way, I have only one directory inside home about emacs within which my files are explicitly separated and trac…

I solve this issue by using my own config directory; this way I soft-link two things from my dotfiles repo: - .emacs - which defines my config dir and loads everything in there - my own config dir (called .emacs.conf), in which I have lots of .el files with specific configurations Emacs packages still write by default to .emacs.d, and this way I don't have to care about any of that when moving between machines, becau…

So each time you launch emacs you have to point it to your init file?

Re: 'Using Emacs' Series

#22

Post by geokon »

gumby wrote: post #7

I am a little concerned you start with package repository and then org mode. Emacs is at heart a simple, modeless editor. With c-[fbpns] and c-x c-[fa] you can immediately, if laboriously, do anything. Every new thing you learn incrementally speeds you up.

Well there is the built in tutorial for that. And it'll leave you at a point where you can frustratingly do text editing and feel a bit confused about what all the hype is and then after a few weeks/months you'll drift back to a more traditional/"modern" text editor.

At least that was my experience... twice..

The only way to stick with emacs is to see how extensible and useful it is - which is really all about learning org and how to add packages.

Org is really the gateway drug b/c of how useful it is for everyone - even non developers. For developers the other "killer-app" is magit. For a long time I used emacs just for magit. Only a couple of windows git GUI editors come close in usefulness

Re: 'Using Emacs' Series

#23

Post by rjeli »

mycat wrote: post #12

What is the best way to reduce pain from using ctrl with pinky finger? (emacs pinky?)

Caps lock as control still caused pinky strain for me. I use xah lee's Ctrl palming method and it is amazing. I recommend anyone try it for at least an hour to get used to it, you'll never switch back.

Unfortunately it only works with physical keyboards. Still use caps lock on my laptop.

Re: 'Using Emacs' Series

#24

Post by TeMPOraL »

geokon wrote: post #21
TeMPOraL wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I solve this issue by using my own config directory; this way I soft-link two things from my dotfiles repo: - .emacs - which defines my config dir and loads everything in there - my own config dir (called .emacs.conf), in which I have lots of .el files with specific configurations Emacs packages still write by default to .emacs.d, and this way I don't have to care about any of that when moving between machines, becau…

So each time you launch emacs you have to point it to your init file?

No. My .emacs has a code snippet that points Emacs to another directory for my own configs. I softlink both .emacs and the config directory.

Re: 'Using Emacs' Series

#25

Post by rekado »

mycat wrote: post #12

What is the best way to reduce pain from using ctrl with pinky finger? (emacs pinky?)

Use a keyboard with thumb key clusters for Ctrl, Alt, and other modifiers. If you cannot use such a keyboard (e.g. on a laptop) I suggest remapping CapsLock to Ctrl or using `god-mode`.

Re: 'Using Emacs' Series

#26

Post by hellofunk »

S4M wrote: post #9
gumby wrote: post #7

I am a little concerned you start with package repository and then org mode. Emacs is at heart a simple, modeless editor. With c-[fbpns] and c-x c-[fa] you can immediately, if laboriously, do anything. Every new thing you learn incrementally speeds you up.

> c-x c-[fa] You mean c-x c-[fs], right? I'm by no mean an emacs expert although I've been using it for 6 years now, and when I read your comment I thought "Wow, c-x c-a is a functionality? How comes I have never used that?", so I tried that in emacs but it's not mapped to anything. Apart from that, I fully agree with your comment.

I had the same reaction when I read this. I was looking forward to getting to my computer later today so I can see what that key map does!

Re: 'Using Emacs' Series

#27

Post by hellofunk »

lottin wrote: post #17
duncan_bayne wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In my experience - buy a good mechanical keyboard, and remap Control and Caps Lock.

I don't understand how remapping Caps Lock to Control is supposed to improve things, considering that there's already a Control key in the vicinity of Caps Lock. For me the bigger problem is the right control key.

At least on MacBook Pros, there is not a control key anywhere in the same pinky area as the caps lock key. A solid inch or two is quite a big deal.

Re: 'Using Emacs' Series

#28

Post by rubenbe »

geokon wrote: post #22
gumby wrote: post #7

I am a little concerned you start with package repository and then org mode. Emacs is at heart a simple, modeless editor. With c-[fbpns] and c-x c-[fa] you can immediately, if laboriously, do anything. Every new thing you learn incrementally speeds you up.

Well there is the built in tutorial for that. And it'll leave you at a point where you can frustratingly do text editing and feel a bit confused about what all the hype is and then after a few weeks/months you'll drift back to a more traditional/"modern" text editor. At least that was my experience... twice.. The only way to stick with emacs is to see how extensible and useful it is - which is really all about learni…

I'm a long time vim user, but after a colleague showed me org-mode I installed emacs (with spacemacs).

Currently I only use it to edit org files, but it feels like there is a whole ecosystem waiting to be explored.

Re: 'Using Emacs' Series

#29

Post by Numberwang »

lottin wrote: post #15
gumby wrote: post #7

I am a little concerned you start with package repository and then org mode. Emacs is at heart a simple, modeless editor. With c-[fbpns] and c-x c-[fa] you can immediately, if laboriously, do anything. Every new thing you learn incrementally speeds you up.

Agreed, although it's also true that vanilla Emacs is quite spartan and has many questionable defaults. In my opinion it would be much better if plain Emacs provided a nicer user experience out of the box, thus reducing the need for customisation and external packages which is a big barrier to entry for new users.

Do you have a good set of basic customisations that anyone using Emacs should do?

Re: 'Using Emacs' Series

#30

Post by CBatts »

Numberwang wrote: post #29
lottin wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agreed, although it's also true that vanilla Emacs is quite spartan and has many questionable defaults. In my opinion it would be much better if plain Emacs provided a nicer user experience out of the box, thus reducing the need for customisation and external packages which is a big barrier to entry for new users.

Do you have a good set of basic customisations that anyone using Emacs should do?

I'm not sure how you are with vim bindings but in my opinion evil mode helps a lot with productivity.
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