🚀 go-pugleaf

[To find what has changed, view the "differences" posting.]

Here is a list of frequently asked questions (FAQ) about GNU Emacs with
answers.  The FAQ is posted to reduce the noise level in the
"gnu.emacs.help" newsgroup (also the "help-gnu-emacs" mailing list)
resulting from question repetition.  It is crossposted to "comp.emacs"
because so many news readers do not receive the "gnu.*" newsgroups.

Please suggest new questions or answers, wording changes, deletions, etc.
Please include either "FAQ" or "frequently asked questions" in the subject
of messages you send to me about the FAQ.

Please do not send questions to me just because you do not want to disturb
a lot of people and you think I would know the answer.  I have assembled
the FAQ mainly because I do not have time to answer questions
individually.  I do not mind people asking me for copies of the FAQ, but
in practice such requests tend to get ignored for months at a time.  :-(

And finally, enjoy!

-- 
Joe Wells <jbw@cs.bu.edu>

PS.  I would love to see someone write a comprehensive description of the
keybinding situation which covers *all* of the different situations.  This
seems to be the issue comsuming the most bandwidth.
-------------------------------------------------
GNU Emacs Frequently Asked Questions with Answers (part 1 of 2)

Sun May 12 23:47:35 1991


If you are viewing this file in a GNU Emacs Buffer, you can type "M-2 C-x
$" to get an overview of just the questions.  Then, when you want to look
at the text of the answers, just type "C-x $".

To search for a question numbered XXX, type "M-C-s ^XXX:", followed by a
C-r if that doesn't work, then type ESC to end the search.


Notation Used in the Answers (READ THIS SECTION FIRST!)
  
  You may skip this section if you are reasonably familiar with GNU Emacs.
  Some of these are not actually frequently asked questions, but knowing
  them is important for understanding the answers to the rest of the
  questions.

1: What do things like this mean: C-h, M-C-a, RET, etc.?
  
  C-a means while holding down the "Control" key press the "a" key.  The
  ASCII code this sends will generally be the value that would be sent by
  pressing just "a" minus 96 or 64.  Either way it will be a number from 0
  to 31.
  
  M-a means while holding down the "Meta" key press the "a" key.  The
  ASCII code this sends is the sum of the ASCII code that would be sent by
  pressing just "a" and 128.
  
  M-C-a means while holding down both the "Control" key and the "Meta" key
  press the "a" key.  C-M-a is a synonym for M-C-a.
  
  * RET means press the "Return" key.  RET is the same as C-m.  This sends
    ASCII code 13.
  * LFD means press the "Linefeed" key.  LFD is also the same as C-j.  This
    sends ASCII code 10.  Under Unix, ASCII code 10 is more often called
    "Newline".
  * DEL means press the "Delete" key.  DEL is the same as C-?.  This sends
    ASCII code 127.
  * ESC means press the "Escape" key.  ESC is the same as C-[.  This sends
    ASCII code 27.
  * SPC means press the "Space" key.  This send ASCII code 32.
  * TAB means press the "Tab" key.  TAB is the same as C-i.  This send ASCII
    code 9.
  
  To read more about this online, type "C-h i m emacs RET m characters
  RET", and also "C-h i m emacs RET m keys RET".
  
2: What do you mean when you write things like this: type "ESC a"?
  
  I will enclose key sequences that are longer than one key inside double
  quotes.  These notations refer to single keys (some with modifiers):
  
    C-x, M-x, M-C-x
    RET, LFD, DEL, ESC, SPC, TAB
  
  I separate these from other keys within double quotes by spaces.  Any
  real spaces that I write inside double quotes can be ignored, only SPC
  means press the space key.  All other characters within double quotes
  represent single keys (some shifted).
  
3: What if I don't have a Meta key?
  
  Instead of typing M-a, you can type "ESC a" instead.  In fact, Emacs
  converts M-a internally into "ESC a" anyway.
  
4: What if I don't have an Escape key?
  
  Type C-[ instead.  This should send ASCII code 27 just like an Escape
  key would.
  
5: What does "M-x command" mean?
  
  "M-x command" means type M-x, then type the name of the command, then
  type RET.
  
  M-x is simply the default key sequence that invokes the command
  "execute-extended-command".  This command allows you to run any Emacs
  command if you can remember the command's name.  If you can't remember
  the command's name, you can type TAB and SPC for completion, and ? for a
  list of possibilities.  An Emacs "command" is any "interactive" Emacs
  function.
  
  NOTE: Your system administrator may have bound other key sequences to
  invoke execute-extended-command.  A function key labeled "Do" is a good
  candidate for this.
  
  To run non-interactive Emacs functions, use M-ESC instead and type a
  Lisp form that invokes the function (see question 82).
  
6: What do things like this mean: etc/SERVICE, src/config.h,
 lisp/default.el?
  
  These are the names of files that are part of the GNU Emacs
  distribution.  The GNU Emacs distribution is divided into several
  subdirectories; the important subdirectories are named "etc", "lisp",
  and "src".
  
  If you use GNU Emacs, but don't know where it is kept on your system,
  start Emacs, then type "C-h v exec-directory RET".  The directory name
  that is displayed by this will be the full pathname of the "etc"
  directory of your installed GNU Emacs distribution.
  
  Some of these files are available individually via FTP or e-mail, see
  question 17.
  
7: What are FSF, LPF, OSF, GNU, RMS, FTP, BTW, and GPL?
  
  FSF == Free Software Foundation
  LPF == League for Programming Freedom
  OSF == Open Software Foundation
  GNU == GNU's Not Unix
  RMS == Richard Matthew Stallman
  FTP == File Transfer Protocol
  BTW == By the way
  GPL == GNU General Public Licence
  
  NOTE: Avoid confusing the FSF, the LPF, and the OSF.  The LPF opposes
  look-and-feel copyrights and software patents.  The FSF aims to make
  high quality free software available for everyone.  The OSF is a
  commercial organization which wants to provide an alternative,
  standardized version of Unix not controlled by AT&T.
  
  WARNING: The word "free" in the title of the Free Software Foundation
  refers to "freedom", not "zero dollars".  Anyone can charge any price
  for GPL-covered software that they want to.  However, in practice, the
  freedom enforced by the GPL leads to low or nonexistent prices, because
  you can always get the software for less money from someone else,
  because everyone has the right to resell or give away GPL-covered
  software.
  


Sources of Information and Help

8: I'm just starting GNU Emacs; how do I do basic editing?
  
  Type "C-h t" to invoke the self-paced tutorial.  Typing just C-h is
  how to enter the help system.
  
  WARNING: your system administrator may have changed C-h to act like DEL.
  You can use M-x help-for-help instead to invoke help.  To discover what
  key (if any) invokes help on your system, type "M-x where-is RET
  help-for-help RET".  This will print a comma-separated list of key
  sequences in the echo area.  Ignore the last character in each key
  sequence listed.  Each of the resulting key sequences invokes help.
  
  NOTE: Emacs's help facility works best if help is invoked by a single
  key.  The variable help-char should hold the value of this character.
  
9: How do I find out how to do something in GNU Emacs?
  
  There are several methods for finding out how to do things in Emacs.
  
  You should become familiar with the online documentation for Emacs.  The
  complete text of the Emacs manual is available online in a hypertext
  format via the "Info" manual reader.  Type "C-h i" to invoke Info.
  
  You can order a hardcopy of the manual from the FSF.  See question 12.
  
  You can get a printed reference card listing commands and keys to invoke
  them.  You can order one from the FSF for $1 (or 10 for $5), or you can
  print your own from the etc/refcard.tex file in the Emacs distribution.
  
  You can list all of the commands whose names contain a certain word
  (actually which match a regular expression) using the "command-apropos"
  command.  Type "C-h a" to invoke this command.
  
  You can list all of the functions and variables whose names contain a
  certain word using the "apropos" command.  M-x apropos invokes this
  command.
  
  There are many other commands in Emacs for getting help and information.
  To get a list of these commands, type "C-h C-h C-h".
  
  NOTE: You may find that command-apropos and apropos are extremely slow
  on your system.  This will be fixed in Emacs 19.  If you can't wait that
  long, there is a "fast-apropos.el" file available that contains the fix.
  This file also contains a "super-apropos" command that will list all the
  functions and variables whose documentation strings contain a certain
  word.
  
10: Where can I get GNU Emacs on the net (or by snail mail)?
  
  Look in the files etc/DISTRIB and etc/FTP for information on nearby
  archive sites.  If you don't already have GNU Emacs, see question
  17 for how to get these two files.
  
  The latest version is always available via anonymous FTP at MIT
  (prep.ai.mit.edu:/pub/gnu/emacs-18.57.tar.Z).
  
11: Where can I get help in installing GNU Emacs?
  
  Look in the file etc/SERVICE for names of companies and individuals who
  will sell you this type of service.  An up-to-date version of the
  SERVICE file is available on prep.ai.mit.edu.  See question 17
  for how to retrieve this file.
  
12: How do I get a printed copy of the GNU Emacs manual?
  
  You can order a printed copy of the GNU Emacs manual from the FSF for
  $20.  For 6 or more manuals the price is $13 each.
  
  The full TeX source for the manual also comes in the "man" directory of
  the Emacs distribution, if you're daring enough to try to print out this
  300 page manual yourself.  If you order it from the FSF, the price may
  be tax-deductible as a business expense.)
  
  If you absolutely have to print your own copy, and you don't have TeX,
  you can get a PostScript version via anonymous FTP
  (ab20.larc.nasa.gov:/pub/docs/emacs-18.57.PS.Z, size: 466K, also
  cs.ubc.ca:/src/gnu/manuals_ps/emacs-18.57.ps.Z, which site requests that
  you please CONFINE ANY MAJOR FTPING TO LATE EVENINGS OR EARLY MORNINGS
  OUR TIME (pacific time zone, GMT-8)).
  
  If you don't have TeX you can convert the Texinfo sources into
  {t,n,ps}roff format with the "texi2roff" program, which is available via
  anonymous FTP (tut.cis.ohio-state.edu:/pub/gnu/texi2roff/texi2roff.shar.Z)
  
  Carl Witty <cwitty@cs.stanford.edu> writes:
  
  The Emacs manual is also available online in the Info system, which is
  available by typing "C-h i".  In this form, it has hypertext links and
  is very easy to browse or search; many people prefer it to the printed
  manual.
  
13: Has someone written an GNU Emacs Lisp package that does XXX?
  
  Probably.  A listing of Emacs Lisp packages, called the Lisp Code
  Directory, is being maintained by Dave Brennan <brennan@dg-rtp.dg.com>.
  You can search through this list to find if someone has written
  something that fits your needs.
  
  This list is file "LCD-datafile.Z" in the Emacs Lisp Archive.  (See
  question 14.)  The files "lispdir.el.Z" and "lispdir.doc.Z"
  in the archive contain information to help you use the list.
  
14: Where can I get GNU Emacs Lisp packages that don't come with Emacs?
  
  First, check the Lisp Code Directory to find the name of the package you
  are looking for.  (See question 13).  Then check local archives and
  the Emacs Lisp Archive to find a copy of the relevant files.  Then, if
  you still haven't found it, you can send e-mail to the author asking for
  a copy.
  
  You can access the Emacs Lisp Archive via anonymous FTP
  (tut.cis.ohio-state.edu:/pub/gnu/emacs/elisp-archive/).  Fetch the file
  "README.Z" first.
  
  NOTE: Any files with names ending in ".Z" are compressed, and you should
  use "binary" mode in FTP to retrieve them.  You should also use binary
  mode whenever you retrieve any files with names ending in ".elc".
  
15: How do I submit code to the Emacs Lisp Archive?
  
  Submissions for the archive should be sent to Dave Sill <de5@ornl.gov>.
  If you have ftp access, the submission can be deposited in the directory
  /pub/gnu/emacs/elisp-archive/incoming on tut.cis.ohio-state.edu.
  Whenever possible submissions should contain an LCD-datafile entry since
  this helps reduce administrative overhead for the maintainers.  Before
  submitting anything, first read the file "guidelines.Z", which is
  available in the archive.
  
  The format of an LCD-datafile entry is this:
  
    Name|Author|Contact|Description|Date|Version|Archive
  
  Here is an example:
  
    1char|Bard Bloom|bard@theory.lcs.mit.edu|Help fixing typos.|90-07-13||~/misc/1char.el.Z
  
16: Where can I get documentation on GNU Emacs Lisp?
  
  Obtain the GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual for Emacs 18 under Unix.  It
  is available from the FSF for $50 (or 5 for $200).  The latest revision
  available for FTP is edition 1.03 dated 28 January 1991.
  
  Within Emacs, you can type "C-h f" to get the documentation for a
  function, "C-h v" for a variable.
  
  Also, as a popular USENET saying goes, "Use the Force, Read the Source".
  
  You can also get the Texinfo source for the manual, if you are daring
  enough to try to print this 550 page manual out yourself.  This is
  available in the Emacs Lisp Archive and also via anonymous FTP
  (prep.ai.mit.edu:/pub/gnu/elisp.tar.Z).
  
  A set of pregenerated Info files comes with the Texinfo source for the
  Emacs Lisp manual, so you don't have to format it yourself for online
  use.  (You can create the Info files from the Texinfo source.)  See
  question 22 for details on how to install these files online.
  
17: What informational files are available for GNU Emacs?
  
  This isn't a frequently asked question, but it should be!  A variety of
  informational files about GNU Emacs and relevant aspects of the GNU
  project are available for you to read.
  
  The following files are available in the "etc" directory of the GNU
  Emacs distribution, and also the latest versions are available
  individually via anonymous FTP (prep.ai.mit.edu:/pub/gnu/etc/):
  
    APPLE -- Why the FSF doen't support GNU Emacs on Apple computers
    DISTRIB -- GNU Emacs Availability Information,
      including the popular "Free Software Foundation Order Form"
    FTP -- How to get GNU Software by Internet FTP or by UUCP
    GNU -- The GNU Manifesto
    INTERVIEW -- Richard Stallman discusses his public-domain
		       UNIX-compatible software system
			      with BYTE editors
    MACHINES -- Status of GNU Emacs on Various Machines and Systems
    MAILINGLISTS -- GNU Project Electronic Mailing Lists
    SERVICE -- GNU Service Directory
    SUN-SUPPORT -- includes the popular "Using Emacstool with GNU Emacs"
  
  These files are available in the "etc" directory of the GNU Emacs
  distribution:
  
    DIFF -- Differences between GNU Emacs and Twenex Emacs
    CCADIFF -- Differences between GNU Emacs and CCA Emacs
    GOSDIFF -- Differences between GNU Emacs and Gosling (Unipress??) Emacs
    COPYING -- GNU Emacs General Public License
    NEWS -- GNU Emacs News, a history of user-visible changes
    LPF -- Why you should join the League for Programming Freedom
    FAQ -- GNU Emacs Frequently Asked Questions (You're reading it)
    OPTIONS -- a complete explanation of startup option handling
  
  These files are available via anonymous FTP (prep.ai.mit.edu:/pub/gnu/):
  
    tasks -- GNU Task List
    standards.text -- GNU Coding Standards
  
  In addition, all of the above files are available directly from the FSF
  via e-mail.  Of course, please try to get them from a local source
  first.
  
  These additional files are available from the FSF via e-mail:
  
    * GNU's Bulletin, January, 1991 -- this file includes:
	GNU'S Who
	What Is the Free Software Foundation?
	What Is Copyleft?
	GNUs Flashes
	Free Software Support
        "Protect Your Freedom to Write Programs" by Richard Stallman
	GNU Project Status Report
        "Help Keep Government Software Free" by Richard Stallman
	GNU Documentation
	GNU Wish List
	GNU Software Available Now
	   Contents of the Emacs Tape
	   Contents of the Compiler Tape
	   Contents of the X11 Tapes
	   VMS Emacs and Compiler Tapes
	How to Get GNU Software
        Free Software for MS-DOS
           GNUish MS-DOS project
           Freemacs, an Extensible Editor for MS-DOS
        GNU in Japan
	Thank GNUs
	FSF Order Form
    * Legal issues about contributing code to GNU
    * GNU Project Status Report
  
18: What is the current address of the FSF?
  
  Snail mail address:
    Free Software Foundation, Inc.
    675 Massachusetts Avenue
    Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
  
  Phone number:
    (617) 876-3296
  
  E-mail addresses:
    gnu@prep.ai.mit.edu {probably read by Len Tower}
    gnulists@prep
  
19: What is the current address of the LPF?
  
  Snail mail address:
    League for Programming Freedom
    1 Kendall Square, Number 143
    Post Office Box 9171
    Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
  
  Phone number:
    (617) 243-4061 { or 243-4091, I'm not sure ... }
  
  E-mail address:
    league@prep.ai.mit.edu
  
20: Where can I get the up-to-date GNU stuff?
  
  The most up-to-date official GNU stuff is normally kept on
  prep.ai.mit.edu and is available for anonymous FTP.  See the files
  etc/DISTRIB and etc/FTP for more information.  (To get copies of these
  files, see question 17.)
  
21: Where can I get the latest VM, Supercite, GNUS, Calc, Calendar, Ispell,
 or Patch?
  
  * VM:
  
    Author: Kyle Jones <kyle@uunet.uu.net>
  
    Mailing lists: info-vm-request@uunet.uu.net
		   info-vm@uunet.uu.net
		   bug-vm-request@uunet.uu.net
		   bug-vm@uunet.uu.net
  
    Anonymous FTP:
  
    Latest released version: 4.41
    tut.cis.ohio-state.edu:/pub/gnu/emacs/elisp-archive/packages/vm-4.41.tar.Z
    ab20.larc.nasa.gov:/pub/vm/vm-4.41.tar.Z
  
    Beta test version: 5.31
    ab20.larc.nasa.gov:/pub/vm/{vm-5.31,timer}.tar.Z
  
  * Supercite:
  
    Author: Barry Warsaw <warsaw@warsaw.nlm.nih.gov>
  
    Mailing lists: supercite@warsaw.nlm.nih.gov
		   supercite-request@warsaw.nlm.nih.gov
  
    Anonymous FTP:
    Latest version: 2.1
    durer.cme.nist.gov:/pub/gnu/elisp/supercite-2.1.shar.0{1,2}
  
    E-mail:
    To: library@cme.nist.gov
    Subject: help
  
    NOTE: Superyank is an old version of Supercite.
  
  * GNUS:
  
    Author: Masanobu Umeda <umerin@mse.kyutech.ac.jp>
  
    Anonymous FTP:
    Latest version: 3.13
    tut.cis.ohio-state.edu:
      /pub/gnu/emacs/elisp-archive/packages/gnus-3.13.tar.Z
  
  * Calc:
  
    Author: Dave Gillespie <daveg@csvax.cs.caltech.edu>
  
    Anonymous FTP:
  
    Latest released version: 1.07
    csvax.cs.caltech.edu:/pub/calc-1.07.tar.Z
  
    Beta test version: 1.08
    csvax.cs.caltech.edu:/pub/calc-1.08beta1.tar.Z
  
  * Calendar/Diary
  
    Author: Ed Reingold <reingold@cs.uiuc.edu>
  
    Latest version: 4
  
    E-mail:
    To: reingold@cs.uiuc.edu
    Subject: send-emacs-cal
    body: your best internet e-mail address
  
  * Ispell
  
    Latest version: 2.0.02
  
    Anonymous FTP:
    tut.cis.ohio-state.edu:/pub/gnu/ispell/*
  
  * Patch
  
    Author: Larry Wall <lwall@jpl-devvax.jpl.nasa.gov>
  
    Latest version: 2.0 patchlevel 12u3
  
    This is the version that supports the new "unified" diff format.
  
    Anonymous FTP:
    prep.ai.mit.edu:/pub/gnu/patch-2.0.12u3.tar.Z
  
22: How do I install a piece of Texinfo documentation?
  
  First create Info files from the Texinfo files with the "makeinfo"
  program.  The texinfo-format-buffer command is currently obsolete.
  makeinfo is available as part of the latest Texinfo package
  (prep.ai.mit.edu:/pub/gnu/texinfo-2.05.tar.Z).  It also comes with
  Emacs, but several include files are missing.
  
  For information about the Texinfo format, read the Texinfo manual which
  comes with Emacs.  This manual also comes installed in Info format, so
  you can read it online.
  
  Neither texinfo-format-buffer nor the makeinfo program install the
  resulting Info files in Emacs's Info tree.  To install Info files:
  
  1. Move the files to the "info" directory in the installed Emacs
     distribution.  See question 6 if you don't know where that
     is.
  
  2. Edit the file info/dir in the installed Emacs distribution, and add a
     line for the top level node in the Info package that you are
     installing.
  
  If you want to install Info files and you don't have the necessary
  privileges, you have two options:
  
  1. Info files don't actually need to be installed.  You can feed a file
     name to the Info-goto-node command (invoked by pressing "g" in Info
     mode) by typing the name of the file in parentheses.  This goes to
     the node named "Top" in that file.  For example, to view a Info file
     named "XXX" in your home directory, you can type this:
  
       C-h i g (~/XXX) RET
  
  2. You can create your own Info directory.  You can tell Emacs where the
     Info directory is by setting the value of the variable Info-directory
     to its pathname.  For example, to use a private Info directory which
     is a subdirectory of your home directory named "Info", you could do
     this:
  
       (setq Info-directory (expand-file-name "~/Info"))
  
     You will need a top-level Info file named "dir" in this directory.
     You can include the system-wide Info directory in your private Info
     directory with symbolic links or by copying it.
  
23: Can I view Info files without using GNU Emacs?
  
  Yes, the "info" and "xinfo" programs do this.  You can get "info" as
  part of the latest Texinfo package (see question 22).  "xinfo" is
  available separately (prep.ai.mit.edu:/pub/gnu/xinfo-1.01.01.tar.Z).
  
24: What is the real legal meaning of the GNU copyleft?
  
  RMS writes:
  
  The legal meaning of the GNU copyleft is less important than the spirit,
  which is that Emacs is a free software project and that work pertaining
  to Emacs should also be free software.  "Free" means that all users have
  the freedom to study, share, change and improve Emacs.  To make sure
  everyone has this freedom, pass along source code when you distribute
  any version of Emacs or a related program, and give the recipients the
  same freedom that you enjoyed.
  
  If you still want to find out about the legal meaning of the copyleft,
  please ask yourself if this means you are not paying attention to the
  spirit.
  
25: What are appropriate messages for gnu.emacs.help/gnu.emacs.bug/comp.emacs
 etc.?
  
  The file etc/MAILINGLISTS discusses the purpose of each GNU
  mailing-list.  (See question 17 on how to get a copy.)  For
  those which are gatewayed with newsgroups, it lists both the newsgroup
  name and the mailing list address.
  
  comp.emacs is for discussion of Emacs programs in general.  This
  includes GNU Emacs along with various other implementations like JOVE,
  MicroEmacs, Freemacs, MG, Unipress, CCA, etc.
  
  Many people post GNU Emacs questions to comp.emacs because they don't
  receive any of the gnu.* newsgroups.  Arguments have been made both for
  and against posting GNU-Emacs-specific material to comp.emacs.  You have
  to decide for yourself.
  
26: How do I unsubscribe to this mailing list?
  
  If you are receiving a GNU mailing list named "XXX", you might be able
  to unsubscribe to it by sending a request to the address
  "XXX-request@prep.ai.mit.edu".  However, this will not work if you are
  not listed on the main mailing list, but instead recieve the mail from a
  distribution point.  In that case, you will have to track down at which
  distribution point you are listed.  Inspecting the "Received:" headers
  on the mail messages may help, along with liberal use of the "EXPN" and
  "VRFY" sendmail commands through "telnet <site-address> smtp".  Ask your
  postmaster for help.
  
27: What is the LPF and why should I join it?
  
  The LPF opposes the expanding danger of software patents and
  look-and-feel copyrights.  Write to league@prep.ai.mit.edu for more
  information.  You can get papers describing the LPF's views via
  anonymous FTP (prep.ai.mit.edu:/pub/lpf/*) or via anonymous UUCP
  (osu-cis!~/lpf/*).
  


GNU Emacs, all its Variants, and other Editors

28: Where does the name "Emacs" come from?
  
  EMACS originally was an acronym for Editor MACroS.  The first Emacs was
  a set of macros written by Richard Stallman and Guy Steele for the
  editor TECO (Text Editor and COrrector (originally Tape Editor and
  COrrector)) on a PDP-10.  (Amusing fact: many people have told me that
  TECO code looks a lot like line noise.  See alt.lang.teco if you are
  interested.)
  
29: What is the latest version of GNU Emacs?
  
  GNU Emacs 18.57.
  
30: When will GNU Emacs 19 be available?
  
  Good question, I don't know.  For that matter, neither do the
  developers.  It will undoubtedly be available sometime in the 1990s.
  
31: What will be different about GNU Emacs 19?
  
  From the latest "GNU's Bulletin":
  
  Version 19 approaches release, counting among its new features: before
  and after change hooks, source-level Lisp debugging, X selection
  processing, including clipboard selections, scrollbars, support for
  European character sets, floating point numbers, per-buffer mouse
  commands, interfacing with the X resource manager, mouse-tracking,
  Lisp-level binding of function keys, and multiple X windows (`screens'
  to Emacs).
  
  Thanks go to Alan Carroll and the people who worked on Epoch for
  generating initial feedback to a multi-windowed Emacs.  Emacs 19
  supports two styles of multiple windows, one with a separate screen for
  the minibuffer, and another with a minibuffer attached to each screen.
  
  A couple of other features of Emacs 19 are buffer allocation, which uses
  a new mechanism capable of returning storage to the system when a buffer
  is killed, and a new input system---all input now arrives in the form of
  Lisp objects.
  
  Other features being considered for later releases of Emacs 19 include:
  associating property lists with regions of text in a buffer; multiple
  font, color, and pixmaps defined by those properties; different
  visibility conditions for the regions, and for various windows showing
  one buffer; hooks to be run if point or mouse moves outside a certain
  range; incrementally saving undo history in a file; static menu bars;
  and better pop-up menus.
  
  Mention of these two items disappeared from the latest GNU's bulletin:
  
  * Incremental syntax analysis for various programming languages (Leif).
  * A more sophisticated emacsclient/server model, which would provide
    network transparent Emacs widget functionality.
  
32: Is there an Emacs that has better mouse and X window support?
  
  Emacs 18 has some limited X Window System support, but there are
  problems.  Emacs 19 will have amazing mouse and window support.  Right
  now, there is a modified version of Emacs 18.55 called "Epoch" which has
  greatly improved mouse and window support.  The latest version of Epoch
  is available via anonymous FTP
  (cs.uiuc.edu:/pub/epoch-files/epoch/epoch-3.2b, b stands for beta).
  
  NOTE: Epoch only works with the X Window System; it does not work on
  ordinary terminals.
  
33: How do I get Emacs for my PC?
  
  GNU Emacs won't run on a PC directly under MS-DOS.  There have been
  reports of people running GNU Emacs under a special program under MS-DOS
  on 286 or 386 machines, but I don't know the details.
  
  You can try a variety of similar programs such as MG, MicroEmacs,
  Freemacs, etc.
  
  Russ Nelson <nelson@sun.soe.clarkson.edu>, the author, describes
  Freemacs:
  
  * Freemacs is free, and it was designed from the start to be
    programmable.
  * Freemacs is the only IBM-PC editor that tries to be like GNU Emacs.
  * Freemacs can only edit files less than 64K in length.
  * Freemacs doesn't have undo.
  
  Carl Witty <cwitty@cs.stanford.edu> describes Freemacs:
  
  Better is Freemacs, which follows the tradition of ITS and GNU Emacs
  by having an full, turing-complete extension language which is
  incompatible with everything else.  In fact, it's even closer to ITS
  Emacs than GNU Emacs is, because Mint (Freemacs' extension language)
  is absolutely illegible without weeks of study, much like TECO.
  
  The latest version of Freemacs is 16a {???}.
  
  You can get Freemacs several ways:
  
  1. Anonymous FTP:
     simtel20.army.mil:PD:<MSDOS.FREEMACS>
     grape.ecs.clarkson.edu:/pub/msdos/freemacs/
  
  2. E-mail:
     address: archive-server@sun.soe.clarkson.edu
     body: help
  
  3. Snail mail:
     address: Russell Nelson, 11 Grant St., Potsdam, NY 13676
     Send $15 copying fee, and specify preferred floppy disk format:
       5.25", 360K, or 3.50", 720K
  
  There is a mailing list for Freemacs.  {Is it operational yet?}  To
  subscribe, send e-mail:
  
    address: listserv@clvm.bitnet
    body: SUBSCRIBE FREEMACS Firstname Lastname
  
  MicroEmacs is programmable in a BASIC-like language.  The author is
  Daniel Lawrence <dan@midas.mgmt.purdue.edu, nwd@j.cc.purdue.edu,
  dan@mdbs.uucp>.  Many of the keybindings are different from GNU Emacs.
  The latest version is 3.10 and it is available via anonymous FTP
  (durer.cme.nist.gov).
  
  Another Emacs for small machines is JOVE (Jonathan's Own Version of
  Emacs).  The latest official version is 4.14.  There appears to be a
  newer version.  People rumored to be working on JOVE include Mark Moraes
  at cs.toronto.edu and Bill Marsh <bmarsh@cod.nosc.mil>.  It is available
  via anonymous FTP (cs.rochester.edu:/pub/jove.tar.4.14.Z).
  
  Yet another Emacs is "mg", which used to stand for MicroGNUEmacs, but
  now just stands for "mg".  It is also available via anonymous FTP
  (snow.white.toronto.edu).
  
34: Where can I get Emacs for my Atari ST?
  
  The latest version for the ST is available via anonymous FTP
  (cs.uni-sb.de:/pub/atari/emacs/).
  
35: Where can I get Emacs with NeWS support?
  
  Chris Maio's NeWS support package for GNU Emacs is available via
  anonymous FTP (columbia.edu/pub/ps-emacs.tar.Z,
  tut.cis.ohio-state.edu:/pub/gnu/emacs/ps-emacs.tar.Z).
  


Binding Keys to Commands

36: Why does my key binding fail?
  
  Most likely, it failed because "ESC [" was already defined.  Evaluate
  this form first:
  
    (define-key esc-map "[" nil)
  
37: Why doesn't this [terminal or window-system setup] code work in my
 .emacs file, but it works just fine after Emacs starts up?
  
  This is because you're trying to do something in your .emacs file that
  needs to be postponed until after the terminal/window-system setup code
  is loaded.  This is a result of the order in which things are done
  during the startup of Emacs.
  
  In order to postpone the execution of Emacs Lisp code until after the
  terminal/window-system setup, set the value of the variable
  term-setup-hook or window-setup-hook to be a function which does what
  you want.
  
  See etc/OPTIONS for a complete explanation of what Emacs does every time
  it is started.
  
  Here is a simple example of how to set term-setup-hook:
  
    (setq term-setup-hook
	  (function
	   (lambda ()
	     (if (string-match "^vt220" (or (getenv "TERM") ""))
		 ;; Make vt220's "Do" key behave like M-x:
		 (define-key CSI-map "29~" 'execute-extended-command)))))
  
38: How do I use function keys under X Windows?
  
  This depends on whether you are running Emacs inside a terminal emulator
  window, or whether you are allowing Emacs to create its own X window.
  You can tell which you are doing by noticing whether Emacs creates a new
  window when you start it.  The following description only applies when
  Emacs has its own X window.
  
  WARNING: I am about to describe a gross, disgusting hack to you.
  
  If compiled on a Sun, Emacs recognizes these X "keysyms" that are
  normally on a Sun keyboard:
  
    F1 through F9
    L1 through L10 (same as F11 through F20)
    R1 through R15 (same as F21 through F35)
    Break (the "Alternate" key is given this keysym)
    Up, Down, Right, Left (the arrow keys, R??, R??, R??, and R??)
  
  When Emacs sees one of the arrow keys, it behaves as though a control
  key had been pressed instead, like this:
  
    Up    becomes C-p
    Down  becomes C-n
    Right becomes C-f
    Left  becomes C-b
  
  The rest of the keys work like Sun function keys.  Each function key
  will generate a key sequence that looks like "ESC [ ### z", where ### is
  replaced by a number.  The key sequences are identical to those
  generated by Sun's keyboard under SunView.  Any function key not listed
  above generates "ESC [ - 1 z".
  
  If not compiled on a Sun, the function keys will appear to Emacs in a
  way remarkably similar to the keys of a DEC LK201 keyboard (used on some
  VT series terminals).  The arrow keys work the same as above.  These X
  keysyms will be recognized:
  
    F1 through F20
    Help (treated same as F15)
    Menu (treated same as F16, is the LK201 "Do" key)
    Find
    Insert (LK201 "Insert Here" key)
    Select
    Up, Down, Right, Left (LK201 arrow keys)
  
  These keysyms are supposed to be recognized, but they are not due to a
  bug:
  
    Prior (LK201 "Prev Screen" key)
    Next (LK201 "Next Screen" key)
  
  And finally, the "Delete" keysym generates the DEL character (C-?)
  instead of the key sequence given by the LK201 "Remove" key.
  
  Each function key will generate a key sequence that looks like "ESC [ ##
  ~", where ## is replaced by a number.  The key sequences are identical
  to those generated by a LK201 keyboard.  Any function key not listed
  above generates "ESC [ - 1 z".
  
  For the complete list of the numbers which are generated by the function
  keys, look in the file src/x11term.c.
  
  If you are running Emacs on a Sun machine, even if your X display is
  running on a non-Sun machine (eg. X terminal), you get the setup
  described above for Suns.  The determining factor is what type of
  machine Emacs is running on, not what type of machine your X display is.
  You can use "xmodmap" to change your X keysym assignments to get keys
  listed above, but that may screw up other programs.
  
  If you have function keys not listed above and you don't want to use
  xmodmap to change their names, you might want to make a modification to
  your Emacs.  Johan Vromans <jv@mh.nl> explains:
  
  There are a number of tricks that can be helpful. The most elegant
  solution, however, is to use the function "x-rebind-key". This function
  is commented out in the source for good reasons --- it's buggy.
  
  It is rather easy to replace this function with the function
  epoch:rebind-key from the Epoch distribution.
  
  After implementing this, all keyboard keys can be configured to send
  user definable sequences, e.g.
  
      (x-rebind-key "KP_F1" 0 "\033OP")
  
  This will have the keypad key PF1 send the sequence \eOP, just like an
  ordinary VTxxx terminal.
  
  [This is what I do in my Emacs. -- jbw]
  
39: How do I tell what characters my function keys emit?
  
  Use this function by Randal L. Schwartz <merlyn@iwarp.intel.com>:
  
    (defun see-chars ()
      "Displays characters typed, terminated by a 3-second timeout."
      (interactive)
      (let ((chars "")
	    (inhibit-quit t))
	(message "Enter characters, terminated by 3-second timeout.")
	(while (not (sit-for 3))
	  (setq chars (concat chars (list (read-char)))
		quit-flag nil))		; quit-flag maybe set by C-g
	(message "Characters entered: %s" (key-description chars))))
  
40: Why does Emacs spontaneously go into "I-search:" mode?
  
  Your terminal (or something between your terminal and the computer) is
  sending C-s and C-q for flow control, and Emacs is receiving these
  characters and interpreting them as commands.  (The C-s character
  normally invokes the isearch-forward command.)
  
  For a more detailed discussion, read the file PROBLEMS in the Emacs
  distribution.
  
41: What do I do if my terminal is sending C-s and C-q for flow control and
 I can't disable it?
  
  Use this piece of Emacs Lisp:
  
    (set-input-mode nil t)
  
42: How do I make Emacs use C-s and C-q for flow control instead of for
 commands?
  
  Same answer as previous question.
  
43: Why does Emacs never see C-s and C-q through my network connection?
  
  Eirik Fuller <eirik@theory.tn.cornell.edu> writes:
  
  Some versions of rlogin (and possibly telnet) do not pass flow control
  characters to the remote system to which they connect.  On such systems,
  Emacs on the remote system cannot disable flow control on the local
  system.
  
  One way to cure this is to disable flow control on the local host (the
  one running rlogin, not the one running rlogind) using the stty command,
  before starting the rlogin process.  On many systems, "stty start u stop
  u" will do this.
  
  Sometimes "rlogin -8" will avoid this problem.
  
  Some versions of tcsh will prevent even this from working.  One way
  around this is to start another shell before starting rlogin, and issue
  the stty command to disable flow control from that shell.
  
44: How do I use commands bound to C-s and C-q (or any key) if these keys
 are filtered out?
  
  I suggest swapping C-s with C-\ and C-q with C-^:
  
    (swap-keys ?\C-s ?\C-\\)
    (swap-keys ?\C-q ?\C-^)
  
  See question 45 for the implementation of swap-keys.
  
45: How do I "swap" two keys?
  
  When Emacs receives a character, you can make Emacs behave as though it
  received another character by setting the value of
  keyboard-translate-table.  The following Emacs Lisp will do this for
  you, allowing you to "swap" keys.  After arranging for this Lisp to be
  evaluated by Emacs, you can evaluate "(swap-keys ?A ?B)" to swap A and
  B.
  
  WARNING: the value of C-g (7) is still hard coded in one place in the
  minibuffer code.  Thus, swapping C-g with another key may cause
  minor problems.
  
    (defun swap-keys (key1 key2)
      "Swap keys KEY1 and KEY2 using map-key."
      (map-key key1 key2)
      (map-key key2 key1))
  
    (defun map-key (from to)
      "Make key FROM behave as though key TO was typed instead."
      (setq keyboard-translate-table
	    (concat keyboard-translate-table
		    (let* ((i (length keyboard-translate-table))
			   (j from)
			   (k i)
			   (str (make-string (max 0 (- j (1- i))) ?X)))
		      (while (<= k j)
			(aset str (- k i) k)
			(setq k (1+ k)))
		      str)))
      (aset keyboard-translate-table from to)
      (let ((i (1- (length keyboard-translate-table))))
	(while (and (>= i 0) (eq (aref keyboard-translate-table i) i))
	  (setq i (1- i)))
	(setq keyboard-translate-table
	      (if (eq i -1) nil (substring keyboard-translate-table 0 (1+ i))))))
  
46: Why does the "Backspace" key invoke help?
  
  The Backspace key (on every keyboard I've used) sends ASCII code 8.  C-h
  sends the same code.  In Emacs by default C-h invokes "help-command".
  The easiest solution to this problem is to use C-h (and Backspace) for
  help and DEL (the Delete key) for deleting the previous character.
  
  For some people this solution may be problematic:
  
  1. They normally use Backspace outside of Emacs for deleting the
     previous character typed.  This can be solved by making DEL be the
     command for deleting the previous character outside of Emacs.  This
     command will do this on many Unix systems:
  
       stty erase '^?'
  
  2. The person may prefer using the Backspace key for deleting the
     previous character because it is more conveniently located on their
     keyboard or because they don't even have a separate Delete key.  In
     this case, the best solution is to swap C-h and DEL:
  
       (swap-keys ?\C-h ?\C-?)
  
     See question 45 for the implementation of swap-keys.
  
47: How do I type DEL on PC terminal emulators?
  
  Someone whose name I forgot wrote:
  
  Most PCs have deficient keyboards that don't have both Backspace and
  Delete keys.  Whether C-h (backspace) or DEL is generated by the
  "Backspace" key varies from one terminal emulator to another.  If you're
  lucky, you can reconfigure the keyboard so that it generates DEL.  If
  not, you will have to hunt to figure out what keystroke will do it ---
  possibilities include various shifted and controlled versions of
  "Backspace", the "Del" key on the numeric keypad (which might depend on
  "Shift" or "NumLock"), or perhaps C-? (Control-?).
  
  If this is too hard, you may want to swap the delete key with some other
  key.  See question 46.
  
48: Can I make my "Compose" key behave like a "Meta" key?
  
  In general, no.  However, the LK201 keyboard does send a code for
  Compose key up and key down, so if you're on an X workstation you might
  have luck using the "xmodmap" program.
  
49: How do I turn on the arrow keys for VT style terminals?
  
  Put this in your .emacs:
  
    (setq term-setup-hook
	  (function
	   (lambda ()
	     (if (fboundp 'enable-arrow-keys) (enable-arrow-keys)))))
  
  We put this in our lisp/default.el file, so users don't have to worry
  about it:
  
    (or term-setup-hook
	(setq term-setup-hook
	      (function
	       (lambda ()
		 (and (fboundp 'enable-arrow-keys)
		      (eq 'backward-paragraph (lookup-key esc-map "["))
		      (enable-arrow-keys))))))


---Continued---