November 28th, 2024

Emacs: A Basic and Capable Configuration

Protesilaos Stavrou's guide offers a structured approach to enhance Emacs configuration, focusing on package management, usability improvements, and customization, concluding with a complete configuration code block for users.

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Emacs: A Basic and Capable Configuration

Protesilaos Stavrou provides a comprehensive guide for setting up a basic yet effective Emacs configuration. The article addresses common issues users face with the default setup and offers a structured approach to enhance the Emacs experience. Key recommendations include storing configurations in the `~/.emacs.d/init.el` file, utilizing a separate file for auto-generated configurations, and setting up the package manager to access community-driven packages via MELPA. The guide emphasizes the use of `use-package` for streamlined package management and suggests various quality-of-life improvements, such as modifying the behavior of the C-g command, enabling delete-selection mode, and customizing the appearance with preferred fonts and themes. Additional enhancements include configuring the minibuffer for better usability and integrating icon fonts for a visually appealing interface. The article concludes with a complete configuration code block, serving as a practical starting point for users looking to optimize their Emacs setup.

- Protesilaos Stavrou offers a guide for a basic Emacs configuration to improve user experience.

- Key features include setting up a package manager and using `use-package` for efficient package management.

- The guide suggests quality-of-life improvements like modifying C-g behavior and enabling delete-selection mode.

- Users are encouraged to customize fonts, themes, and the minibuffer for enhanced usability.

- A complete configuration code block is provided as a starting point for users.

Link Icon 8 comments
By @drfiresign - 5 months
I've only been using Emacs for 7 or 8 years, but in my admittedly limited experience, Protesilaos has singlehandedly done more to bring more people into the community than anyone. He's been a huge advocate for composability in packages, through use of the core Emacs functions, allowing incredible flexibility without being locked into a particular library (e.g. Helm / Ivy).

I'm always curious to see what he's been up to!

By @sourcepluck - 5 months
Prot continuing to be thorough in his work, write clearly, and produce very useful stuff for Emacs operators. This guide looks very interesting (even for slightly-above-beginner Emacsers like myself).
By @gnuhack - 5 months
It's great to see Prot over here! His work it's top notch, I've learnt a lot with him. Also it has really affordable Emacs coaching sessions.
By @setopt - 5 months
A lot of this should be made into Emacs default settings. (Like the others, I’m happy to see posts by Prot as usual.)
By @yoyohello13 - 5 months
Awesome! use-package is also now built in as of Emacs 29.
By @perihelions - 5 months
- "Having observed beginners [sic] struggle with C-g not closing the open minibuffer, I know that the following is a quality-of-life refinement:"

Oh wow does this one make me feel stupid. I've spent eons doing a C-x o C-x o C-x o... dance every time there's some bugging-out minibuffer prompt. It *never once* occurred to me to reflect on that as a "I'm doing it wrong!" issue.