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1 | @c This is part of the Emacs manual. |
2 | @c Copyright (C) 1985, 1986, 1987, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2002, | |
6ed161e1 | 3 | @c 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 Free Software Foundation, Inc. |
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4 | @c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions. |
5 | @node Emacs Invocation, X Resources, GNU Free Documentation License, Top | |
6 | @appendix Command Line Arguments for Emacs Invocation | |
7 | @cindex command line arguments | |
8 | @cindex arguments (command line) | |
9 | @cindex options (command line) | |
10 | @cindex switches (command line) | |
11 | @cindex startup (command line arguments) | |
12 | @cindex invocation (command line arguments) | |
13 | ||
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14 | Emacs supports command line arguments to request various actions |
15 | when invoking Emacs. These are for compatibility with other editors | |
16 | and for sophisticated activities. We don't recommend using them for | |
17 | ordinary editing (@xref{Emacs Server}, for a way to access an existing | |
18 | Emacs job from the command line). | |
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19 | |
20 | Arguments starting with @samp{-} are @dfn{options}, and so is | |
21 | @samp{+@var{linenum}}. All other arguments specify files to visit. | |
22 | Emacs visits the specified files while it starts up. The last file | |
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23 | specified on the command line becomes the current buffer; the other |
24 | files are also visited in other buffers. As with most programs, the | |
25 | special argument @samp{--} says that all subsequent arguments are file | |
26 | names, not options, even if they start with @samp{-}. | |
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27 | |
28 | Emacs command options can specify many things, such as the size and | |
29 | position of the X window Emacs uses, its colors, and so on. A few | |
30 | options support advanced usage, such as running Lisp functions on files | |
31 | in batch mode. The sections of this chapter describe the available | |
32 | options, arranged according to their purpose. | |
33 | ||
34 | There are two ways of writing options: the short forms that start with | |
35 | a single @samp{-}, and the long forms that start with @samp{--}. For | |
36 | example, @samp{-d} is a short form and @samp{--display} is the | |
37 | corresponding long form. | |
38 | ||
39 | The long forms with @samp{--} are easier to remember, but longer to | |
40 | type. However, you don't have to spell out the whole option name; any | |
41 | unambiguous abbreviation is enough. When a long option takes an | |
42 | argument, you can use either a space or an equal sign to separate the | |
43 | option name and the argument. Thus, you can write either | |
44 | @samp{--display sugar-bombs:0.0} or @samp{--display=sugar-bombs:0.0}. | |
45 | We recommend an equal sign because it makes the relationship clearer, | |
46 | and the tables below always show an equal sign. | |
47 | ||
48 | @cindex initial options (command line) | |
49 | @cindex action options (command line) | |
50 | @vindex command-line-args | |
51 | Most options specify how to initialize Emacs, or set parameters for | |
52 | the Emacs session. We call them @dfn{initial options}. A few options | |
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53 | specify things to do, such as loading libraries or calling Lisp |
54 | functions. These are called @dfn{action options}. These and file | |
55 | names together are called @dfn{action arguments}. The action | |
56 | arguments are stored as a list of strings in the variable | |
57 | @code{command-line-args}. (Actually, when Emacs starts up, | |
58 | @code{command-line-args} contains all the arguments passed from the | |
59 | command line; during initialization, the initial arguments are removed | |
60 | from this list when they are processed, leaving only the action | |
61 | arguments.) | |
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62 | |
63 | @menu | |
64 | * Action Arguments:: Arguments to visit files, load libraries, | |
65 | and call functions. | |
66 | * Initial Options:: Arguments that take effect while starting Emacs. | |
67 | * Command Example:: Examples of using command line arguments. | |
68 | * Resume Arguments:: Specifying arguments when you resume a running Emacs. | |
69 | * Environment:: Environment variables that Emacs uses. | |
70 | * Display X:: Changing the default display and using remote login. | |
71 | * Font X:: Choosing a font for text, under X. | |
72 | * Colors:: Choosing display colors. | |
73 | * Window Size X:: Start-up window size, under X. | |
74 | * Borders X:: Internal and external borders, under X. | |
75 | * Title X:: Specifying the initial frame's title. | |
76 | * Icons X:: Choosing what sort of icon to use, under X. | |
77 | * Misc X:: Other display options. | |
78 | @end menu | |
79 | ||
80 | @node Action Arguments | |
81 | @appendixsec Action Arguments | |
82 | ||
63961e6a | 83 | Here is a table of action arguments: |
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84 | |
85 | @table @samp | |
86 | @item @var{file} | |
87 | @opindex --file | |
88 | @itemx --file=@var{file} | |
89 | @opindex --find-file | |
90 | @itemx --find-file=@var{file} | |
91 | @opindex --visit | |
92 | @itemx --visit=@var{file} | |
93 | @cindex visiting files, command-line argument | |
94 | @vindex inhibit-startup-buffer-menu | |
95 | Visit @var{file} using @code{find-file}. @xref{Visiting}. | |
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96 | |
97 | When Emacs starts up, it displays the startup buffer in one window, | |
98 | and the buffer visiting @var{file} in another window | |
99 | (@pxref{Windows}). If you supply more than one file argument, the | |
100 | displayed file is the last one specified on the command line; the | |
101 | other files are visited but their buffers are not shown. | |
102 | ||
103 | If the startup buffer is disabled (@pxref{Entering Emacs}), then | |
104 | @var{file} is visited in a single window if one file argument was | |
105 | supplied; with two file arguments, Emacs displays the files in two | |
106 | different windows; with more than two file argument, Emacs displays | |
107 | the last file specified in one window, plus a Buffer Menu in a | |
108 | different window (@pxref{Several Buffers}). To inhibit using the | |
109 | Buffer Menu for this, change the variable | |
110 | @code{inhibit-startup-buffer-menu} to @code{t}. | |
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111 | |
112 | @item +@var{linenum} @var{file} | |
113 | @opindex +@var{linenum} | |
114 | Visit @var{file} using @code{find-file}, then go to line number | |
115 | @var{linenum} in it. | |
116 | ||
117 | @item +@var{linenum}:@var{columnnum} @var{file} | |
118 | Visit @var{file} using @code{find-file}, then go to line number | |
119 | @var{linenum} and put point at column number @var{columnnum}. | |
120 | ||
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121 | @item -l @var{file} |
122 | @opindex -l | |
123 | @itemx --load=@var{file} | |
124 | @opindex --load | |
125 | @cindex loading Lisp libraries, command-line argument | |
126 | Load a Lisp library named @var{file} with the function @code{load}. | |
127 | @xref{Lisp Libraries}. If @var{file} is not an absolute file name, | |
128 | the library can be found either in the current directory, or in the | |
129 | Emacs library search path as specified with @env{EMACSLOADPATH} | |
130 | (@pxref{General Variables}). | |
131 | ||
132 | @strong{Warning:} If previous command-line arguments have visited | |
133 | files, the current directory is the directory of the last file | |
134 | visited. | |
135 | ||
136 | @item -L @var{dir} | |
137 | @opindex -L | |
138 | @itemx --directory=@var{dir} | |
139 | @opindex --directory | |
140 | Add directory @var{dir} to the variable @code{load-path}. | |
141 | ||
142 | @item -f @var{function} | |
143 | @opindex -f | |
144 | @itemx --funcall=@var{function} | |
145 | @opindex --funcall | |
146 | @cindex call Lisp functions, command-line argument | |
147 | Call Lisp function @var{function}. If it is an interactive function | |
148 | (a command), it reads the arguments interactively just as if you had | |
149 | called the same function with a key sequence. Otherwise, it calls the | |
150 | function with no arguments. | |
151 | ||
152 | @item --eval=@var{expression} | |
153 | @opindex --eval | |
154 | @itemx --execute=@var{expression} | |
155 | @opindex --execute | |
156 | @cindex evaluate expression, command-line argument | |
157 | Evaluate Lisp expression @var{expression}. | |
158 | ||
159 | @item --insert=@var{file} | |
160 | @opindex --insert | |
161 | @cindex insert file contents, command-line argument | |
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162 | Insert the contents of @var{file} into the @samp{*scratch*} buffer |
163 | (@pxref{Lisp Interaction}). This is like what @kbd{M-x insert-file} | |
164 | does (@pxref{Misc File Ops}). | |
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165 | |
166 | @item --kill | |
167 | @opindex --kill | |
168 | Exit from Emacs without asking for confirmation. | |
169 | ||
170 | @item --help | |
171 | @opindex --help | |
172 | Print a usage message listing all available options, then exit | |
173 | successfully. | |
174 | ||
175 | @item --version | |
176 | @opindex --version | |
177 | Print Emacs version, then exit successfully. | |
178 | @end table | |
179 | ||
180 | @node Initial Options | |
181 | @appendixsec Initial Options | |
182 | ||
183 | The initial options specify parameters for the Emacs session. This | |
184 | section describes the more general initial options; some other options | |
185 | specifically related to the X Window System appear in the following | |
186 | sections. | |
187 | ||
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188 | Some initial options affect the loading of the initialization file. |
189 | The normal actions of Emacs are to first load @file{site-start.el} if | |
190 | it exists, then your own initialization file @file{~/.emacs} if it | |
191 | exists, and finally @file{default.el} if it exists. @xref{Init File}. | |
192 | Certain options prevent loading of some of these files or substitute | |
193 | other files for them. | |
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194 | |
195 | @table @samp | |
196 | @item -t @var{device} | |
197 | @opindex -t | |
198 | @itemx --terminal=@var{device} | |
199 | @opindex --terminal | |
200 | @cindex device for Emacs terminal I/O | |
201 | Use @var{device} as the device for terminal input and output. | |
202 | @samp{--terminal} implies @samp{--no-window-system}. | |
203 | ||
204 | @item -d @var{display} | |
205 | @opindex -d | |
206 | @itemx --display=@var{display} | |
207 | @opindex --display | |
208 | @cindex display for Emacs frame | |
209 | Use the X Window System and use the display named @var{display} to open | |
210 | the initial Emacs frame. @xref{Display X}, for more details. | |
211 | ||
212 | @item -nw | |
213 | @opindex -nw | |
214 | @itemx --no-window-system | |
215 | @opindex --no-window-system | |
216 | @cindex disable window system | |
217 | Don't communicate directly with the window system, disregarding the | |
218 | @env{DISPLAY} environment variable even if it is set. This means that | |
219 | Emacs uses the terminal from which it was launched for all its display | |
220 | and input. | |
221 | ||
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222 | @cindex batch mode |
223 | @item -batch | |
224 | @opindex --batch | |
225 | @itemx --batch | |
226 | Run Emacs in @dfn{batch mode}. Batch mode is used for running | |
227 | programs written in Emacs Lisp from shell scripts, makefiles, and so | |
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228 | on. To invoke a Lisp program, use the @samp{-batch} option in |
229 | conjunction with one or more of @samp{-l}, @samp{-f} or @samp{--eval} | |
230 | (@pxref{Action Arguments}). @xref{Command Example}, for an example. | |
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231 | |
232 | In batch mode, Emacs does not display the text being edited, and the | |
233 | standard terminal interrupt characters such as @kbd{C-z} and @kbd{C-c} | |
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234 | have their usual effect. Emacs functions that normally print a |
235 | message in the echo area will print to either the standard output | |
236 | stream (@code{stdout}) or the standard error stream (@code{stderr}) | |
237 | instead. (To be precise, functions like @code{prin1}, @code{princ} | |
238 | and @code{print} print to @code{stdout}, while @code{message} and | |
239 | @code{error} print to @code{stderr}.) Functions that normally read | |
240 | keyboard input from the minibuffer take their input from the | |
241 | terminal's standard input stream (@code{stdin}) instead. | |
242 | ||
243 | @samp{--batch} implies @samp{-q} (do not load an initialization file), | |
244 | but @file{site-start.el} is loaded nonetheless. It also causes Emacs | |
245 | to exit after processing all the command options. In addition, it | |
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246 | disables auto-saving except in buffers for which it has been |
247 | explicitly requested. | |
248 | ||
249 | @item --script @var{file} | |
250 | @opindex --script | |
251 | @cindex script mode | |
252 | Run Emacs in batch mode, like @samp{--batch}, and then read and | |
253 | execute the Lisp code in @var{file}. | |
254 | ||
255 | The normal use of this option is in executable script files that run | |
256 | Emacs. They can start with this text on the first line | |
257 | ||
258 | @example | |
259 | #!/usr/bin/emacs --script | |
260 | @end example | |
261 | ||
262 | @noindent | |
263 | which will invoke Emacs with @samp{--script} and supply the name of | |
264 | the script file as @var{file}. Emacs Lisp then treats @samp{#!} as a | |
265 | comment delimiter. | |
266 | ||
267 | @item -q | |
268 | @opindex -q | |
269 | @itemx --no-init-file | |
270 | @opindex --no-init-file | |
271 | @cindex bypassing init and @file{default.el} file | |
272 | @cindex init file, not loading | |
273 | @cindex @file{default.el} file, not loading | |
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274 | Do not load your Emacs initialization file, and do not load the file |
275 | @file{default.el} either (@pxref{Init File}). Regardless of this | |
276 | switch, @file{site-start.el} is still loaded. When Emacs is invoked | |
277 | like this, the Customize facility does not allow options to be saved | |
278 | (@pxref{Easy Customization}). | |
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279 | |
280 | @item --no-site-file | |
281 | @opindex --no-site-file | |
282 | @cindex @file{site-start.el} file, not loading | |
283 | Do not load @file{site-start.el}. The options @samp{-q}, @samp{-u} | |
284 | and @samp{--batch} have no effect on the loading of this file---this | |
285 | option and @samp{-Q} are the only options that block it. | |
286 | ||
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287 | @item --no-splash |
288 | @opindex --no-splash | |
289 | @vindex inhibit-startup-screen | |
290 | @cindex splash screen | |
291 | @cindex startup message | |
292 | Do not display a startup screen. You can also achieve this effect by | |
293 | setting the variable @code{inhibit-startup-screen} to non-@code{nil} | |
294 | in your initialization file (@pxref{Entering Emacs}). | |
295 | ||
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296 | @item -Q |
297 | @opindex -Q | |
298 | @itemx --quick | |
299 | @opindex --quick | |
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300 | Start emacs with minimum customizations. This is like using |
301 | @samp{-q}, @samp{--no-site-file}, and @samp{--no-splash} together. | |
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303 | @item -daemon |
304 | @opindex -daemon | |
305 | @itemx --daemon | |
306 | @opindex --daemon | |
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307 | Start Emacs as a daemon---after Emacs starts up, it starts the Emacs |
308 | server and disconnects from the terminal without opening any frames. | |
309 | You can then use the @command{emacsclient} command to connect to Emacs | |
310 | for editing. @xref{Emacs Server}, for information about using Emacs | |
311 | as a daemon. | |
eab2ee89 | 312 | |
4ff029f6 | 313 | @item -daemon=@var{SERVER-NAME} |
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314 | Start emacs in background as a daemon, and use @var{SERVER-NAME} as |
315 | the server name. | |
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316 | |
317 | @item --no-desktop | |
318 | @opindex --no-desktop | |
319 | Do not reload any saved desktop. @xref{Saving Emacs Sessions}. | |
320 | ||
321 | @item -u @var{user} | |
322 | @opindex -u | |
323 | @itemx --user=@var{user} | |
324 | @opindex --user | |
325 | @cindex load init file of another user | |
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326 | Load @var{user}'s initialization file instead of your |
327 | own@footnote{This option has no effect on MS-Windows.}. | |
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328 | |
329 | @item --debug-init | |
330 | @opindex --debug-init | |
331 | @cindex errors in init file | |
332 | Enable the Emacs Lisp debugger for errors in the init file. | |
333 | @xref{Error Debugging,, Entering the Debugger on an Error, elisp, The | |
334 | GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}. | |
335 | ||
336 | @item --unibyte | |
337 | @opindex --unibyte | |
338 | @itemx --no-multibyte | |
339 | @opindex --no-multibyte | |
340 | @cindex unibyte operation, command-line argument | |
341 | Do almost everything with single-byte buffers and strings. | |
342 | All buffers and strings are unibyte unless you (or a Lisp program) | |
343 | explicitly ask for a multibyte buffer or string. (Note that Emacs | |
344 | always loads Lisp files in multibyte mode, even if @samp{--unibyte} is | |
345 | specified; see @ref{Enabling Multibyte}.) Setting the environment | |
346 | variable @env{EMACS_UNIBYTE} has the same effect | |
347 | (@pxref{General Variables}). | |
348 | ||
349 | @item --multibyte | |
350 | @opindex --multibyte | |
351 | @itemx --no-unibyte | |
352 | @opindex --no-unibyte | |
353 | Inhibit the effect of @env{EMACS_UNIBYTE}, so that Emacs | |
354 | uses multibyte characters by default, as usual. | |
355 | @end table | |
356 | ||
357 | @node Command Example | |
358 | @appendixsec Command Argument Example | |
359 | ||
360 | Here is an example of using Emacs with arguments and options. It | |
361 | assumes you have a Lisp program file called @file{hack-c.el} which, when | |
362 | loaded, performs some useful operation on the current buffer, expected | |
363 | to be a C program. | |
364 | ||
365 | @example | |
366 | emacs --batch foo.c -l hack-c -f save-buffer >& log | |
367 | @end example | |
368 | ||
369 | @noindent | |
370 | This says to visit @file{foo.c}, load @file{hack-c.el} (which makes | |
371 | changes in the visited file), save @file{foo.c} (note that | |
372 | @code{save-buffer} is the function that @kbd{C-x C-s} is bound to), and | |
373 | then exit back to the shell (because of @samp{--batch}). @samp{--batch} | |
374 | also guarantees there will be no problem redirecting output to | |
375 | @file{log}, because Emacs will not assume that it has a display terminal | |
376 | to work with. | |
377 | ||
378 | @node Resume Arguments | |
379 | @appendixsec Resuming Emacs with Arguments | |
380 | ||
381 | You can specify action arguments for Emacs when you resume it after | |
382 | a suspension. To prepare for this, put the following code in your | |
383 | @file{.emacs} file (@pxref{Hooks}): | |
384 | ||
385 | @c `resume-suspend-hook' is correct. It is the name of a function. | |
386 | @example | |
387 | (add-hook 'suspend-hook 'resume-suspend-hook) | |
388 | (add-hook 'suspend-resume-hook 'resume-process-args) | |
389 | @end example | |
390 | ||
391 | As further preparation, you must execute the shell script | |
392 | @file{emacs.csh} (if you use csh as your shell) or @file{emacs.bash} | |
393 | (if you use bash as your shell). These scripts define an alias named | |
394 | @code{edit}, which will resume Emacs giving it new command line | |
395 | arguments such as files to visit. The scripts are found in the | |
396 | @file{etc} subdirectory of the Emacs distribution. | |
397 | ||
398 | Only action arguments work properly when you resume Emacs. Initial | |
399 | arguments are not recognized---it's too late to execute them anyway. | |
400 | ||
401 | Note that resuming Emacs (with or without arguments) must be done from | |
402 | within the shell that is the parent of the Emacs job. This is why | |
403 | @code{edit} is an alias rather than a program or a shell script. It is | |
404 | not possible to implement a resumption command that could be run from | |
405 | other subjobs of the shell; there is no way to define a command that could | |
406 | be made the value of @env{EDITOR}, for example. Therefore, this feature | |
407 | does not take the place of the Emacs Server feature (@pxref{Emacs | |
408 | Server}). | |
409 | ||
410 | The aliases use the Emacs Server feature if you appear to have a | |
411 | server Emacs running. However, they cannot determine this with complete | |
412 | accuracy. They may think that a server is still running when in | |
413 | actuality you have killed that Emacs, because the file | |
414 | @file{/tmp/esrv@dots{}} still exists. If this happens, find that | |
415 | file and delete it. | |
416 | ||
417 | @node Environment | |
418 | @appendixsec Environment Variables | |
419 | @cindex environment variables | |
420 | ||
421 | The @dfn{environment} is a feature of the operating system; it | |
422 | consists of a collection of variables with names and values. Each | |
423 | variable is called an @dfn{environment variable}; environment variable | |
424 | names are case-sensitive, and it is conventional to use upper case | |
425 | letters only. The values are all text strings. | |
426 | ||
427 | What makes the environment useful is that subprocesses inherit the | |
428 | environment automatically from their parent process. This means you | |
429 | can set up an environment variable in your login shell, and all the | |
430 | programs you run (including Emacs) will automatically see it. | |
431 | Subprocesses of Emacs (such as shells, compilers, and version-control | |
432 | software) inherit the environment from Emacs, too. | |
433 | ||
434 | @findex setenv | |
435 | @findex getenv | |
63961e6a | 436 | @vindex initial-environment |
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437 | Inside Emacs, the command @kbd{M-x getenv} gets the value of an |
438 | environment variable. @kbd{M-x setenv} sets a variable in the Emacs | |
439 | environment. (Environment variable substitutions with @samp{$} work | |
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440 | in the value just as in file names; see @ref{File Names with $}.) The |
441 | variable @code{initial-environment} stores the initial environment | |
442 | inherited by Emacs. | |
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443 | |
444 | The way to set environment variables outside of Emacs depends on the | |
445 | operating system, and especially the shell that you are using. For | |
446 | example, here's how to set the environment variable @env{ORGANIZATION} | |
447 | to @samp{not very much} using Bash: | |
448 | ||
449 | @example | |
450 | export ORGANIZATION="not very much" | |
451 | @end example | |
452 | ||
453 | @noindent | |
454 | and here's how to do it in csh or tcsh: | |
455 | ||
456 | @example | |
457 | setenv ORGANIZATION "not very much" | |
458 | @end example | |
459 | ||
460 | When Emacs is using the X Window System, various environment | |
461 | variables that control X work for Emacs as well. See the X | |
462 | documentation for more information. | |
463 | ||
464 | @menu | |
465 | * General Variables:: Environment variables that all versions of Emacs use. | |
466 | * Misc Variables:: Certain system-specific variables. | |
467 | * MS-Windows Registry:: An alternative to the environment on MS-Windows. | |
468 | @end menu | |
469 | ||
470 | @node General Variables | |
471 | @appendixsubsec General Variables | |
472 | ||
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473 | Here is an alphabetical list of environment variables that have |
474 | special meanings in Emacs. Most of these variables are also used by | |
475 | some other programs. Emacs does not require any of these environment | |
476 | variables to be set, but it uses their values if they are set. | |
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477 | |
478 | @table @env | |
479 | @item CDPATH | |
480 | Used by the @code{cd} command to search for the directory you specify, | |
481 | when you specify a relative directory name. | |
482 | @item EMACS_UNIBYTE | |
483 | @cindex unibyte operation, environment variable | |
484 | Defining this environment variable with a nonempty value directs Emacs | |
485 | to do almost everything with single-byte buffers and strings. It is | |
486 | equivalent to using the @samp{--unibyte} command-line option on each | |
487 | invocation. @xref{Initial Options}. | |
488 | @item EMACSDATA | |
489 | Directory for the architecture-independent files that come with Emacs. | |
490 | This is used to initialize the Lisp variable @code{data-directory}. | |
491 | @item EMACSDOC | |
492 | Directory for the documentation string file, | |
493 | @file{DOC-@var{emacsversion}}. This is used to initialize the Lisp | |
494 | variable @code{doc-directory}. | |
495 | @item EMACSLOADPATH | |
496 | A colon-separated list of directories@footnote{ | |
497 | Here and below, whenever we say ``colon-separated list of directories,'' | |
498 | it pertains to Unix and GNU/Linux systems. On MS-DOS and MS-Windows, | |
499 | the directories are separated by semi-colons instead, since DOS/Windows | |
500 | file names might include a colon after a drive letter.} | |
501 | to search for Emacs Lisp files---used to initialize @code{load-path}. | |
502 | @item EMACSPATH | |
503 | A colon-separated list of directories to search for executable | |
504 | files---used to initialize @code{exec-path}. | |
505 | @item EMAIL | |
506 | @vindex user-mail-address@r{, initialization} | |
507 | Your email address; used to initialize the Lisp variable | |
508 | @code{user-mail-address}, which the Emacs mail interface puts into | |
509 | the @samp{From} header of outgoing messages (@pxref{Mail Headers}). | |
510 | @item ESHELL | |
511 | Used for shell-mode to override the @env{SHELL} environment variable. | |
512 | @item HISTFILE | |
513 | The name of the file that shell commands are saved in between logins. | |
514 | This variable defaults to @file{~/.bash_history} if you use Bash, to | |
515 | @file{~/.sh_history} if you use ksh, and to @file{~/.history} | |
516 | otherwise. | |
517 | @item HOME | |
518 | The location of your files in the directory tree; used for | |
519 | expansion of file names starting with a tilde (@file{~}). On MS-DOS, | |
520 | it defaults to the directory from which Emacs was started, with | |
521 | @samp{/bin} removed from the end if it was present. On Windows, the | |
522 | default value of @env{HOME} is the @file{Application Data} | |
523 | subdirectory of the user profile directory (normally, this is | |
524 | @file{C:/Documents and Settings/@var{username}/Application Data}, | |
525 | where @var{username} is your user name), though for backwards | |
526 | compatibility @file{C:/} will be used instead if a @file{.emacs} file | |
527 | is found there. | |
528 | @item HOSTNAME | |
529 | The name of the machine that Emacs is running on. | |
530 | @item INCPATH | |
531 | A colon-separated list of directories. Used by the @code{complete} package | |
532 | to search for files. | |
533 | @item INFOPATH | |
534 | A colon-separated list of directories in which to search for Info files. | |
535 | @item LC_ALL | |
536 | @itemx LC_COLLATE | |
537 | @itemx LC_CTYPE | |
538 | @itemx LC_MESSAGES | |
539 | @itemx LC_MONETARY | |
540 | @itemx LC_NUMERIC | |
541 | @itemx LC_TIME | |
542 | @itemx LANG | |
543 | The user's preferred locale. The locale has six categories, specified | |
544 | by the environment variables @env{LC_COLLATE} for sorting, | |
545 | @env{LC_CTYPE} for character encoding, @env{LC_MESSAGES} for system | |
546 | messages, @env{LC_MONETARY} for monetary formats, @env{LC_NUMERIC} for | |
547 | numbers, and @env{LC_TIME} for dates and times. If one of these | |
548 | variables is not set, the category defaults to the value of the | |
549 | @env{LANG} environment variable, or to the default @samp{C} locale if | |
550 | @env{LANG} is not set. But if @env{LC_ALL} is specified, it overrides | |
551 | the settings of all the other locale environment variables. | |
552 | ||
553 | On MS-Windows, if @env{LANG} is not already set in the environment | |
554 | when Emacs starts, Emacs sets it based on the system-wide default | |
555 | language, which you can set in the @samp{Regional Settings} Control Panel | |
556 | on some versions of MS-Windows. | |
557 | ||
558 | The value of the @env{LC_CTYPE} category is | |
559 | matched against entries in @code{locale-language-names}, | |
560 | @code{locale-charset-language-names}, and | |
561 | @code{locale-preferred-coding-systems}, to select a default language | |
562 | environment and coding system. @xref{Language Environments}. | |
563 | @item LOGNAME | |
564 | The user's login name. See also @env{USER}. | |
565 | @item MAIL | |
566 | The name of your system mail inbox. | |
567 | @item MH | |
568 | Name of setup file for the mh system. (The default is @file{~/.mh_profile}.) | |
569 | @item NAME | |
570 | Your real-world name. | |
571 | @item NNTPSERVER | |
572 | The name of the news server. Used by the mh and Gnus packages. | |
573 | @item ORGANIZATION | |
574 | The name of the organization to which you belong. Used for setting the | |
575 | `Organization:' header in your posts from the Gnus package. | |
576 | @item PATH | |
577 | A colon-separated list of directories in which executables reside. This | |
578 | is used to initialize the Emacs Lisp variable @code{exec-path}. | |
579 | @item PWD | |
580 | If set, this should be the default directory when Emacs was started. | |
581 | @item REPLYTO | |
582 | If set, this specifies an initial value for the variable | |
583 | @code{mail-default-reply-to}. @xref{Mail Headers}. | |
584 | @item SAVEDIR | |
585 | The name of a directory in which news articles are saved by default. | |
586 | Used by the Gnus package. | |
587 | @item SHELL | |
588 | The name of an interpreter used to parse and execute programs run from | |
589 | inside Emacs. | |
590 | @item SMTPSERVER | |
591 | The name of the outgoing mail server. Used by the SMTP library | |
592 | (@pxref{Top,,,smtpmail,Sending mail via SMTP}). | |
593 | @cindex background mode, on @command{xterm} | |
594 | @item TERM | |
595 | The type of the terminal that Emacs is using. This variable must be | |
596 | set unless Emacs is run in batch mode. On MS-DOS, it defaults to | |
597 | @samp{internal}, which specifies a built-in terminal emulation that | |
598 | handles the machine's own display. If the value of @env{TERM} indicates | |
599 | that Emacs runs in non-windowed mode from @command{xterm} or a similar | |
600 | terminal emulator, the background mode defaults to @samp{light}, and | |
601 | Emacs will choose colors that are appropriate for a light background. | |
602 | @item TERMCAP | |
603 | The name of the termcap library file describing how to program the | |
604 | terminal specified by the @env{TERM} variable. This defaults to | |
605 | @file{/etc/termcap}. | |
606 | @item TMPDIR | |
607 | Used by the Emerge package as a prefix for temporary files. | |
608 | @item TZ | |
609 | This specifies the current time zone and possibly also daylight | |
610 | saving time information. On MS-DOS, if @env{TZ} is not set in the | |
611 | environment when Emacs starts, Emacs defines a default value as | |
612 | appropriate for the country code returned by DOS. On MS-Windows, Emacs | |
613 | does not use @env{TZ} at all. | |
614 | @item USER | |
615 | The user's login name. See also @env{LOGNAME}. On MS-DOS, this | |
616 | defaults to @samp{root}. | |
617 | @item VERSION_CONTROL | |
9cfd6308 | 618 | Used to initialize the @code{version-control} variable (@pxref{Backup Names}). |
8cf51b2c GM |
619 | @end table |
620 | ||
621 | @node Misc Variables | |
622 | @appendixsubsec Miscellaneous Variables | |
623 | ||
624 | These variables are used only on particular configurations: | |
625 | ||
626 | @table @env | |
627 | @item COMSPEC | |
628 | On MS-DOS and MS-Windows, the name of the command interpreter to use | |
629 | when invoking batch files and commands internal to the shell. On MS-DOS | |
630 | this is also used to make a default value for the @env{SHELL} environment | |
631 | variable. | |
632 | ||
633 | @item NAME | |
634 | On MS-DOS, this variable defaults to the value of the @env{USER} | |
635 | variable. | |
636 | ||
637 | @item TEMP | |
638 | @itemx TMP | |
639 | On MS-DOS and MS-Windows, these specify the name of the directory for | |
640 | storing temporary files in. | |
641 | ||
642 | @item EMACSTEST | |
643 | On MS-DOS, this specifies a file to use to log the operation of the | |
644 | internal terminal emulator. This feature is useful for submitting bug | |
645 | reports. | |
646 | ||
647 | @item EMACSCOLORS | |
648 | On MS-DOS, this specifies the screen colors. It is useful to set them | |
649 | this way, since otherwise Emacs would display the default colors | |
650 | momentarily when it starts up. | |
651 | ||
652 | The value of this variable should be the two-character encoding of the | |
653 | foreground (the first character) and the background (the second | |
654 | character) colors of the default face. Each character should be the | |
655 | hexadecimal code for the desired color on a standard PC text-mode | |
656 | display. For example, to get blue text on a light gray background, | |
657 | specify @samp{EMACSCOLORS=17}, since 1 is the code of the blue color and | |
658 | 7 is the code of the light gray color. | |
659 | ||
660 | The PC display usually supports only eight background colors. However, | |
661 | Emacs switches the DOS display to a mode where all 16 colors can be used | |
662 | for the background, so all four bits of the background color are | |
663 | actually used. | |
664 | ||
8cf51b2c GM |
665 | @item PRELOAD_WINSOCK |
666 | On MS-Windows, if you set this variable, Emacs will load and initialize | |
667 | the network library at startup, instead of waiting until the first | |
668 | time it is required. | |
669 | ||
670 | @item emacs_dir | |
671 | On MS-Windows, @env{emacs_dir} is a special environment variable, which | |
672 | indicates the full path of the directory in which Emacs is installed. | |
673 | If Emacs is installed in the standard directory structure, it | |
674 | calculates this value automatically. It is not much use setting this | |
675 | variable yourself unless your installation is non-standard, since | |
676 | unlike other environment variables, it will be overridden by Emacs at | |
677 | startup. When setting other environment variables, such as | |
678 | @env{EMACSLOADPATH}, you may find it useful to use @env{emacs_dir} | |
679 | rather than hard-coding an absolute path. This allows multiple | |
680 | versions of Emacs to share the same environment variable settings, and | |
681 | it allows you to move the Emacs installation directory, without | |
682 | changing any environment or registry settings. | |
683 | @end table | |
684 | ||
685 | @node MS-Windows Registry | |
686 | @appendixsubsec The MS-Windows System Registry | |
687 | @pindex addpm, MS-Windows installation program | |
688 | @cindex registry, setting environment variables and resources on MS-Windows | |
689 | ||
690 | Under MS-Windows, the installation program @command{addpm.exe} adds | |
691 | values for @env{emacs_dir}, @env{EMACSLOADPATH}, @env{EMACSDATA}, | |
692 | @env{EMACSPATH}, @env{EMACSDOC}, @env{SHELL} and @env{TERM} to the | |
693 | @file{HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE} section of the system registry, under | |
694 | @file{/Software/GNU/Emacs}. It does this because there is no standard | |
695 | place to set environment variables across different versions of | |
696 | Windows. Running @command{addpm.exe} is no longer strictly necessary | |
697 | in recent versions of Emacs, but if you are upgrading from an older | |
698 | version, running @command{addpm.exe} ensures that you do not have | |
699 | older registry entries from a previous installation, which may not be | |
700 | compatible with the latest version of Emacs. | |
701 | ||
702 | When Emacs starts, as well as checking the environment, it also checks | |
703 | the System Registry for those variables and for @env{HOME}, @env{LANG} | |
704 | and @env{PRELOAD_WINSOCK}. | |
705 | ||
706 | To determine the value of those variables, Emacs goes through the | |
707 | following procedure. First, the environment is checked. If the | |
708 | variable is not found there, Emacs looks for registry keys by that | |
709 | name under @file{/Software/GNU/Emacs}; first in the | |
710 | @file{HKEY_CURRENT_USER} section of the registry, and if not found | |
711 | there, in the @file{HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE} section. Finally, if Emacs | |
712 | still cannot determine the values, compiled-in defaults are used. | |
713 | ||
714 | In addition to the environment variables above, you can also add many | |
715 | of the settings which on X belong in the @file{.Xdefaults} file | |
716 | (@pxref{X Resources}) to the @file{/Software/GNU/Emacs} registry key. | |
717 | Settings you add to the @file{HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE} section will affect | |
718 | all users of the machine. Settings you add to the | |
719 | @file{HKEY_CURRENT_USER} section will only affect you, and will | |
720 | override machine wide settings. | |
721 | ||
722 | @node Display X | |
723 | @appendixsec Specifying the Display Name | |
724 | @cindex display name (X Window System) | |
725 | @cindex @env{DISPLAY} environment variable | |
726 | ||
727 | The environment variable @env{DISPLAY} tells all X clients, including | |
728 | Emacs, where to display their windows. Its value is set by default | |
729 | in ordinary circumstances, when you start an X server and run jobs | |
730 | locally. Occasionally you may need to specify the display yourself; for | |
731 | example, if you do a remote login and want to run a client program | |
732 | remotely, displaying on your local screen. | |
733 | ||
734 | With Emacs, the main reason people change the default display is to | |
735 | let them log into another system, run Emacs on that system, but have the | |
736 | window displayed at their local terminal. You might need to log in | |
737 | to another system because the files you want to edit are there, or | |
738 | because the Emacs executable file you want to run is there. | |
739 | ||
740 | The syntax of the @env{DISPLAY} environment variable is | |
741 | @samp{@var{host}:@var{display}.@var{screen}}, where @var{host} is the | |
742 | host name of the X Window System server machine, @var{display} is an | |
743 | arbitrarily-assigned number that distinguishes your server (X terminal) | |
744 | from other servers on the same machine, and @var{screen} is a | |
745 | rarely-used field that allows an X server to control multiple terminal | |
746 | screens. The period and the @var{screen} field are optional. If | |
747 | included, @var{screen} is usually zero. | |
748 | ||
749 | For example, if your host is named @samp{glasperle} and your server is | |
750 | the first (or perhaps the only) server listed in the configuration, your | |
751 | @env{DISPLAY} is @samp{glasperle:0.0}. | |
752 | ||
753 | You can specify the display name explicitly when you run Emacs, either | |
754 | by changing the @env{DISPLAY} variable, or with the option @samp{-d | |
755 | @var{display}} or @samp{--display=@var{display}}. Here is an example: | |
756 | ||
757 | @smallexample | |
758 | emacs --display=glasperle:0 & | |
759 | @end smallexample | |
760 | ||
761 | You can inhibit the direct use of the window system and GUI with the | |
762 | @samp{-nw} option. It tells Emacs to display using ordinary @acronym{ASCII} on | |
763 | its controlling terminal. This is also an initial option. | |
764 | ||
765 | Sometimes, security arrangements prevent a program on a remote system | |
766 | from displaying on your local system. In this case, trying to run Emacs | |
767 | produces messages like this: | |
768 | ||
769 | @smallexample | |
770 | Xlib: connection to "glasperle:0.0" refused by server | |
771 | @end smallexample | |
772 | ||
773 | @noindent | |
774 | You might be able to overcome this problem by using the @command{xhost} | |
775 | command on the local system to give permission for access from your | |
776 | remote machine. | |
777 | ||
778 | @node Font X | |
779 | @appendixsec Font Specification Options | |
780 | @cindex font name (X Window System) | |
781 | ||
0e3f4049 CY |
782 | By default, Emacs displays text in X using a twelve point monospace |
783 | font. You can specify a different font using the command line option | |
784 | @samp{-fn @var{font}} (or @samp{--font}, which is an alias for | |
785 | @samp{-fn}). | |
8cf51b2c GM |
786 | |
787 | @table @samp | |
0e3f4049 | 788 | @item -fn @var{font} |
8cf51b2c | 789 | @opindex -fn |
0e3f4049 | 790 | @itemx --font=@var{font} |
8cf51b2c GM |
791 | @opindex --font |
792 | @cindex specify default font from the command line | |
0e3f4049 | 793 | Use @var{font} as the default font. |
8cf51b2c GM |
794 | @end table |
795 | ||
001b5dc9 CY |
796 | When passing a font specification to Emacs on the command line, you |
797 | may need to ``quote'' it, by enclosing it in quotation marks, if it | |
798 | contains characters that the shell treats specially (e.g. spaces). | |
799 | Here is an example: | |
800 | ||
801 | @smallexample | |
802 | emacs -fn "DejaVu Sans Mono-12" | |
803 | @end smallexample | |
804 | ||
0e3f4049 CY |
805 | @cindex X defaults file |
806 | @cindex X resources file | |
0e3f4049 CY |
807 | You can also specify the font using your X resources file (usually a |
808 | file named @file{.Xdefaults} or @file{.Xresources} in your home | |
809 | directory), by adding a line like this: | |
810 | ||
811 | @smallexample | |
313083c0 | 812 | emacs.font: @var{font} |
0e3f4049 CY |
813 | @end smallexample |
814 | ||
815 | @noindent | |
816 | You must restart X, or use the @command{xrdb} command, for the X | |
001b5dc9 CY |
817 | resources file to take effect. @xref{Resources}. When specifying a |
818 | font in your X resources file, you should not quote it. | |
0e3f4049 CY |
819 | |
820 | @cindex fontconfig | |
b5b91ca6 CY |
821 | Emacs recognizes two types of fonts: @dfn{client-side} fonts, which |
822 | are provided by the Xft and Fontconfig libraries, and | |
823 | @dfn{server-side} fonts, which are provided by the X server itself. | |
824 | Most client-side fonts support advanced font features such as | |
825 | antialiasing and subpixel hinting, while server-side fonts do not. | |
826 | ||
0e3f4049 | 827 | There are four different ways to express a ``font name''. The first |
b5b91ca6 CY |
828 | format consists of @dfn{Fontconfig patterns}. Fontconfig patterns |
829 | match only client-side fonts provided by Xft and Fontconfig, and have | |
830 | the following form: | |
0e3f4049 CY |
831 | |
832 | @smallexample | |
b5b91ca6 | 833 | @var{fontname}[-@var{fontsize}][:@var{name1}=@var{values1}][:@var{name2}=@var{values2}]... |
0e3f4049 CY |
834 | @end smallexample |
835 | ||
836 | @noindent | |
837 | Within this format, any of the elements in braces may be omitted. | |
838 | Here, @var{fontname} is the ``family name'' of the font, such as | |
839 | @samp{Monospace} or @samp{DejaVu Serif}; @var{fontsize} is the ``point | |
840 | size'' of the font (one ``printer's point'' is about 1/72 of an inch); | |
b5b91ca6 CY |
841 | and the @samp{@var{name}=@var{values}} entries specify settings such |
842 | as the slant and weight of the font. Each @var{values} may be a | |
843 | single value, or a list of values separated by commas. In addition, | |
844 | some property values are valid with only one kind of property name, in | |
845 | which case the @samp{@var{name}=} part may be omitted. | |
846 | ||
847 | Here is a list of common font properties: | |
848 | ||
849 | @table @samp | |
850 | @item slant | |
851 | One of @samp{italic}, @samp{oblique} or @samp{roman}. | |
852 | ||
853 | @item weight | |
854 | One of @samp{light}, @samp{medium}, @samp{demibold}, @samp{bold} or | |
855 | @samp{black}. | |
856 | ||
857 | @item style | |
858 | Some fonts define special styles which are a combination of slant and | |
859 | weight. For instance, the font @samp{Dejavu Sans} defines the style | |
860 | @samp{book}. This property, if specified, overrides the slant and | |
861 | weight properties. | |
862 | ||
863 | @item width | |
864 | One of @samp{condensed}, @samp{normal}, or @samp{expanded}. | |
865 | ||
866 | @item spacing | |
867 | One of @samp{monospace}, @samp{proportional}, @samp{dual-width}, or | |
868 | @samp{charcell}. | |
869 | @end table | |
870 | ||
871 | @noindent | |
872 | Here are some examples of Fontconfig patterns: | |
8cf51b2c GM |
873 | |
874 | @smallexample | |
0e3f4049 CY |
875 | Monospace |
876 | Monospace-12 | |
877 | Monospace-12:bold | |
878 | DejaVu Sans Mono:bold:italic | |
879 | Monospace-12:weight=bold:slant=italic | |
8cf51b2c GM |
880 | @end smallexample |
881 | ||
b5b91ca6 CY |
882 | See the Fontconfig manual for a more detailed description of |
883 | Fontconfig patterns. This manual is located in the file | |
884 | @file{fontconfig-user.html}, which is distributed with Fontconfig. It | |
885 | is also available online at | |
886 | @url{http://fontconfig.org/fontconfig-user.html}. In particular, the | |
887 | manual describes additional font properties that influence how the | |
888 | font is hinted, antialiased, or scaled. | |
889 | ||
890 | The second way to specify a font is to use a @dfn{GTK font | |
891 | description}. Like Fontconfig patterns, GTK font descriptions match | |
892 | only client-side fonts provided by Xft and Fontconfig. They have the | |
893 | syntax | |
8cf51b2c GM |
894 | |
895 | @smallexample | |
0e3f4049 | 896 | @var{fontname} [@var{properties}] [@var{fontsize}] |
8cf51b2c GM |
897 | @end smallexample |
898 | ||
b5b91ca6 | 899 | @noindent |
0e3f4049 | 900 | where @var{fontname} is the family name, @var{properties} is a list of |
b5b91ca6 CY |
901 | property values separated by spaces, and @var{fontsize} is the point |
902 | size. The properties that you may specify are as follows: | |
903 | ||
904 | @table @samp | |
905 | @item style | |
906 | One of @samp{roman}, @samp{italic} or @samp{oblique}. If omitted, the | |
907 | @samp{roman} style is used. | |
908 | @item weight | |
909 | One of @samp{medium}, @samp{ultra-light}, @samp{light}, | |
910 | @samp{semi-bold}, or @samp{bold}. If omitted, @samp{medium} weight is | |
911 | used. | |
912 | @end table | |
913 | ||
914 | @noindent | |
915 | Here are some examples of GTK font descriptions: | |
0e3f4049 CY |
916 | |
917 | @smallexample | |
918 | Monospace 12 | |
919 | Monospace Bold Italic 12 | |
920 | @end smallexample | |
921 | ||
922 | @cindex XLFD | |
923 | @cindex X Logical Font Description | |
924 | The third way to specify a font is to use an @dfn{XLFD} (@dfn{X | |
925 | Logical Font Description}), which is the traditional method for | |
926 | specifying fonts under X. Each XLFD consists of fourteen words or | |
927 | numbers, separated by dashes, like this: | |
928 | ||
929 | @smallexample | |
930 | -misc-fixed-medium-r-semicondensed--13-*-*-*-c-60-iso8859-1 | |
931 | @end smallexample | |
932 | ||
933 | @noindent | |
934 | A wildcard character (@samp{*}) in an XLFD matches any sequence of | |
935 | characters (including none), and @samp{?} matches any single | |
936 | character. However, matching is implementation-dependent, and can be | |
937 | inaccurate when wildcards match dashes in a long name. For reliable | |
938 | results, supply all 14 dashes and use wildcards only within a field. | |
939 | Case is insignificant in an XLFD. The syntax for an XLFD is as | |
940 | follows: | |
8cf51b2c GM |
941 | |
942 | @smallexample | |
943 | -@var{maker}-@var{family}-@var{weight}-@var{slant}-@var{widthtype}-@var{style}@dots{} | |
944 | @dots{}-@var{pixels}-@var{height}-@var{horiz}-@var{vert}-@var{spacing}-@var{width}-@var{registry}-@var{encoding} | |
945 | @end smallexample | |
946 | ||
0e3f4049 CY |
947 | @noindent |
948 | The entries have the following meanings: | |
949 | ||
8cf51b2c GM |
950 | @table @var |
951 | @item maker | |
0e3f4049 | 952 | The name of the font manufacturer. |
8cf51b2c | 953 | @item family |
0e3f4049 | 954 | The name of the font family (e.g. @samp{courier}). |
8cf51b2c | 955 | @item weight |
0e3f4049 CY |
956 | The font weight---normally either @samp{bold}, @samp{medium} or |
957 | @samp{light}. Some font names support other values. | |
8cf51b2c | 958 | @item slant |
0e3f4049 CY |
959 | The font slant---normally @samp{r} (roman), @samp{i} (italic), |
960 | @samp{o} (oblique), @samp{ri} (reverse italic), or @samp{ot} (other). | |
961 | Some font names support other values. | |
8cf51b2c | 962 | @item widthtype |
0e3f4049 CY |
963 | The font width---normally @samp{condensed}, @samp{extended}, |
964 | @samp{semicondensed} or @samp{normal} (some font names support other | |
965 | values). | |
8cf51b2c | 966 | @item style |
0e3f4049 CY |
967 | An optional additional style name. Usually it is empty---most long |
968 | font names have two hyphens in a row at this point. | |
8cf51b2c | 969 | @item pixels |
0e3f4049 | 970 | The font height, in pixels. |
8cf51b2c | 971 | @item height |
0e3f4049 CY |
972 | The font height on the screen, measured in tenths of a printer's |
973 | point. This is the point size of the font, times ten. For a given | |
974 | vertical resolution, @var{height} and @var{pixels} are proportional; | |
975 | therefore, it is common to specify just one of them and use @samp{*} | |
976 | for the other. | |
8cf51b2c | 977 | @item horiz |
0e3f4049 CY |
978 | The horizontal resolution, in pixels per inch, of the screen for which |
979 | the font is intended. | |
8cf51b2c | 980 | @item vert |
0e3f4049 CY |
981 | The vertical resolution, in pixels per inch, of the screen for which |
982 | the font is intended. Normally the resolution of the fonts on your | |
983 | system is the right value for your screen; therefore, you normally | |
8cf51b2c GM |
984 | specify @samp{*} for this and @var{horiz}. |
985 | @item spacing | |
986 | This is @samp{m} (monospace), @samp{p} (proportional) or @samp{c} | |
987 | (character cell). | |
988 | @item width | |
0e3f4049 | 989 | The average character width, in pixels, multiplied by ten. |
8cf51b2c GM |
990 | @item registry |
991 | @itemx encoding | |
0e3f4049 CY |
992 | The X font character set that the font depicts. (X font character |
993 | sets are not the same as Emacs character sets, but they are similar.) | |
994 | You can use the @command{xfontsel} program to check which choices you | |
995 | have. Normally you should use @samp{iso8859} for @var{registry} and | |
996 | @samp{1} for @var{encoding}. | |
8cf51b2c GM |
997 | @end table |
998 | ||
0e3f4049 CY |
999 | Some fonts have shorter nicknames, which you can use instead of a |
1000 | normal font specification. For instance, | |
1001 | ||
1002 | @smallexample | |
1003 | -misc-fixed-medium-r-semicondensed--13-*-*-*-c-60-iso8859-1 | |
1004 | @end smallexample | |
1005 | ||
1006 | @noindent | |
b5b91ca6 CY |
1007 | is equivalent to @samp{6x13}. This is the fourth and final method of |
1008 | specifying a font. | |
0e3f4049 | 1009 | |
8cf51b2c GM |
1010 | @cindex listing system fonts |
1011 | You will probably want to use a fixed-width default font---that is, | |
b5b91ca6 CY |
1012 | a font in which all characters have the same width. Here's how to use |
1013 | the @command{fc-list} command to list all fixed-width Xft and | |
1014 | Fontconfig fonts available on your system: | |
1015 | ||
1016 | @example | |
1017 | fc-list :spacing=mono | |
1018 | fc-list :spacing=charcell | |
1019 | @end example | |
1020 | ||
1021 | For server-side X fonts, any font with @samp{m} or @samp{c} in the | |
1022 | @var{spacing} field of the XLFD is a fixed-width font. Here's how to | |
1023 | use the @command{xlsfonts} program to list all the fixed-width fonts | |
1024 | available on your system: | |
8cf51b2c GM |
1025 | |
1026 | @example | |
1027 | xlsfonts -fn '*x*' | egrep "^[0-9]+x[0-9]+" | |
1028 | xlsfonts -fn '*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-m*' | |
1029 | xlsfonts -fn '*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-c*' | |
1030 | @end example | |
1031 | ||
1032 | @noindent | |
1033 | To see what a particular font looks like, use the @command{xfd} command. | |
1034 | For example: | |
1035 | ||
1036 | @example | |
1037 | xfd -fn 6x13 | |
1038 | @end example | |
1039 | ||
1040 | @noindent | |
1041 | displays the entire font @samp{6x13}. | |
1042 | ||
0e3f4049 CY |
1043 | While running Emacs, you can set the font of a specific kind of text |
1044 | (@pxref{Faces}), or of a particular frame (@pxref{Frame Parameters}). | |
8cf51b2c GM |
1045 | |
1046 | @node Colors | |
1047 | @appendixsec Window Color Options | |
1048 | @cindex color of window, from command line | |
1049 | @cindex text colors, from command line | |
1050 | ||
1051 | @findex list-colors-display | |
1052 | @cindex available colors | |
1053 | On a color display, you can specify which color to use for various | |
1054 | parts of the Emacs display. To find out what colors are available on | |
1055 | your system, type @kbd{M-x list-colors-display}, or press | |
1056 | @kbd{C-Mouse-2} and select @samp{Display Colors} from the pop-up menu. | |
1057 | (A particular window system might support many more colors, but the | |
1058 | list displayed by @code{list-colors-display} shows their portable | |
1059 | subset that can be safely used on any display supported by Emacs.) | |
1060 | If you do not specify colors, on windowed displays the default for the | |
1061 | background is white and the default for all other colors is black. On a | |
1062 | monochrome display, the foreground is black, the background is white, | |
1063 | and the border is gray if the display supports that. On terminals, the | |
1064 | background is usually black and the foreground is white. | |
1065 | ||
1066 | Here is a list of the command-line options for specifying colors: | |
1067 | ||
1068 | @table @samp | |
1069 | @item -fg @var{color} | |
1070 | @opindex -fg | |
1071 | @itemx --foreground-color=@var{color} | |
1072 | @opindex --foreground-color | |
1073 | @cindex foreground color, command-line argument | |
1074 | Specify the foreground color. @var{color} should be a standard color | |
1075 | name, or a numeric specification of the color's red, green, and blue | |
1076 | components as in @samp{#4682B4} or @samp{RGB:46/82/B4}. | |
1077 | @item -bg @var{color} | |
1078 | @opindex -bg | |
1079 | @itemx --background-color=@var{color} | |
1080 | @opindex --background-color | |
1081 | @cindex background color, command-line argument | |
1082 | Specify the background color. | |
1083 | @item -bd @var{color} | |
1084 | @opindex -bd | |
1085 | @itemx --border-color=@var{color} | |
1086 | @opindex --border-color | |
1087 | @cindex border color, command-line argument | |
1088 | Specify the color of the border of the X window. | |
1089 | @item -cr @var{color} | |
1090 | @opindex -cr | |
1091 | @itemx --cursor-color=@var{color} | |
1092 | @opindex --cursor-color | |
1093 | @cindex cursor color, command-line argument | |
1094 | Specify the color of the Emacs cursor which indicates where point is. | |
1095 | @item -ms @var{color} | |
1096 | @opindex -ms | |
1097 | @itemx --mouse-color=@var{color} | |
1098 | @opindex --mouse-color | |
1099 | @cindex mouse pointer color, command-line argument | |
1100 | Specify the color for the mouse cursor when the mouse is in the Emacs window. | |
1101 | @item -r | |
1102 | @opindex -r | |
1103 | @itemx -rv | |
1104 | @opindex -rv | |
1105 | @itemx --reverse-video | |
1106 | @opindex --reverse-video | |
1107 | @cindex reverse video, command-line argument | |
1108 | Reverse video---swap the foreground and background colors. | |
1109 | @item --color=@var{mode} | |
1110 | @opindex --color | |
1111 | @cindex standard colors on a character terminal | |
1112 | @cindex override character terminal color support | |
1113 | For a character terminal only, specify the mode of color support. | |
1114 | This option is intended for overriding the number of supported colors | |
1115 | that the character terminal advertises in its @code{termcap} or | |
1116 | @code{terminfo} database. The parameter @var{mode} can be one of the | |
1117 | following: | |
1118 | @table @samp | |
1119 | @item never | |
1120 | @itemx no | |
1121 | Don't use colors even if the terminal's capabilities specify color | |
1122 | support. | |
1123 | @item default | |
1124 | @itemx auto | |
1125 | Same as when @option{--color} is not used at all: Emacs detects at | |
1126 | startup whether the terminal supports colors, and if it does, turns on | |
1127 | colored display. | |
1128 | @item always | |
1129 | @itemx yes | |
1130 | @itemx ansi8 | |
1131 | Turn on the color support unconditionally, and use color commands | |
1132 | specified by the ANSI escape sequences for the 8 standard colors. | |
1133 | @item @var{num} | |
1134 | Use color mode for @var{num} colors. If @var{num} is -1, turn off | |
1135 | color support (equivalent to @samp{never}); if it is 0, use the | |
1136 | default color support for this terminal (equivalent to @samp{auto}); | |
1137 | otherwise use an appropriate standard mode for @var{num} colors. | |
1138 | Depending on your terminal's capabilities, Emacs might be able to turn | |
1139 | on a color mode for 8, 16, 88, or 256 as the value of @var{num}. If | |
1140 | there is no mode that supports @var{num} colors, Emacs acts as if | |
1141 | @var{num} were 0, i.e.@: it uses the terminal's default color support | |
1142 | mode. | |
1143 | @end table | |
1144 | If @var{mode} is omitted, it defaults to @var{ansi8}. | |
1145 | @end table | |
1146 | ||
1147 | For example, to use a coral mouse cursor and a slate blue text cursor, | |
1148 | enter: | |
1149 | ||
1150 | @example | |
1151 | emacs -ms coral -cr 'slate blue' & | |
1152 | @end example | |
1153 | ||
1154 | You can reverse the foreground and background colors through the | |
1155 | @samp{-rv} option or with the X resource @samp{reverseVideo}. | |
1156 | ||
1157 | The @samp{-fg}, @samp{-bg}, and @samp{-rv} options function on | |
1158 | text-only terminals as well as on graphical displays. | |
1159 | ||
1160 | @node Window Size X | |
1161 | @appendixsec Options for Window Size and Position | |
1162 | @cindex geometry of Emacs window | |
1163 | @cindex position and size of Emacs frame | |
1164 | @cindex width and height of Emacs frame | |
1165 | @cindex specifying fullscreen for Emacs frame | |
1166 | ||
1167 | Here is a list of the command-line options for specifying size and | |
1168 | position of the initial Emacs frame: | |
1169 | ||
1170 | @table @samp | |
1171 | @item -g @var{width}x@var{height}@r{[@{}+-@r{@}}@var{xoffset}@r{@{}+-@r{@}}@var{yoffset}@r{]]} | |
1172 | @opindex -g | |
1173 | @itemx --geometry=@var{width}x@var{height}@r{[@{}+-@r{@}}@var{xoffset}@r{@{}+-@r{@}}@var{yoffset}@r{]]} | |
1174 | @opindex --geometry | |
1175 | @cindex geometry, command-line argument | |
1176 | Specify the size @var{width} and @var{height} (measured in character | |
1177 | columns and lines), and positions @var{xoffset} and @var{yoffset} | |
1178 | (measured in pixels). The @var{width} and @var{height} parameters | |
1179 | apply to all frames, whereas @var{xoffset} and @var{yoffset} only to | |
1180 | the initial frame. | |
1181 | ||
1182 | @item -fs | |
1183 | @opindex -fs | |
1184 | @itemx --fullscreen | |
1185 | @opindex --fullscreen | |
1186 | @cindex fullscreen, command-line argument | |
1187 | Specify that width and height shall be the size of the screen. | |
1188 | ||
1189 | @item -fh | |
1190 | @opindex -fh | |
1191 | @itemx --fullheight | |
1192 | @opindex --fullheight | |
1193 | @cindex fullheight, command-line argument | |
1194 | Specify that the height shall be the height of the screen. | |
1195 | ||
1196 | @item -fw | |
1197 | @opindex -fw | |
1198 | @itemx --fullwidth | |
1199 | @opindex --fullwidth | |
1200 | @cindex fullwidth, command-line argument | |
1201 | Specify that the width shall be the width of the screen. | |
1202 | @end table | |
1203 | ||
8cf51b2c GM |
1204 | @noindent |
1205 | In the @samp{--geometry} option, @code{@r{@{}+-@r{@}}} means either a plus | |
1206 | sign or a minus sign. A plus | |
1207 | sign before @var{xoffset} means it is the distance from the left side of | |
1208 | the screen; a minus sign means it counts from the right side. A plus | |
1209 | sign before @var{yoffset} means it is the distance from the top of the | |
1210 | screen, and a minus sign there indicates the distance from the bottom. | |
1211 | The values @var{xoffset} and @var{yoffset} may themselves be positive or | |
1212 | negative, but that doesn't change their meaning, only their direction. | |
1213 | ||
1214 | Emacs uses the same units as @command{xterm} does to interpret the geometry. | |
1215 | The @var{width} and @var{height} are measured in characters, so a large font | |
1216 | creates a larger frame than a small font. (If you specify a proportional | |
1217 | font, Emacs uses its maximum bounds width as the width unit.) The | |
1218 | @var{xoffset} and @var{yoffset} are measured in pixels. | |
1219 | ||
1220 | You do not have to specify all of the fields in the geometry | |
1221 | specification. If you omit both @var{xoffset} and @var{yoffset}, the | |
1222 | window manager decides where to put the Emacs frame, possibly by | |
1223 | letting you place it with the mouse. For example, @samp{164x55} | |
1224 | specifies a window 164 columns wide, enough for two ordinary width | |
1225 | windows side by side, and 55 lines tall. | |
1226 | ||
07c75e57 | 1227 | The default frame width is 80 characters and the default height is |
8cf51b2c GM |
1228 | 40 lines. You can omit either the width or the height or both. If |
1229 | you start the geometry with an integer, Emacs interprets it as the | |
1230 | width. If you start with an @samp{x} followed by an integer, Emacs | |
07c75e57 CY |
1231 | interprets it as the height. Thus, @samp{81} specifies just the |
1232 | width; @samp{x45} specifies just the height. | |
8cf51b2c GM |
1233 | |
1234 | If you start with @samp{+} or @samp{-}, that introduces an offset, | |
1235 | which means both sizes are omitted. Thus, @samp{-3} specifies the | |
1236 | @var{xoffset} only. (If you give just one offset, it is always | |
1237 | @var{xoffset}.) @samp{+3-3} specifies both the @var{xoffset} and the | |
1238 | @var{yoffset}, placing the frame near the bottom left of the screen. | |
1239 | ||
07c75e57 CY |
1240 | You can specify a default for any or all of the fields in your X |
1241 | resource file (@pxref{Resources}), and then override selected fields | |
1242 | with a @samp{--geometry} option. | |
8cf51b2c GM |
1243 | |
1244 | Since the mode line and the echo area occupy the last 2 lines of the | |
1245 | frame, the height of the initial text window is 2 less than the height | |
1246 | specified in your geometry. In non-X-toolkit versions of Emacs, the | |
1247 | menu bar also takes one line of the specified number. But in the X | |
1248 | toolkit version, the menu bar is additional and does not count against | |
1249 | the specified height. The tool bar, if present, is also additional. | |
1250 | ||
1251 | Enabling or disabling the menu bar or tool bar alters the amount of | |
1252 | space available for ordinary text. Therefore, if Emacs starts up with | |
1253 | a tool bar (which is the default), and handles the geometry | |
1254 | specification assuming there is a tool bar, and then your | |
07c75e57 | 1255 | initialization file disables the tool bar, you will end up with a |
8cf51b2c GM |
1256 | frame geometry different from what you asked for. To get the intended |
1257 | size with no tool bar, use an X resource to specify ``no tool bar'' | |
1258 | (@pxref{Table of Resources}); then Emacs will already know there's no | |
1259 | tool bar when it processes the specified geometry. | |
1260 | ||
1261 | When using one of @samp{--fullscreen}, @samp{--fullwidth} or | |
1262 | @samp{--fullheight} there may be some space around the frame | |
1263 | anyway. That is because Emacs rounds the sizes so they are an | |
1264 | even number of character heights and widths. | |
1265 | ||
1266 | Some window managers have options that can make them ignore both | |
07c75e57 CY |
1267 | program-specified and user-specified positions. If these are set, |
1268 | Emacs fails to position the window correctly. | |
8cf51b2c GM |
1269 | |
1270 | @node Borders X | |
1271 | @appendixsec Internal and External Borders | |
1272 | @cindex borders (X Window System) | |
1273 | ||
1274 | An Emacs frame has an internal border and an external border. The | |
1275 | internal border is an extra strip of the background color around the | |
1276 | text portion of the frame. Emacs itself draws the internal border. | |
1277 | The external border is added by the window manager outside the frame; | |
1278 | depending on the window manager you use, it may contain various boxes | |
1279 | you can click on to move or iconify the window. | |
1280 | ||
1281 | @table @samp | |
1282 | @item -ib @var{width} | |
1283 | @opindex -ib | |
1284 | @itemx --internal-border=@var{width} | |
1285 | @opindex --internal-border | |
1286 | @cindex internal border width, command-line argument | |
1287 | Specify @var{width} as the width of the internal border (between the text | |
1288 | and the main border), in pixels. | |
1289 | ||
1290 | @item -bw @var{width} | |
1291 | @opindex -bw | |
1292 | @itemx --border-width=@var{width} | |
1293 | @opindex --border-width | |
1294 | @cindex main border width, command-line argument | |
1295 | Specify @var{width} as the width of the main border, in pixels. | |
1296 | @end table | |
1297 | ||
1298 | When you specify the size of the frame, that does not count the | |
1299 | borders. The frame's position is measured from the outside edge of the | |
1300 | external border. | |
1301 | ||
1302 | Use the @samp{-ib @var{n}} option to specify an internal border | |
1303 | @var{n} pixels wide. The default is 1. Use @samp{-bw @var{n}} to | |
1304 | specify the width of the external border (though the window manager may | |
1305 | not pay attention to what you specify). The default width of the | |
1306 | external border is 2. | |
1307 | ||
1308 | @node Title X | |
1309 | @appendixsec Frame Titles | |
1310 | ||
1311 | An Emacs frame may or may not have a specified title. The frame | |
1312 | title, if specified, appears in window decorations and icons as the | |
1313 | name of the frame. If an Emacs frame has no specified title, the | |
1314 | default title has the form @samp{@var{invocation-name}@@@var{machine}} | |
1315 | (if there is only one frame) or the selected window's buffer name (if | |
1316 | there is more than one frame). | |
1317 | ||
1318 | You can specify a title for the initial Emacs frame with a command | |
1319 | line option: | |
1320 | ||
1321 | @table @samp | |
1322 | @item -T @var{title} | |
1323 | @opindex -T | |
1324 | @itemx --title=@var{title} | |
1325 | @opindex --title | |
1326 | @cindex frame title, command-line argument | |
1327 | Specify @var{title} as the title for the initial Emacs frame. | |
1328 | @end table | |
1329 | ||
1330 | The @samp{--name} option (@pxref{Resources}) also specifies the title | |
1331 | for the initial Emacs frame. | |
1332 | ||
1333 | @node Icons X | |
1334 | @appendixsec Icons | |
1335 | @cindex icons (X Window System) | |
07c75e57 | 1336 | @cindex minimizing a frame at startup |
8cf51b2c GM |
1337 | |
1338 | @table @samp | |
07c75e57 CY |
1339 | @item -iconic |
1340 | @opindex --iconic | |
1341 | @itemx --iconic | |
1342 | @cindex start iconified, command-line argument | |
1343 | Start Emacs in an iconified (``minimized'') state. | |
1344 | ||
8cf51b2c GM |
1345 | @item -nbi |
1346 | @opindex -nbi | |
1347 | @itemx --no-bitmap-icon | |
1348 | @opindex --no-bitmap-icon | |
1349 | @cindex Emacs icon, a gnu | |
1350 | Do not use a picture of a gnu as the Emacs icon. | |
8cf51b2c GM |
1351 | @end table |
1352 | ||
07c75e57 CY |
1353 | Most window managers allow you to ``iconify'' (or ``minimize'') an |
1354 | Emacs frame, hiding it from sight. Some window managers replace | |
1355 | iconified windows with tiny ``icons'', while others remove them | |
1356 | entirely from sight. The @samp{-iconic} option tells Emacs to begin | |
1357 | running in an iconified state, rather than showing a frame right away. | |
1358 | The text frame doesn't appear until you deiconify (or ``un-minimize'') | |
1359 | it. | |
8cf51b2c | 1360 | |
07c75e57 CY |
1361 | By default, Emacs uses an icon containing the Emacs logo. On |
1362 | desktop environments such as Gnome, this icon is also displayed on the | |
1363 | ``taskbar''. The @samp{-nbi} or @samp{--no-bitmap-icon} option tells | |
1364 | Emacs to let the window manager choose what sort of icon to | |
1365 | use---usually just a small rectangle containing the frame's title. | |
8cf51b2c GM |
1366 | |
1367 | @node Misc X | |
1368 | @appendixsec Other Display Options | |
1369 | ||
1370 | @table @samp | |
07c75e57 CY |
1371 | @c @item -hb |
1372 | @c @opindex -hb | |
1373 | @c @itemx --horizontal-scroll-bars | |
1374 | @c @opindex --horizontal-scroll-bars | |
1375 | @c @c @cindex horizontal scroll bars, command-line argument | |
1376 | @c Enable horizontal scroll bars. Since horizontal scroll bars | |
1377 | @c are not yet implemented, this actually does nothing. | |
8cf51b2c GM |
1378 | |
1379 | @item -vb | |
1380 | @opindex -vb | |
1381 | @itemx --vertical-scroll-bars | |
1382 | @opindex --vertical-scroll-bars | |
1383 | @cindex vertical scroll bars, command-line argument | |
1384 | Enable vertical scroll bars. | |
1385 | ||
1386 | @item -lsp @var{pixels} | |
1387 | @opindex -lsp | |
1388 | @itemx --line-spacing=@var{pixels} | |
1389 | @opindex --line-spacing | |
1390 | @cindex line spacing, command-line argument | |
1391 | Specify @var{pixels} as additional space to put between lines, in pixels. | |
1392 | ||
1393 | @item -nbc | |
1394 | @opindex -nbc | |
1395 | @itemx --no-blinking-cursor | |
1396 | @opindex --no-blinking-cursor | |
1397 | @cindex blinking cursor disable, command-line argument | |
1398 | Disable the blinking cursor on graphical displays. | |
1399 | ||
1400 | @item -D | |
1401 | @opindex -D | |
1402 | @itemx --basic-display | |
1403 | @opindex --basic-display | |
1404 | Disable the menu-bar, the tool-bar, the scroll-bars, and tool tips, | |
1405 | and turn off the blinking cursor. This can be useful for making a | |
1406 | test case that simplifies debugging of display problems. | |
1407 | @end table | |
1408 | ||
1409 | The @samp{--xrm} option (@pxref{Resources}) specifies additional | |
1410 | X resource values. | |
1411 | ||
1412 | @ignore | |
1413 | arch-tag: fffecd9e-7329-4a51-a3cc-dd4a9889340e | |
1414 | @end ignore |