@c This is part of the Emacs manual.
-@c Copyright (C) 1985-1987, 1993-1995, 1997, 2001-2012
-@c Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+@c Copyright (C) 1985-1987, 1993-1995, 1997, 2001-2014 Free Software
+@c Foundation, Inc.
@c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
@node Emacs Invocation
@appendix Command Line Arguments for Emacs Invocation
@cindex switches (command line)
@cindex startup (command line arguments)
@cindex invocation (command line arguments)
+@c FIXME: Document `--smid'? --xfq
Emacs supports command line arguments to request various actions
when invoking Emacs. These are for compatibility with other editors
@opindex -L
@itemx --directory=@var{dir}
@opindex --directory
-Add directory @var{dir} to the variable @code{load-path}.
+Prepend directory @var{dir} to the variable @code{load-path}.
+If you specify multiple @samp{-L} options, Emacs preserves the
+relative order; i.e., using @samp{-L /foo -L /bar} results in
+a @code{load-path} of the form @code{("/foo" "/bar" @dots{})}.
+If @var{dir} begins with @samp{:}, Emacs removes the @samp{:} and
+appends (rather than prepends) the remainder to @code{load-path}.
+(On MS Windows, use @samp{;} instead of @samp{:}; i.e., use
+the value of @code{path-separator}.)
@item -f @var{function}
@opindex -f
but @file{site-start.el} is loaded nonetheless. It also causes Emacs
to exit after processing all the command options. In addition, it
disables auto-saving except in buffers for which auto-saving is
-explicitly requested.
+explicitly requested, and when saving files it omits the @code{fsync}
+system call unless otherwise requested.
@item --script @var{file}
@opindex --script
@item DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS
Used by D-Bus when Emacs is compiled with it. Usually, there is no
need to change it. Setting it to a dummy address, like
-@samp{unix:path=/tmp/foo}, suppresses connections to the D-Bus session
-bus.
+@samp{unix:path=/dev/null}, suppresses connections to the D-Bus session
+bus as well as autolaunching the D-Bus session bus if not running yet.
@item EMACSDATA
Directory for the architecture-independent files that come with Emacs.
This is used to initialize the variable @code{data-directory}.
Directory for the documentation string file, which is used to
initialize the Lisp variable @code{doc-directory}.
@item EMACSLOADPATH
-A colon-separated list of directories@footnote{ Here and below,
+A colon-separated list of directories@footnote{Here and below,
whenever we say ``colon-separated list of directories'', it pertains
to Unix and GNU/Linux systems. On MS-DOS and MS-Windows, the
directories are separated by semi-colons instead, since DOS/Windows
-file names might include a colon after a drive letter.} to search for
-Emacs Lisp files. If set, it overrides the usual initial value of the
-@code{load-path} variable (@pxref{Lisp Libraries}).
+file names might include a colon after a drive letter.} to search for
+Emacs Lisp files. If set, it modifies the usual initial value of the
+@code{load-path} variable (@pxref{Lisp Libraries}). An empty element
+stands for the default value of @code{load-path}; e.g., using
+@samp{EMACSLOADPATH="/tmp:"} adds @file{/tmp} to the front of
+the default @code{load-path}.
@item EMACSPATH
A colon-separated list of directories to search for executable files.
If set, Emacs uses this in addition to @env{PATH} (see below) when
is found there.
@item HOSTNAME
The name of the machine that Emacs is running on.
+@c complete.el is obsolete since 24.1.
+@ignore
@item INCPATH
A colon-separated list of directories. Used by the @code{complete} package
to search for files.
+@end ignore
@item INFOPATH
A colon-separated list of directories in which to search for Info files.
@item LC_ALL
These environment variables are used to initialize the variable
@code{temporary-file-directory}, which specifies a directory in which
to put temporary files (@pxref{Backup}). Emacs tries to use
-@env{TMPDIR} first; if that is unset, it tries @env{TMP}, then
-@env{TEMP}, and finally @file{/tmp}. But on MS-Windows and MS-DOS,
-Emacs tries @env{TEMP}, then @env{TMPDIR}, then @env{TMP}, and finally
-@file{c:/temp}.
+@env{TMPDIR} first. If that is unset, Emacs normally falls back on
+@file{/tmp}, but on MS-Windows and MS-DOS it instead falls back on
+@env{TMP}, then @env{TEMP}, and finally @file{c:/temp}.
@item TZ
This specifies the current time zone and possibly also daylight
saving time information. On MS-DOS, if @env{TZ} is not set in the
environment when Emacs starts, Emacs defines a default value as
-appropriate for the country code returned by DOS. On MS-Windows, Emacs
+appropriate for the country code returned by DOS@. On MS-Windows, Emacs
does not use @env{TZ} at all.
@item USER
The user's login name. See also @env{LOGNAME}. On MS-DOS, this
When passing a font name to Emacs on the command line, you may need to
``quote'' it, by enclosing it in quotation marks, if it contains
-characters that the shell treats specially (e.g.@: spaces). For
+characters that the shell treats specially (e.g., spaces). For
example:
@smallexample
Depending on your terminal's capabilities, Emacs might be able to turn
on a color mode for 8, 16, 88, or 256 as the value of @var{num}. If
there is no mode that supports @var{num} colors, Emacs acts as if
-@var{num} were 0, i.e.@: it uses the terminal's default color support
+@var{num} were 0, i.e., it uses the terminal's default color support
mode.
@end table
If @var{mode} is omitted, it defaults to @var{ansi8}.
By default, Emacs uses an icon containing the Emacs logo. On
desktop environments such as Gnome, this icon is also displayed in
-other contexts, e.g.@: when switching into an Emacs frame. The
+other contexts, e.g., when switching into an Emacs frame. The
@samp{-nbi} or @samp{--no-bitmap-icon} option tells Emacs to let the
window manager choose what sort of icon to use---usually just a small
rectangle containing the frame's title.
HCoop / bpt / emacs.git / blobdiff