1 @c This is part of the Emacs manual.
2 @c Copyright (C) 1985,86,87,93,94,95,1997,2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
3 @c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
4 @node Command Arguments, X Resources, Service, Top
5 @appendix Command Line Arguments
6 @cindex command line arguments
7 @cindex arguments (command line)
8 @cindex options (command line)
9 @cindex switches (command line)
10 @cindex startup (command line arguments)
12 GNU Emacs supports command line arguments to request various actions
13 when invoking Emacs. These are for compatibility with other editors and
14 for sophisticated activities. We don't recommend using them for
17 Arguments starting with @samp{-} are @dfn{options}. Other arguments
18 specify files to visit. Emacs visits the specified files while it
19 starts up. The last file name on your command line becomes the
20 current buffer; the other files are also visited in other buffers. If
21 there are two files, they are both displayed; otherwise the last file
22 is displayed along with a buffer list that shows what other buffers
23 there are. As with most programs, the special argument @samp{--} says
24 that all subsequent arguments are file names, not options, even if
25 they start with @samp{-}.
27 Emacs command options can specify many things, such as the size and
28 position of the X window Emacs uses, its colors, and so on. A few
29 options support advanced usage, such as running Lisp functions on files
30 in batch mode. The sections of this chapter describe the available
31 options, arranged according to their purpose.
33 There are two ways of writing options: the short forms that start with
34 a single @samp{-}, and the long forms that start with @samp{--}. For
35 example, @samp{-d} is a short form and @samp{--display} is the
36 corresponding long form.
38 The long forms with @samp{--} are easier to remember, but longer to
39 type. However, you don't have to spell out the whole option name; any
40 unambiguous abbreviation is enough. When a long option takes an
41 argument, you can use either a space or an equal sign to separate the
42 option name and the argument. Thus, you can write either
43 @samp{--display sugar-bombs:0.0} or @samp{--display=sugar-bombs:0.0}.
44 We recommend an equal sign because it makes the relationship clearer,
45 and the tables below always show an equal sign.
47 @cindex initial options (command line)
48 @cindex action options (command line)
49 Most options specify how to initialize Emacs, or set parameters for
50 the Emacs session. We call them @dfn{initial options}. A few options
51 specify things to do: for example, load libraries, call functions, or
52 terminate Emacs. These are called @dfn{action options}. These and file
53 names together are called @dfn{action arguments}. Emacs processes all
54 the action arguments in the order they are written.
57 * Action Arguments:: Arguments to visit files, load libraries,
59 * Initial Options:: Arguments that take effect while starting Emacs.
60 * Command Example:: Examples of using command line arguments.
61 * Resume Arguments:: Specifying arguments when you resume a running Emacs.
62 * Environment:: Environment variables that Emacs uses.
63 * Display X:: Changing the default display and using remote login.
64 * Font X:: Choosing a font for text, under X.
65 * Colors:: Choosing display colors.
66 * Window Size X:: Start-up window size, under X.
67 * Borders X:: Internal and external borders, under X.
68 * Title X:: Specifying the initial frame's title.
69 * Icons X:: Choosing what sort of icon to use, under X.
72 @node Action Arguments
73 @appendixsec Action Arguments
75 Here is a table of the action arguments and options:
80 @itemx --visit=@var{file}
82 @itemx --file=@var{file}
83 @cindex visiting files, command-line argument
84 @vindex inhibit-startup-buffer-menu
85 Visit @var{file} using @code{find-file}. @xref{Visiting}.
86 If you visit several files at startup in this way, Emacs
87 also displays a Buffer Menu buffer to show you what files it
88 has visited. You can inhibit that by setting @code{inhibit-startup-buffer-menu} to @code{t}.
90 @item +@var{linenum} @var{file}
91 @opindex +@var{linenum}
92 Visit @var{file} using @code{find-file}, then go to line number
95 @item +@var{linenum}:@var{columnnum} @var{file}
96 Visit @var{file} using @code{find-file}, then go to line number
97 @var{linenum} and put point at column number @var{columnnum}.
102 @itemx --load=@var{file}
104 @cindex loading Lisp libraries, command-line argument
105 Load a Lisp library named @var{file} with the function @code{load}.
106 @xref{Lisp Libraries}. The library can be found either in the current
107 directory, or in the Emacs library search path as specified
108 with @env{EMACSLOADPATH} (@pxref{General Variables}).
110 @item -f @var{function}
112 @itemx --funcall=@var{function}
114 @cindex call Lisp functions, command-line argument
115 Call Lisp function @var{function} with no arguments.
117 @item --eval=@var{expression}
119 @itemx --execute=@var{expression}
121 @cindex evaluate expression, command-line argument
122 Evaluate Lisp expression @var{expression}.
124 @item --insert=@var{file}
126 @cindex insert file contents, command-line argument
127 Insert the contents of @var{file} into the current buffer. This is like
128 what @kbd{M-x insert-file} does. @xref{Misc File Ops}.
132 Exit from Emacs without asking for confirmation.
135 @vindex command-line-args
136 The init file can access the values of the action arguments as the
137 elements of a list in the variable @code{command-line-args}. The init
138 file can override the normal processing of the action arguments, or
139 define new ones, by reading and setting this variable.
141 @node Initial Options
142 @appendixsec Initial Options
144 The initial options specify parameters for the Emacs session. This
145 section describes the more general initial options; some other options
146 specifically related to the X Window System appear in the following
149 Some initial options affect the loading of init files. The normal
150 actions of Emacs are to first load @file{site-start.el} if it exists,
151 then your own init file @file{~/.emacs} if it exists, and finally
152 @file{default.el} if it exists; certain options prevent loading of some
153 of these files or substitute other files for them.
156 @item -t @var{device}
158 @itemx --terminal=@var{device}
160 @cindex device for Emacs terminal I/O
161 Use @var{device} as the device for terminal input and output.
163 @item -d @var{display}
165 @itemx --display=@var{display}
167 @cindex display for Emacs frame
168 Use the X Window System and use the display named @var{display} to open
169 the initial Emacs frame. @xref{Display X}, for more details.
173 @itemx --no-window-system
174 @opindex --no-window-system
175 @cindex disable window system
176 Don't communicate directly with the window system, disregarding the
177 @env{DISPLAY} environment variable even if it is set. This means that
178 Emacs uses the terminal from which it was launched for all its display
186 Run Emacs in @dfn{batch mode}, which means that the text being edited is
187 not displayed and the standard terminal interrupt characters such as
188 @kbd{C-z} and @kbd{C-c} continue to have their normal effect. Emacs in
189 batch mode outputs to @code{stderr} only what would normally be displayed
190 in the echo area under program control, and functions which would
191 normally read from the minibuffer take their input from @code{stdin}.
193 Batch mode is used for running programs written in Emacs Lisp from
194 shell scripts, makefiles, and so on. Normally the @samp{-l} option
195 or @samp{-f} option will be used as well, to invoke a Lisp program
196 to do the batch processing.
198 @samp{-batch} implies @samp{-q} (do not load an init file). It also
199 causes Emacs to exit after processing all the command options. In
200 addition, it disables auto-saving except in buffers for which it has
201 been explicitly requested.
205 @itemx --no-init-file
206 @opindex --no-init-file
207 @cindex bypassing init and site-start file
208 @cindex init file, not loading
209 @cindex @file{default.el} file, not loading
210 Do not load your Emacs init file @file{~/.emacs}, or @file{default.el}
211 either. When invoked like this, Emacs does not allow saving options
212 changed with the @kbd{M-x customize} command and its variants.
213 @xref{Easy Customization}.
216 @opindex --no-site-file
217 @cindex @file{site-start.el} file, not loading
218 Do not load @file{site-start.el}. The options @samp{-q}, @samp{-u}
219 and @samp{-batch} have no effect on the loading of this file---this is
220 the only option that blocks it.
224 @vindex inhibit-startup-message
225 Do not display a splash screen on startup; this is equivalent to
226 setting the variable @code{inhibit-startup-message} to non-@code{nil}.
230 @itemx --user=@var{user}
232 @cindex load init file of another user
233 Load @var{user}'s Emacs init file @file{~@var{user}/.emacs} instead of
237 @opindex --debug-init
238 @cindex errors in init file
239 Enable the Emacs Lisp debugger for errors in the init file.
243 @cindex unibyte operation, command-line argument
244 Do almost everything with single-byte buffers and strings.
245 All buffers and strings are unibyte unless you (or a Lisp program)
246 explicitly ask for a multibyte buffer or string. (Note that Emacs
247 always loads Lisp files in multibyte mode, even if @samp{--unibyte} is
248 specified; see @ref{Enabling Multibyte}.) Setting the environment
249 variable @env{EMACS_UNIBYTE} has the same effect.
253 Inhibit the effect of @env{EMACS_UNIBYTE}, so that Emacs
254 uses multibyte characters by default, as usual.
257 @node Command Example
258 @appendixsec Command Argument Example
260 Here is an example of using Emacs with arguments and options. It
261 assumes you have a Lisp program file called @file{hack-c.el} which, when
262 loaded, performs some useful operation on the current buffer, expected
266 emacs -batch foo.c -l hack-c -f save-buffer >& log
270 This says to visit @file{foo.c}, load @file{hack-c.el} (which makes
271 changes in the visited file), save @file{foo.c} (note that
272 @code{save-buffer} is the function that @kbd{C-x C-s} is bound to), and
273 then exit back to the shell (because of @samp{-batch}). @samp{-batch}
274 also guarantees there will be no problem redirecting output to
275 @file{log}, because Emacs will not assume that it has a display terminal
278 @node Resume Arguments
279 @appendixsec Resuming Emacs with Arguments
281 You can specify action arguments for Emacs when you resume it after
282 a suspension. To prepare for this, put the following code in your
283 @file{.emacs} file (@pxref{Hooks}):
285 @c `resume-suspend-hook' is correct. It is the name of a function.
287 (add-hook 'suspend-hook 'resume-suspend-hook)
288 (add-hook 'suspend-resume-hook 'resume-process-args)
291 As further preparation, you must execute the shell script
292 @file{emacs.csh} (if you use csh as your shell) or @file{emacs.bash}
293 (if you use bash as your shell). These scripts define an alias named
294 @code{edit}, which will resume Emacs giving it new command line
295 arguments such as files to visit. The scripts are found in the
296 @file{etc} subdirectory of the Emacs distribution.
298 Only action arguments work properly when you resume Emacs. Initial
299 arguments are not recognized---it's too late to execute them anyway.
301 Note that resuming Emacs (with or without arguments) must be done from
302 within the shell that is the parent of the Emacs job. This is why
303 @code{edit} is an alias rather than a program or a shell script. It is
304 not possible to implement a resumption command that could be run from
305 other subjobs of the shell; there is no way to define a command that could
306 be made the value of @env{EDITOR}, for example. Therefore, this feature
307 does not take the place of the Emacs Server feature (@pxref{Emacs
310 The aliases use the Emacs Server feature if you appear to have a
311 server Emacs running. However, they cannot determine this with complete
312 accuracy. They may think that a server is still running when in
313 actuality you have killed that Emacs, because the file
314 @file{/tmp/esrv@dots{}} still exists. If this happens, find that
318 @appendixsec Environment Variables
319 @cindex environment variables
321 The @dfn{environment} is a feature of the operating system; it
322 consists of a collection of variables with names and values. Each
323 variable is called an @dfn{environment variable}; environment variable
324 names are case-sensitive, and it is conventional to use upper case
325 letters only. The values are all text strings.
327 What makes the environment useful is that subprocesses inherit the
328 environment automatically from their parent process. This means you
329 can set up an environment variable in your login shell, and all the
330 programs you run (including Emacs) will automatically see it.
331 Subprocesses of Emacs (such as shells, compilers, and version-control
332 software) inherit the environment from Emacs, too.
336 Inside Emacs, the command @kbd{M-x getenv} gets the value of an
337 environment variable. @kbd{M-x setenv} sets a variable in the Emacs
338 environment. The way to set environment variables outside of Emacs
339 depends on the operating system, and especially the shell that you are
340 using. For example, here's how to set the environment variable
341 @env{ORGANIZATION} to @samp{not very much} using Bash:
344 export ORGANIZATION="not very much"
348 and here's how to do it in csh or tcsh:
351 setenv ORGANIZATION "not very much"
354 When Emacs is uses the X Window System, it inherits the use
355 of a large number of environment variables from the X libraries. See
356 the X documentation for more information.
359 * General Variables:: Environment variables that all versions of Emacs use.
360 * Misc Variables:: Certain system-specific variables.
363 @node General Variables
364 @appendixsubsec General Variables
366 Here is an alphabetical list of specific environment variables that
367 have special meanings in Emacs, giving the name of each variable and
368 its meaning. Most of these variables are also used by some other
369 programs. Emacs does not require any of these environment variables
370 to be set, but it uses their values if they are set.
374 Used by the @code{cd} command to search for the directory you specify,
375 when you specify a relative directory name.
377 @cindex unibyte operation, environment variable
378 Defining this environment variable with a nonempty value directs Emacs
379 to do almost everything with single-byte buffers and strings. It is
380 equivalent to using the @samp{--unibyte} command-line option on each
381 invocation. @xref{Initial Options}.
383 Directory for the architecture-independent files that come with Emacs.
384 This is used to initialize the Lisp variable @code{data-directory}.
386 Directory for the documentation string file,
387 @file{DOC-@var{emacsversion}}. This is used to initialize the Lisp
388 variable @code{doc-directory}.
390 A colon-separated list of directories@footnote{
391 Here and below, whenever we say ``colon-separated list of directories'',
392 it pertains to Unix and GNU/Linux systems. On MS-DOS and MS-Windows,
393 the directories are separated by semi-colons instead, since DOS/Windows
394 file names might include a colon after a drive letter.}
395 to search for Emacs Lisp files---used to initialize @code{load-path}.
397 A colon-separated list of directories to search for executable
398 files---used to initialize @code{exec-path}.
400 Used for shell-mode to override the @env{SHELL} environment variable.
402 The name of the file that shell commands are saved in between logins.
403 This variable defaults to @file{~/.bash_history} if you use Bash, to
404 @file{~/.sh_history} if you use ksh, and to @file{~/.history}
407 The location of the user's files in the directory tree; used for
408 expansion of file names starting with a tilde (@file{~}). On MS-DOS, it
409 defaults to the directory from which Emacs was started, with @samp{/bin}
410 removed from the end if it was present. On Windows, the default value
411 of @code{HOME} is @file{C:/}, the root directory of drive @file{C:}.
413 The name of the machine that Emacs is running on.
415 A colon-separated list of directories. Used by the @code{complete} package
418 A colon-separated list of directories in which to search for Info files.
427 The user's preferred locale. The locale has six categories, specified
428 by the environment variables @env{LC_COLLATE} for sorting,
429 @env{LC_CTYPE} for character encoding, @env{LC_MESSAGES} for system
430 messages, @env{LC_MONETARY} for monetary formats, @env{LC_NUMERIC} for
431 numbers, and @env{LC_TIME} for dates and times. If one of these
432 variables is not set, the category defaults to the value of the
433 @env{LANG} environment variable, or to the default @samp{C} locale if
434 @env{LANG} is not set. But if @env{LC_ALL} is specified, it overrides
435 the settings of all the other locale environment variables.
437 The value of the LC_CTYPE category is
438 matched against entries in @code{locale-language-names},
439 @code{locale-charset-language-names}, and
440 @code{locale-preferred-coding-systems}, to select a default language
441 environment and coding system. @xref{Language Environments}.
443 The user's login name. See also @env{USER}.
445 The name of the user's system mail inbox.
447 Name of file containing mail aliases. (The default is
450 Name of setup file for the mh system. (The default is @file{~/.mh_profile}.)
452 The real-world name of the user.
454 The name of the news server. Used by the mh and Gnus packages.
456 The name of the organization to which you belong. Used for setting the
457 `Organization:' header in your posts from the Gnus package.
459 A colon-separated list of directories in which executables reside. This
460 is used to initialize the Emacs Lisp variable @code{exec-path}.
462 If set, this should be the default directory when Emacs was started.
464 If set, this specifies an initial value for the variable
465 @code{mail-default-reply-to}. @xref{Mail Headers}.
467 The name of a directory in which news articles are saved by default.
468 Used by the Gnus package.
470 The name of an interpreter used to parse and execute programs run from
472 @cindex background mode, on @code{xterm}
474 The type of the terminal that Emacs is using. This variable must be
475 set unless Emacs is run in batch mode. On MS-DOS, it defaults to
476 @samp{internal}, which specifies a built-in terminal emulation that
477 handles the machine's own display. If the value of @env{TERM} indicates
478 that Emacs runs in non-windowed mode from @code{xterm} or a similar
479 terminal emulator, the background mode defaults to @samp{light}, and
480 Emacs will choose colors that are appropriate for a light background.
482 The name of the termcap library file describing how to program the
483 terminal specified by the @env{TERM} variable. This defaults to
486 Used by the Emerge package as a prefix for temporary files.
488 This specifies the current time zone and possibly also daylight
489 saving time information. On MS-DOS, if @code{TZ} is not set in the
490 environment when Emacs starts, Emacs defines a default value as
491 appropriate for the country code returned by DOS. On MS-Windows, Emacs
492 does not use @code{TZ} at all.
494 The user's login name. See also @env{LOGNAME}. On MS-DOS, this
495 defaults to @samp{root}.
496 @item VERSION_CONTROL
497 Used to initialize the @code{version-control} variable (@pxref{Backup
502 @appendixsubsec Miscellaneous Variables
504 These variables are used only on particular configurations:
508 On MS-DOS and MS-Windows, the name of the command interpreter to use
509 when invoking batch files and commands internal to the shell. On MS-DOS
510 this is also used to make a default value for the @env{SHELL} environment
514 On MS-DOS, this variable defaults to the value of the @env{USER}
519 On MS-DOS and MS-Windows, these specify the name of the directory for
520 storing temporary files in.
523 On MS-DOS, this specifies a file to use to log the operation of the
524 internal terminal emulator. This feature is useful for submitting bug
528 On MS-DOS, this specifies the screen colors. It is useful to set them
529 this way, since otherwise Emacs would display the default colors
530 momentarily when it starts up.
532 The value of this variable should be the two-character encoding of the
533 foreground (the first character) and the background (the second
534 character) colors of the default face. Each character should be the
535 hexadecimal code for the desired color on a standard PC text-mode
536 display. For example, to get blue text on a light gray background,
537 specify @samp{EMACSCOLORS=17}, since 1 is the code of the blue color and
538 7 is the code of the light gray color.
540 The PC display usually supports only eight background colors. However,
541 Emacs switches the DOS display to a mode where all 16 colors can be used
542 for the background, so all four bits of the background color are
546 Used when initializing the Sun windows system.
550 @appendixsec Specifying the Display Name
551 @cindex display name (X Window System)
552 @cindex @env{DISPLAY} environment variable
554 The environment variable @env{DISPLAY} tells all X clients, including
555 Emacs, where to display their windows. Its value is set by default
556 in ordinary circumstances, when you start an X server and run jobs
557 locally. Occasionally you may need to specify the display yourself; for
558 example, if you do a remote login and want to run a client program
559 remotely, displaying on your local screen.
561 With Emacs, the main reason people change the default display is to
562 let them log into another system, run Emacs on that system, but have the
563 window displayed at their local terminal. You might need to log in
564 to another system because the files you want to edit are there, or
565 because the Emacs executable file you want to run is there.
567 The syntax of the @env{DISPLAY} environment variable is
568 @samp{@var{host}:@var{display}.@var{screen}}, where @var{host} is the
569 host name of the X Window System server machine, @var{display} is an
570 arbitrarily-assigned number that distinguishes your server (X terminal)
571 from other servers on the same machine, and @var{screen} is a
572 rarely-used field that allows an X server to control multiple terminal
573 screens. The period and the @var{screen} field are optional. If
574 included, @var{screen} is usually zero.
576 For example, if your host is named @samp{glasperle} and your server is
577 the first (or perhaps the only) server listed in the configuration, your
578 @env{DISPLAY} is @samp{glasperle:0.0}.
580 You can specify the display name explicitly when you run Emacs, either
581 by changing the @env{DISPLAY} variable, or with the option @samp{-d
582 @var{display}} or @samp{--display=@var{display}}. Here is an example:
585 emacs --display=glasperle:0 &
588 You can inhibit the direct use of the window system and GUI with the
589 @samp{-nw} option. It tells Emacs to display using ordinary ASCII on
590 its controlling terminal. This is also an initial option.
592 Sometimes, security arrangements prevent a program on a remote system
593 from displaying on your local system. In this case, trying to run Emacs
594 produces messages like this:
597 Xlib: connection to "glasperle:0.0" refused by server
601 You might be able to overcome this problem by using the @code{xhost}
602 command on the local system to give permission for access from your
606 @appendixsec Font Specification Options
607 @cindex font name (X Window System)
609 By default, Emacs displays text in the font named @samp{9x15}, which
610 makes each character nine pixels wide and fifteen pixels high. You can
611 specify a different font on your command line through the option
612 @samp{-fn @var{name}} (or @samp{--font}, which is an alias for
618 @itemx --font=@var{name}
620 @cindex specify default font from the command line
621 Use font @var{name} as the default font.
624 Under X, each font has a long name which consists of eleven words or
625 numbers, separated by dashes. Some fonts also have shorter
626 nicknames---@samp{9x15} is such a nickname. You can use either kind of
627 name. You can use wildcard patterns for the font name; then Emacs lets
628 X choose one of the fonts that match the pattern. Here is an example,
629 which happens to specify the font whose nickname is @samp{6x13}:
633 "-misc-fixed-medium-r-semicondensed--13-*-*-*-c-60-iso8859-1" &
637 You can also specify the font in your @file{.Xdefaults} file:
640 emacs.font: -misc-fixed-medium-r-semicondensed--13-*-*-*-c-60-iso8859-1
643 A long font name has the following form:
646 -@var{maker}-@var{family}-@var{weight}-@var{slant}-@var{widthtype}-@var{style}@dots{}
647 @dots{}-@var{pixels}-@var{height}-@var{horiz}-@var{vert}-@var{spacing}-@var{width}-@var{charset}
652 This is the name of the font manufacturer.
654 This is the name of the font family---for example, @samp{courier}.
656 This is normally @samp{bold}, @samp{medium} or @samp{light}. Other
657 words may appear here in some font names.
659 This is @samp{r} (roman), @samp{i} (italic), @samp{o} (oblique),
660 @samp{ri} (reverse italic), or @samp{ot} (other).
662 This is normally @samp{condensed}, @samp{extended}, @samp{semicondensed}
663 or @samp{normal}. Other words may appear here in some font names.
665 This is an optional additional style name. Usually it is empty---most
666 long font names have two hyphens in a row at this point.
668 This is the font height, in pixels.
670 This is the font height on the screen, measured in tenths of a printer's
671 point---approximately 1/720 of an inch. In other words, it is the point
672 size of the font, times ten. For a given vertical resolution,
673 @var{height} and @var{pixels} are proportional; therefore, it is common
674 to specify just one of them and use @samp{*} for the other.
676 This is the horizontal resolution, in pixels per inch, of the screen for
677 which the font is intended.
679 This is the vertical resolution, in pixels per inch, of the screen for
680 which the font is intended. Normally the resolution of the fonts on
681 your system is the right value for your screen; therefore, you normally
682 specify @samp{*} for this and @var{horiz}.
684 This is @samp{m} (monospace), @samp{p} (proportional) or @samp{c}
687 This is the average character width, in pixels, multiplied by ten.
689 This is the character set that the font depicts.
690 Normally you should use @samp{iso8859-1}.
693 @cindex listing system fonts
694 You will probably want to use a fixed-width default font---that is,
695 a font in which all characters have the same width. Any font with
696 @samp{m} or @samp{c} in the @var{spacing} field of the long name is a
697 fixed-width font. Here's how to use the @code{xlsfonts} program to
698 list all the fixed-width fonts available on your system:
701 xlsfonts -fn '*x*' | egrep "^[0-9]+x[0-9]+"
702 xlsfonts -fn '*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-m*'
703 xlsfonts -fn '*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-c*'
707 To see what a particular font looks like, use the @code{xfd} command.
715 displays the entire font @samp{6x13}.
717 While running Emacs, you can set the font of the current frame
718 (@pxref{Frame Parameters}) or for a specific kind of text
722 @appendixsec Window Color Options
723 @cindex color of window
724 @cindex text colors, from command line
726 @findex list-colors-display
727 @cindex available colors
728 On a color display, you can specify which color to use for various
729 parts of the Emacs display. To find out what colors are available on
730 your system, type @kbd{M-x list-colors-display}, or press
731 @kbd{C-Mouse-2} and select @samp{Display Colors} from the pop-up menu.
732 If you do not specify colors, on windowed displays the default for the
733 background is white and the default for all other colors is black. On a
734 monochrome display, the foreground is black, the background is white,
735 and the border is gray if the display supports that. On terminals, the
736 background is usually black and the foreground is white.
738 Here is a list of the command-line options for specifying colors:
741 @item -fg @var{color}
743 @itemx --foreground-color=@var{color}
744 @opindex --foreground-color
745 @cindex foreground color, command-line argument
746 Specify the foreground color. @var{color} should be a standard color
747 name, or a numeric specification of the color's red, green, and blue
748 components as in @samp{#4682B4} or @samp{RGB:46/82/B4}.
749 @item -bg @var{color}
751 @itemx --background-color=@var{color}
752 @opindex --background-color
753 @cindex background color, command-line argument
754 Specify the background color.
755 @item -bd @var{color}
757 @itemx --border-color=@var{color}
758 @opindex --border-color
759 @cindex border color, command-line argument
760 Specify the color of the border of the X window.
761 @item -cr @var{color}
763 @itemx --cursor-color=@var{color}
764 @opindex --cursor-color
765 @cindex cursor color, command-line argument
766 Specify the color of the Emacs cursor which indicates where point is.
767 @item -ms @var{color}
769 @itemx --mouse-color=@var{color}
770 @opindex --mouse-color
771 @cindex mouse pointer color, command-line argument
772 Specify the color for the mouse cursor when the mouse is in the Emacs window.
777 @itemx --reverse-video
778 @opindex --reverse-video
779 @cindex reverse video, command-line argument
780 Reverse video---swap the foreground and background colors.
781 @item --color=@var{mode}
783 @cindex standard colors on a character terminal
784 For a character terminal only, specify the mode of color support. The
785 parameter @var{mode} can be one of the following:
789 Don't use colors even if the terminal's capabilities specify color
793 Same as when @option{--color} is not used at all: Emacs detects at
794 startup whether the terminal supports colors, and if it does, turns on
799 Turn on the color support unconditionally, and use color commands
800 specified by the ANSI escape sequences for the 8 standard colors.
802 Use color mode for @var{num} colors. If @var{num} is -1, turn off
803 color support (equivalent to @samp{never}); if it is 0, use the
804 default color support for this terminal (equivalent to @samp{auto});
805 otherwise use an appropriate standard mode for @var{num} colors. If
806 there is no mode that supports @var{num} colors, Emacs acts as if
807 @var{num} were 0, i.e.@: it uses the terminal's default color support
810 If @var{mode} is omitted, it defaults to @var{ansi8}.
813 For example, to use a coral mouse cursor and a slate blue text cursor,
817 emacs -ms coral -cr 'slate blue' &
820 You can reverse the foreground and background colors through the
821 @samp{-rv} option or with the X resource @samp{reverseVideo}.
823 The @samp{-fg}, @samp{-bg}, and @samp{-rv} options function on
824 text-only terminals as well as on window systems.
827 @appendixsec Options for Window Size and Position
828 @cindex geometry of Emacs window
829 @cindex position and size of Emacs frame
830 @cindex width and height of Emacs frame
831 @cindex specifying fullscreen for Emacs frame
833 Here is a list of the command-line options for specifying size and
834 position of the initial Emacs frame:
837 @item -g @var{width}x@var{height}@r{[@{}+-@r{@}}@var{xoffset}@r{@{}+-@r{@}}@var{yoffset}@r{]]}
839 Specify window size @var{width} and @var{height} (measured in character
840 columns and lines), and positions @var{xoffset} and @var{yoffset}
841 (measured in pixels).
843 @item --geometry=@var{width}x@var{height}@r{[@{}+-@r{@}}@var{xoffset}@r{@{}+-@r{@}}@var{yoffset}@r{]]}
845 This is another way of writing the same thing.
850 @opindex --fullscreen
851 @cindex fullscreen, command-line argument
852 Specify that width and height shall be the size of the screen.
857 @opindex --fullheight
858 @cindex fullheight, command-line argument
859 Specify that the height shall be the height of the screen.
865 @cindex fullwidth, command-line argument
866 Specify that the width shall be the width of the screen.
871 In the @samp{--geometry} option, @code{@r{@{}+-@r{@}}} means either a plus
872 sign or a minus sign. A plus
873 sign before @var{xoffset} means it is the distance from the left side of
874 the screen; a minus sign means it counts from the right side. A plus
875 sign before @var{yoffset} means it is the distance from the top of the
876 screen, and a minus sign there indicates the distance from the bottom.
877 The values @var{xoffset} and @var{yoffset} may themselves be positive or
878 negative, but that doesn't change their meaning, only their direction.
880 Emacs uses the same units as @code{xterm} does to interpret the geometry.
881 The @var{width} and @var{height} are measured in characters, so a large font
882 creates a larger frame than a small font. (If you specify a proportional
883 font, Emacs uses its maximum bounds width as the width unit.) The
884 @var{xoffset} and @var{yoffset} are measured in pixels.
886 Since the mode line and the echo area occupy the last 2 lines of the
887 frame, the height of the initial text window is 2 less than the height
888 specified in your geometry. In non-X-toolkit versions of Emacs, the
889 menu bar also takes one line of the specified number. But in the X
890 toolkit version, the menu bar is additional and does not count against
891 the specified height. The tool bar, if present, is also additional.
893 You do not have to specify all of the fields in the geometry
896 If you omit both @var{xoffset} and @var{yoffset}, the window manager
897 decides where to put the Emacs frame, possibly by letting you place
898 it with the mouse. For example, @samp{164x55} specifies a window 164
899 columns wide, enough for two ordinary width windows side by side, and 55
902 The default width for Emacs is 80 characters and the default height is
903 40 lines. You can omit either the width or the height or both. If
904 you start the geometry with an integer, Emacs interprets it as the
905 width. If you start with an @samp{x} followed by an integer, Emacs
906 interprets it as the height. Thus, @samp{81} specifies just the width;
907 @samp{x45} specifies just the height.
909 If you start with @samp{+} or @samp{-}, that introduces an offset,
910 which means both sizes are omitted. Thus, @samp{-3} specifies the
911 @var{xoffset} only. (If you give just one offset, it is always
912 @var{xoffset}.) @samp{+3-3} specifies both the @var{xoffset} and the
913 @var{yoffset}, placing the frame near the bottom left of the screen.
915 You can specify a default for any or all of the fields in
916 @file{.Xdefaults} file, and then override selected fields with a
917 @samp{--geometry} option.
920 When using one of @samp{--fullscreen}, @samp{--fullwidth} or
921 @samp{--fullheight} there may be some space around the frame
922 anyway. That is because Emacs rounds the sizes so they are an
923 even number of character heights and widths.
925 Some window managers have options that can make them ignore both
926 program-specified and user-specified positions (sawfish is one).
927 If these are set, Emacs fails to position the window correctly.
930 @appendixsec Internal and External Borders
931 @cindex borders (X Window System)
933 An Emacs frame has an internal border and an external border. The
934 internal border is an extra strip of the background color around the
935 text portion of the frame. Emacs itself draws the internal border.
936 The external border is added by the window manager outside the frame;
937 depending on the window manager you use, it may contain various boxes
938 you can click on to move or iconify the window.
941 @item -ib @var{width}
943 @itemx --internal-border=@var{width}
944 @opindex --internal-border
945 @cindex border width, command-line argument
946 Specify @var{width} as the width of the internal border, in pixels.
948 @item -bw @var{width}
950 @itemx --border-width=@var{width}
951 @opindex --border-width
952 Specify @var{width} as the width of the main border, in pixels.
955 When you specify the size of the frame, that does not count the
956 borders. The frame's position is measured from the outside edge of the
959 Use the @samp{-ib @var{n}} option to specify an internal border
960 @var{n} pixels wide. The default is 1. Use @samp{-bw @var{n}} to
961 specify the width of the external border (though the window manager may
962 not pay attention to what you specify). The default width of the
963 external border is 2.
966 @appendixsec Frame Titles
968 An Emacs frame may or may not have a specified title. The frame
969 title, if specified, appears in window decorations and icons as the
970 name of the frame. If an Emacs frame has no specified title, the
971 default title has the form @samp{@var{invocation-name}@@@var{machine}}
972 (if there is only one frame) or the selected window's buffer name (if
973 there is more than one frame).
975 You can specify a title for the initial Emacs frame with a command
979 @item -title @var{title}
981 @itemx --title=@var{title}
982 @itemx -T @var{title}
984 @cindex frame title, command-line argument
985 Specify @var{title} as the title for the initial Emacs frame.
988 The @samp{--name} option (@pxref{Resources}) also specifies the title
989 for the initial Emacs frame.
993 @cindex icons (X Window System)
995 Most window managers allow the user to ``iconify'' a frame, removing
996 it from sight, and leaving a small, distinctive ``icon'' window in its
997 place. Clicking on the icon window makes the frame itself appear again.
998 If you have many clients running at once, you can avoid cluttering up
999 the screen by iconifying most of the clients.
1005 @opindex --icon-type
1006 @cindex Emacs icon, a gnu
1007 Use a picture of a gnu as the Emacs icon.
1012 @cindex start iconified, command-line argument
1013 Start Emacs in iconified state.
1016 The @samp{-i} or @samp{--icon-type} option tells Emacs to use an icon
1017 window containing a picture of the GNU gnu. If omitted, Emacs lets the
1018 window manager choose what sort of icon to use---usually just a small
1019 rectangle containing the frame's title.
1021 The @samp{-iconic} option tells Emacs to begin running as an icon,
1022 rather than showing a frame right away. In this situation, the icon
1023 is the only indication that Emacs has started; the text frame doesn't
1024 appear until you deiconify it.