1 @c This is part of the Emacs manual.
2 @c Copyright (C) 1985-1987, 1993-1995, 1997, 2000-2018 Free Software
4 @c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
6 @chapter Miscellaneous Commands
8 This chapter contains several brief topics that do not fit anywhere
9 else: reading Usenet news, host and network security,
10 viewing PDFs and other such documents, web
11 browsing, running shell commands and shell subprocesses, using a
12 single shared Emacs for utilities that expect to run an editor as a
13 subprocess, printing, sorting text, editing binary files, saving an
14 Emacs session for later resumption, recursive editing level, following
15 hyperlinks, and various diversions and amusements.
24 @section Email and Usenet News with Gnus
29 Gnus is an Emacs package primarily designed for reading and posting
30 Usenet news. It can also be used to read and respond to messages from
31 a number of other sources---email, remote directories, digests, and so
32 on. Here we introduce Gnus and describe several basic features.
34 For full details, see @ref{Top, Gnus,, gnus, The Gnus Manual}.
37 For full details on Gnus, type @kbd{C-h i} and then select the Gnus
42 * Buffers of Gnus:: The group, summary, and article buffers.
43 * Gnus Startup:: What you should know about starting Gnus.
44 * Gnus Group Buffer:: A short description of Gnus group commands.
45 * Gnus Summary Buffer:: A short description of Gnus summary commands.
49 @subsection Gnus Buffers
51 Gnus uses several buffers to display information and to receive
52 commands. The three most commonly-used Gnus buffers are the
53 @dfn{group buffer}, the @dfn{summary buffer} and the @dfn{article
56 The @dfn{group buffer} contains a list of article sources (e.g.,
57 newsgroups and email inboxes), which are collectively referred to as
58 @dfn{groups}. This is the first buffer Gnus displays when it starts
59 up. It normally displays only the groups to which you subscribe and
60 that contain unread articles. From this buffer, you can select a
63 The @dfn{summary buffer} lists the articles in a single group,
64 showing one article per line. By default, it displays each article's
65 author, subject, and line
70 number, but this is customizable; @xref{Summary Buffer Format,,, gnus,
73 The summary buffer is created when you select a group in the group
74 buffer, and is killed when you exit the group.
76 From the summary buffer, you can choose an article to view. The
77 article is displayed in the @dfn{article buffer}. In normal Gnus
78 usage, you view this buffer but do not select it---all useful Gnus
79 commands can be invoked from the summary buffer. But you can select
80 the article buffer, and execute Gnus commands from it, if you wish.
83 @subsection When Gnus Starts Up
86 @cindex @file{.newsrc} file
87 If your system has been set up for reading Usenet news, getting
88 started with Gnus is easy---just type @kbd{M-x gnus}.
90 On starting up, Gnus reads your @dfn{news initialization file}: a
91 file named @file{.newsrc} in your home directory which lists your
92 Usenet newsgroups and subscriptions (this file is not unique to Gnus;
93 it is used by many other newsreader programs). It then tries to
94 contact the system's default news server, which is typically specified
95 by the @env{NNTPSERVER} environment variable.
97 If your system does not have a default news server, or if you wish
98 to use Gnus for reading email, then before invoking @kbd{M-x gnus} you
99 need to tell Gnus where to get news and/or mail. To do this,
100 customize the variables @code{gnus-select-method} and/or
101 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}.
103 See the Gnus manual for details.
106 @xref{Finding the News,,, gnus, The Gnus Manual}.
109 Once Gnus has started up, it displays the group buffer. By default,
110 the group buffer shows only a small number of @dfn{subscribed groups}.
111 Groups with other statuses---@dfn{unsubscribed}, @dfn{killed}, or
112 @dfn{zombie}---are hidden. The first time you start Gnus, any group
113 to which you are not subscribed is made into a killed group; any group
114 that subsequently appears on the news server becomes a zombie group.
116 To proceed, you must select a group in the group buffer to open the
117 summary buffer for that group; then, select an article in the summary
118 buffer to view its article buffer in a separate window. The following
119 sections explain how to use the group and summary buffers to do this.
121 To quit Gnus, type @kbd{q} in the group buffer. This automatically
122 records your group statuses in the files @file{.newsrc} and
123 @file{.newsrc.eld}, so that they take effect in subsequent Gnus
126 @node Gnus Group Buffer
127 @subsection Using the Gnus Group Buffer
129 The following commands are available in the Gnus group buffer:
132 @kindex SPC @r{(Gnus Group mode)}
133 @findex gnus-group-read-group
135 Switch to the summary buffer for the group on the current line.
137 @kindex l @r{(Gnus Group mode)}
138 @kindex A s @r{(Gnus Group mode)}
139 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
142 In the group buffer, list only the groups to which you subscribe and
143 which contain unread articles (this is the default listing).
145 @kindex L @r{(Gnus Group mode)}
146 @kindex A u @r{(Gnus Group mode)}
147 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
150 List all subscribed and unsubscribed groups, but not killed or zombie
153 @kindex A k @r{(Gnus Group mode)}
154 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
158 @kindex A z @r{(Gnus Group mode)}
159 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
163 @kindex u @r{(Gnus Group mode)}
164 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
165 @cindex subscribe groups
166 @cindex unsubscribe groups
168 Toggle the subscription status of the group on the current line
169 (i.e., turn a subscribed group into an unsubscribed group, or vice
170 versa). Invoking this on a killed or zombie group turns it into an
173 @kindex C-k @r{(Gnus Group mode)}
174 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
176 Kill the group on the current line. Killed groups are not recorded in
177 the @file{.newsrc} file, and they are not shown in the @kbd{l} or
180 @kindex DEL @r{(Gnus Group mode)}
182 Move point to the previous group containing unread articles.
184 @kindex n @r{(Gnus Group mode)}
185 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
187 Move point to the next unread group.
189 @kindex p @r{(Gnus Group mode)}
190 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
192 Move point to the previous unread group.
194 @kindex q @r{(Gnus Group mode)}
195 @findex gnus-group-exit
197 Update your Gnus settings, and quit Gnus.
200 @node Gnus Summary Buffer
201 @subsection Using the Gnus Summary Buffer
203 The following commands are available in the Gnus summary buffer:
206 @kindex SPC @r{(Gnus Summary mode)}
207 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
209 If there is no article selected, select the article on the current
210 line and display its article buffer. Otherwise, try scrolling the
211 selected article buffer in its window; on reaching the end of the
212 buffer, select the next unread article.
214 Thus, you can read through all articles by repeatedly typing
217 @kindex DEL @r{(Gnus Summary mode)}
218 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
220 Scroll the text of the article backwards.
222 @kindex n @r{(Gnus Summary mode)}
223 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
225 Select the next unread article.
227 @kindex p @r{(Gnus Summary mode)}
228 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
230 Select the previous unread article.
232 @kindex s @r{(Gnus Summary mode)}
233 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
235 Do an incremental search on the selected article buffer, as if you
236 switched to the buffer and typed @kbd{C-s} (@pxref{Incremental
239 @kindex M-s @r{(Gnus Summary mode)}
240 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
241 @item M-s @var{regexp} @key{RET}
242 Search forward for articles containing a match for @var{regexp}.
244 @kindex q @r{(Gnus Summary mode)}
246 Exit the summary buffer and return to the group buffer.
250 @section Host Security
253 Emacs runs inside an operating system such as GNU/Linux, and relies on
254 the operating system to check security constraints such as accesses to
255 files. The default settings for Emacs are designed for typical use;
256 they may require some tailoring in environments where security is more
257 of a concern, or less of a concern, than usual. For example,
258 file-local variables can be risky, and you can set the variable
259 @code{enable-local-variables} to @code{:safe} or (even more
260 conservatively) to @code{nil}; conversely, if your files can all be
261 trusted and the default checking for these variables is irritating,
262 you can set @code{enable-local-variables} to @code{:all}. @xref{Safe
265 @xref{Security Considerations,,, elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference
266 Manual}, for more information about security considerations when using
267 Emacs as part of a larger application.
269 @node Network Security
270 @section Network Security
271 @cindex network security manager
278 Whenever Emacs establishes any network connection, it passes the
279 established connection to the @dfn{Network Security Manager}
280 (@acronym{NSM}). @acronym{NSM} is responsible for enforcing the
281 network security under your control.
283 @vindex network-security-level
284 The @code{network-security-level} variable determines the security
285 level that @acronym{NSM} enforces. If its value is @code{low}, no
286 security checks are performed.
288 If this variable is @code{medium} (which is the default), a number of
289 checks will be performed. If as result @acronym{NSM} determines that
290 the network connection might not be trustworthy, it will make you
291 aware of that, and will ask you what to do about the network
294 You can decide to register a permanent security exception for an
295 unverified connection, a temporary exception, or refuse the connection
298 Below is a list of the checks done on the @code{medium} level.
302 @item unable to verify a @acronym{TLS} certificate
303 If the connection is a @acronym{TLS}, @acronym{SSL} or
304 @acronym{STARTTLS} connection, @acronym{NSM} will check whether
305 the certificate used to establish the identity of the server we're
306 connecting to can be verified.
308 While an invalid certificate is often the cause for concern (there
309 could be a Man-in-the-Middle hijacking your network connection and
310 stealing your password), there may be valid reasons for going ahead
311 with the connection anyway. For instance, the server may be using a
312 self-signed certificate, or the certificate may have expired. It's up
313 to you to determine whether it's acceptable to continue with the
316 @item a self-signed certificate has changed
317 If you've previously accepted a self-signed certificate, but it has
318 now changed, that could mean that the server has just changed the
319 certificate, but it might also mean that the network connection has
322 @item previously encrypted connection now unencrypted
323 If the connection is unencrypted, but it was encrypted in previous
324 sessions, this might mean that there is a proxy between you and the
325 server that strips away @acronym{STARTTLS} announcements, leaving the
326 connection unencrypted. This is usually very suspicious.
328 @item talking to an unencrypted service when sending a password
329 When connecting to an @acronym{IMAP} or @acronym{POP3} server, these
330 should usually be encrypted, because it's common to send passwords
331 over these connections. Similarly, if you're sending email via
332 @acronym{SMTP} that requires a password, you usually want that
333 connection to be encrypted. If the connection isn't encrypted,
334 @acronym{NSM} will warn you.
338 If @code{network-security-level} is @code{high}, the following checks
339 will be made, in addition to the above:
342 @item a validated certificate changes the public key
343 Servers change their keys occasionally, and that is normally nothing
344 to be concerned about. However, if you are worried that your network
345 connections are being hijacked by agencies who have access to pliable
346 Certificate Authorities which issue new certificates for third-party
347 services, you may want to keep track of these changes.
349 @item Diffie-Hellman low prime bits
350 When doing the public key exchange, the number of prime bits
351 should be high to ensure that the channel can't be eavesdropped on by
352 third parties. If this number is too low, you will be warned.
354 @item @acronym{RC4} stream cipher
355 The @acronym{RC4} stream cipher is believed to be of low quality and
356 may allow eavesdropping by third parties.
358 @item @acronym{SSL1}, @acronym{SSL2} and @acronym{SSL3}
359 The protocols older than @acronym{TLS1.0} are believed to be
360 vulnerable to a variety of attacks, and you may want to avoid using
361 these if what you're doing requires higher security.
364 Finally, if @code{network-security-level} is @code{paranoid}, you will
365 also be notified the first time @acronym{NSM} sees any new
366 certificate. This will allow you to inspect all the certificates from
367 all the connections that Emacs makes.
369 The following additional variables can be used to control details of
370 @acronym{NSM} operation:
373 @item nsm-settings-file
374 @vindex nsm-settings-file
375 This is the file where @acronym{NSM} stores details about connections.
376 It defaults to @file{~/.emacs.d/network-security.data}.
378 @item nsm-save-host-names
379 @vindex nsm-save-host-names
380 By default, host names will not be saved for non-@code{STARTTLS}
381 connections. Instead a host/port hash is used to identify connections.
382 This means that one can't casually read the settings file to see what
383 servers the user has connected to. If this variable is @code{t},
384 @acronym{NSM} will also save host names in the nsm-settings-file.
389 @section Document Viewing
393 @cindex PostScript file
394 @cindex OpenDocument file
395 @cindex Microsoft Office file
397 @cindex mode, DocView
398 @cindex document viewer (DocView)
399 @findex doc-view-mode
401 DocView mode is a major mode for viewing DVI, PostScript (PS), PDF,
402 OpenDocument, and Microsoft Office documents. It provides features
403 such as slicing, zooming, and searching inside documents. It works by
404 converting the document to a set of images using the @command{gs}
405 (GhostScript) or @command{mudraw}/@command{pdfdraw} (MuPDF) commands
406 and other external tools @footnote{For PostScript files, GhostScript
407 is a hard requirement. For DVI files, @code{dvipdf} or @code{dvipdfm}
408 is needed. For OpenDocument and Microsoft Office documents, the
409 @code{unoconv} tool is needed.}, and displaying those images.
411 @findex doc-view-toggle-display
412 @cindex doc-view-minor-mode
413 When you visit a document file that can be displayed with DocView
414 mode, Emacs automatically uses DocView mode @footnote{The needed
415 external tools for the document type must be available, and Emacs must
416 be running in a graphical frame and have PNG image support. If any of
417 these requirements is not fulfilled, Emacs falls back to another major
418 mode.}. As an exception, when you visit a PostScript file, Emacs
419 switches to PS mode, a major mode for editing PostScript files as
420 text; however, it also enables DocView minor mode, so you can type
421 @kbd{C-c C-c} to view the document with DocView. In either DocView
422 mode or DocView minor mode, repeating @kbd{C-c C-c}
423 (@code{doc-view-toggle-display}) toggles between DocView and the
424 underlying file contents.
426 @findex doc-view-open-text
427 When you visit a file which would normally be handled by DocView
428 mode but some requirement is not met (e.g., you operate in a terminal
429 frame or emacs has no PNG support), you are queried if you want to
430 view the document's contents as plain text. If you confirm, the
431 buffer is put in text mode and DocView minor mode is activated. Thus,
432 by typing @kbd{C-c C-c} you switch to the fallback mode. With another
433 @kbd{C-c C-c} you return to DocView mode. The plain text contents can
434 also be displayed from within DocView mode by typing @kbd{C-c C-t}
435 (@code{doc-view-open-text}).
437 You can explicitly enable DocView mode with the command @code{M-x
438 doc-view-mode}. You can toggle DocView minor mode with @code{M-x
439 doc-view-minor-mode}.
441 When DocView mode starts, it displays a welcome screen and begins
442 formatting the file, page by page. It displays the first page once
443 that has been formatted.
445 To kill the DocView buffer, type @kbd{k}
446 (@code{doc-view-kill-proc-and-buffer}). To bury it, type @kbd{q}
447 (@code{quit-window}).
450 * Navigation: DocView Navigation. Navigating DocView buffers.
451 * Searching: DocView Searching. Searching inside documents.
452 * Slicing: DocView Slicing. Specifying which part of a page is displayed.
453 * Conversion: DocView Conversion. Influencing and triggering conversion.
456 @node DocView Navigation
457 @subsection DocView Navigation
459 In DocView mode, you can scroll the current page using the usual
460 Emacs movement keys: @kbd{C-p}, @kbd{C-n}, @kbd{C-b}, @kbd{C-f}, and
463 @vindex doc-view-continuous
464 By default, the line-motion keys @kbd{C-p} and @kbd{C-n} stop
465 scrolling at the beginning and end of the current page, respectively.
466 However, if you change the variable @code{doc-view-continuous} to a
467 non-@code{nil} value, then @kbd{C-p} displays the previous page if you
468 are already at the beginning of the current page, and @kbd{C-n}
469 displays the next page if you are at the end of the current page.
471 @findex doc-view-next-page
472 @findex doc-view-previous-page
473 @kindex n @r{(DocView mode)}
474 @kindex p @r{(DocView mode)}
475 @kindex C-x ] @r{(DocView mode)}
476 @kindex C-x [ @r{(DocView mode)}
477 You can also display the next page by typing @kbd{n}, @key{next} or
478 @kbd{C-x ]} (@code{doc-view-next-page}). To display the previous
479 page, type @kbd{p}, @key{prior} or @kbd{C-x [}
480 (@code{doc-view-previous-page}).
482 @findex doc-view-scroll-up-or-next-page
483 @findex doc-view-scroll-down-or-previous-page
484 @kindex SPC @r{(DocView mode)}
485 @kindex DEL @r{(DocView mode)}
486 @key{SPC} (@code{doc-view-scroll-up-or-next-page}) is a convenient
487 way to advance through the document. It scrolls within the current
488 page or advances to the next. @key{DEL} moves backwards in a similar
489 way (@code{doc-view-scroll-down-or-previous-page}).
491 @findex doc-view-first-page
492 @findex doc-view-last-page
493 @findex doc-view-goto-page
494 @kindex M-< @r{(DocView mode)}
495 @kindex M-> @r{(DocView mode)}
496 To go to the first page, type @kbd{M-<}
497 (@code{doc-view-first-page}); to go to the last one, type @kbd{M->}
498 (@code{doc-view-last-page}). To jump to a page by its number, type
499 @kbd{M-g M-g} or @kbd{M-g g} (@code{doc-view-goto-page}).
501 @findex doc-view-enlarge
502 @findex doc-view-shrink
503 @vindex doc-view-resolution
504 @kindex + @r{(DocView mode)}
505 @kindex - @r{(DocView mode)}
506 You can enlarge or shrink the document with @kbd{+}
507 (@code{doc-view-enlarge}) and @kbd{-} (@code{doc-view-shrink}). These
508 commands work by reconverting the document at the new size. To
509 specify the default size for DocView, customize the variable
510 @code{doc-view-resolution}.
512 @node DocView Searching
513 @subsection DocView Searching
515 In DocView mode, you can search the file's text for a regular
516 expression (@pxref{Regexps}). The interface for searching is inspired
517 by @code{isearch} (@pxref{Incremental Search}).
519 @findex doc-view-search
520 @findex doc-view-search-backward
521 @findex doc-view-show-tooltip
522 To begin a search, type @kbd{C-s} (@code{doc-view-search}) or
523 @kbd{C-r} (@code{doc-view-search-backward}). This reads a regular
524 expression using a minibuffer, then echoes the number of matches found
525 within the document. You can move forward and back among the matches
526 by typing @kbd{C-s} and @kbd{C-r}. DocView mode has no way to show
527 the match inside the page image; instead, it displays a tooltip (at
528 the mouse position) listing all matching lines in the current page.
529 To force display of this tooltip, type @kbd{C-t}
530 (@code{doc-view-show-tooltip}).
532 To start a new search, use the search command with a prefix
533 argument; i.e., @kbd{C-u C-s} for a forward search or @kbd{C-u C-r}
534 for a backward search.
536 @node DocView Slicing
537 @subsection DocView Slicing
539 Documents often have wide margins for printing. They are annoying
540 when reading the document on the screen, because they use up screen
541 space and can cause inconvenient scrolling.
543 @findex doc-view-set-slice
544 @findex doc-view-set-slice-using-mouse
545 With DocView you can hide these margins by selecting a @dfn{slice}
546 of pages to display. A slice is a rectangle within the page area;
547 once you specify a slice in DocView, it applies to whichever page you
550 To specify the slice numerically, type @kbd{s s}
551 (@code{doc-view-set-slice}); then enter the top left pixel position
552 and the slice's width and height.
553 @c ??? how does this work?
555 A more convenient graphical way to specify the slice is with @kbd{s
556 m} (@code{doc-view-set-slice-using-mouse}), where you use the mouse to
557 select the slice. Simply press and hold the left mouse button at the
558 upper-left corner of the region you want to have in the slice, then
559 move the mouse pointer to the lower-right corner and release the
562 The most convenient way is to set the optimal slice by using
563 BoundingBox information automatically determined from the document by
564 typing @kbd{s b} (@code{doc-view-set-slice-from-bounding-box}).
566 @findex doc-view-reset-slice
567 To cancel the selected slice, type @kbd{s r}
568 (@code{doc-view-reset-slice}). Then DocView shows the entire page
569 including its entire margins.
571 @node DocView Conversion
572 @subsection DocView Conversion
574 @vindex doc-view-cache-directory
575 @findex doc-view-clear-cache
576 For efficiency, DocView caches the images produced by @command{gs}.
577 The name of this directory is given by the variable
578 @code{doc-view-cache-directory}. You can clear the cache directory by
579 typing @code{M-x doc-view-clear-cache}.
581 @findex doc-view-kill-proc
582 @findex doc-view-kill-proc-and-buffer
583 To force reconversion of the currently viewed document, type @kbd{r}
584 or @kbd{g} (@code{revert-buffer}). To kill the converter process
585 associated with the current buffer, type @kbd{K}
586 (@code{doc-view-kill-proc}). The command @kbd{k}
587 (@code{doc-view-kill-proc-and-buffer}) kills the converter process and
591 @section Running Shell Commands from Emacs
593 @cindex shell commands
595 Emacs has commands for passing single command lines to shell
596 subprocesses, and for running a shell interactively with input and
597 output to an Emacs buffer, and for running a shell in a terminal
601 @item M-! @var{cmd} @key{RET}
602 Run the shell command @var{cmd} and display the output
603 (@code{shell-command}).
604 @item M-| @var{cmd} @key{RET}
605 Run the shell command @var{cmd} with region contents as input;
606 optionally replace the region with the output
607 (@code{shell-command-on-region}).
608 @item M-& @var{cmd} @key{RET}
609 Run the shell command @var{cmd} asynchronously, and display the output
610 (@code{async-shell-command}).
612 Run a subshell with input and output through an Emacs buffer. You can
613 then give commands interactively.
615 Run a subshell with input and output through an Emacs buffer. You can
616 then give commands interactively. Full terminal emulation is
621 Whenever you specify a relative file name for an executable program
622 (either in the @var{cmd} argument to one of the above commands, or in
623 other contexts), Emacs searches for the program in the directories
624 specified by the variable @code{exec-path}. The value of this
625 variable must be a list of directories; the default value is
626 initialized from the environment variable @env{PATH} when Emacs is
627 started (@pxref{General Variables}).
629 @kbd{M-x eshell} invokes a shell implemented entirely in Emacs. It
630 is documented in its own manual.
632 @xref{Top,Eshell,Eshell, eshell, Eshell: The Emacs Shell}.
635 See the Eshell Info manual, which is distributed with Emacs.
639 * Single Shell:: How to run one shell command and return.
640 * Interactive Shell:: Permanent shell taking input via Emacs.
641 * Shell Mode:: Special Emacs commands used with permanent shell.
642 * Shell Prompts:: Two ways to recognize shell prompts.
643 * History: Shell History. Repeating previous commands in a shell buffer.
644 * Directory Tracking:: Keeping track when the subshell changes directory.
645 * Options: Shell Options. Options for customizing Shell mode.
646 * Terminal emulator:: An Emacs window as a terminal emulator.
647 * Term Mode:: Special Emacs commands used in Term mode.
648 * Remote Host:: Connecting to another computer.
649 * Serial Terminal:: Connecting to a serial port.
653 @subsection Single Shell Commands
656 @findex shell-command
657 @kbd{M-!} (@code{shell-command}) reads a line of text using the
658 minibuffer and executes it as a shell command, in a subshell made just
659 for that command. Standard input for the command comes from the null
660 device. If the shell command produces any output, the output appears
661 either in the echo area (if it is short), or in an Emacs buffer named
662 @file{*Shell Command Output*}, displayed in another window (if the
665 For instance, one way to decompress a file named @file{foo.gz} is to
666 type @kbd{M-! gunzip foo.gz @key{RET}}. That shell command normally
667 creates the file @file{foo} and produces no terminal output.
669 A numeric argument to @code{shell-command}, e.g., @kbd{M-1 M-!},
670 causes it to insert terminal output into the current buffer instead of
671 a separate buffer. It puts point before the output, and sets the mark
672 after the output. For instance, @kbd{M-1 M-! gunzip < foo.gz
673 @key{RET}} would insert the uncompressed form of the file
674 @file{foo.gz} into the current buffer.
676 Provided the specified shell command does not end with @samp{&}, it
677 runs @dfn{synchronously}, and you must wait for it to exit before
678 continuing to use Emacs. To stop waiting, type @kbd{C-g} to quit;
679 this sends a @code{SIGINT} signal to terminate the shell command (this
680 is the same signal that @kbd{C-c} normally generates in the shell).
681 Emacs then waits until the command actually terminates. If the shell
682 command doesn't stop (because it ignores the @code{SIGINT} signal),
683 type @kbd{C-g} again; this sends the command a @code{SIGKILL} signal,
684 which is impossible to ignore.
687 @findex async-shell-command
688 A shell command that ends in @samp{&} is executed
689 @dfn{asynchronously}, and you can continue to use Emacs as it runs.
690 You can also type @kbd{M-&} (@code{async-shell-command}) to execute a
691 shell command asynchronously; this is exactly like calling @kbd{M-!}
692 with a trailing @samp{&}, except that you do not need the @samp{&}.
693 The default output buffer for asynchronous shell commands is named
694 @samp{*Async Shell Command*}. Emacs inserts the output into this
695 buffer as it comes in, whether or not the buffer is visible in a
698 @vindex async-shell-command-buffer
699 If you want to run more than one asynchronous shell command at the
700 same time, they could end up competing for the output buffer. The
701 option @code{async-shell-command-buffer} specifies what to do about
702 this; e.g., whether to rename the pre-existing output buffer, or to
703 use a different buffer for the new command. Consult the variable's
704 documentation for more possibilities.
706 @vindex async-shell-command-display-buffer
707 If you want the output buffer for asynchronous shell commands to be
708 displayed only when the command generates output, set
709 @code{async-shell-command-display-buffer} to @code{nil}.
712 @findex shell-command-on-region
713 @kbd{M-|} (@code{shell-command-on-region}) is like @kbd{M-!}, but
714 passes the contents of the region as the standard input to the shell
715 command, instead of no input. With a numeric argument, it deletes the
716 old region and replaces it with the output from the shell command.
718 For example, you can use @kbd{M-|} with the @command{gpg} program to
719 see what keys are in the buffer. If the buffer contains a GnuPG key,
720 type @kbd{C-x h M-| gpg @key{RET}} to feed the entire buffer contents
721 to @command{gpg}. This will output the list of keys to the
722 @file{*Shell Command Output*} buffer.
724 @vindex shell-file-name
725 The above commands use the shell specified by the variable
726 @code{shell-file-name}. Its default value is determined by the
727 @env{SHELL} environment variable when Emacs is started. If the file
728 name is relative, Emacs searches the directories listed in
729 @code{exec-path} (@pxref{Shell}).
731 To specify a coding system for @kbd{M-!} or @kbd{M-|}, use the command
732 @kbd{C-x @key{RET} c} immediately beforehand. @xref{Communication Coding}.
734 @vindex shell-command-default-error-buffer
735 By default, error output is intermixed with the regular output in
736 the output buffer. But if you change the value of the variable
737 @code{shell-command-default-error-buffer} to a string, error output is
738 inserted into a buffer of that name.
740 @vindex shell-command-dont-erase-buffer
741 By default, the output buffer is erased between shell commands.
742 If you change the value of the variable
743 @code{shell-command-dont-erase-buffer} to a non-@code{nil} value,
744 the output buffer is not erased. This variable also controls where to
745 set the point in the output buffer after the command completes; see the
746 documentation of the variable for details.
748 @node Interactive Shell
749 @subsection Interactive Subshell
752 To run a subshell interactively, type @kbd{M-x shell}. This creates
753 (or reuses) a buffer named @file{*shell*}, and runs a shell subprocess
754 with input coming from and output going to that buffer. That is to
755 say, any terminal output from the subshell goes into the buffer,
756 advancing point, and any terminal input for the subshell comes from
757 text in the buffer. To give input to the subshell, go to the end of
758 the buffer and type the input, terminated by @key{RET}.
760 By default, when the subshell is invoked interactively, the
761 @file{*shell*} buffer is displayed in a new window. This behavior can
762 be customized via @code{display-buffer-alist} (@pxref{Window Choice}).
764 While the subshell is waiting or running a command, you can switch
765 windows or buffers and perform other editing in Emacs. Emacs inserts
766 the output from the subshell into the Shell buffer whenever it has
767 time to process it (e.g., while waiting for keyboard input).
769 @cindex @code{comint-highlight-input} face
770 @cindex @code{comint-highlight-prompt} face
771 In the Shell buffer, prompts are displayed with the face
772 @code{comint-highlight-prompt}, and submitted input lines are
773 displayed with the face @code{comint-highlight-input}. This makes it
774 easier to distinguish input lines from the shell output.
777 To make multiple subshells, invoke @kbd{M-x shell} with a prefix
778 argument (e.g., @kbd{C-u M-x shell}). Then the command will read a
779 buffer name, and create (or reuse) a subshell in that buffer. You can
780 also rename the @file{*shell*} buffer using @kbd{M-x rename-uniquely},
781 then create a new @file{*shell*} buffer using plain @kbd{M-x shell}.
782 Subshells in different buffers run independently and in parallel.
784 @vindex explicit-shell-file-name
785 @cindex environment variables for subshells
786 @cindex @env{ESHELL} environment variable
787 @cindex @env{SHELL} environment variable
788 To specify the shell file name used by @kbd{M-x shell}, customize
789 the variable @code{explicit-shell-file-name}. If this is @code{nil}
790 (the default), Emacs uses the environment variable @env{ESHELL} if it
791 exists. Otherwise, it usually uses the variable
792 @code{shell-file-name} (@pxref{Single Shell}); but if the default
793 directory is remote (@pxref{Remote Files}), it prompts you for the
796 Emacs sends the new shell the contents of the file
797 @file{~/.emacs_@var{shellname}} as input, if it exists, where
798 @var{shellname} is the name of the file that the shell was loaded
799 from. For example, if you use bash, the file sent to it is
800 @file{~/.emacs_bash}. If this file is not found, Emacs tries with
801 @file{~/.emacs.d/init_@var{shellname}.sh}.
803 To specify a coding system for the shell, you can use the command
804 @kbd{C-x @key{RET} c} immediately before @kbd{M-x shell}. You can
805 also change the coding system for a running subshell by typing
806 @kbd{C-x @key{RET} p} in the shell buffer. @xref{Communication
809 @cindex @env{INSIDE_EMACS} environment variable
810 Emacs sets the environment variable @env{INSIDE_EMACS} in the
811 subshell to @samp{@var{version},comint}, where @var{version} is the
812 Emacs version (e.g., @samp{24.1}). Programs can check this variable
813 to determine whether they are running inside an Emacs subshell.
816 @subsection Shell Mode
820 The major mode for Shell buffers is Shell mode. Many of its special
821 commands are bound to the @kbd{C-c} prefix, and resemble the usual
822 editing and job control characters present in ordinary shells, except
823 that you must type @kbd{C-c} first. Here is a list of Shell mode
828 @kindex RET @r{(Shell mode)}
829 @findex comint-send-input
830 Send the current line as input to the subshell
831 (@code{comint-send-input}). Any shell prompt at the beginning of the
832 line is omitted (@pxref{Shell Prompts}). If point is at the end of
833 buffer, this is like submitting the command line in an ordinary
834 interactive shell. However, you can also invoke @key{RET} elsewhere
835 in the shell buffer to submit the current line as input.
838 @kindex TAB @r{(Shell mode)}
839 @findex completion-at-point@r{, in Shell Mode}
840 @cindex shell completion
841 Complete the command name or file name before point in the shell
842 buffer (@code{completion-at-point}). This uses the usual Emacs
843 completion rules (@pxref{Completion}), with the completion
844 alternatives being file names, environment variable names, the shell
845 command history, and history references (@pxref{History References}).
846 For options controlling the completion, @pxref{Shell Options}.
849 @kindex M-? @r{(Shell mode)}
850 @findex comint-dynamic-list-filename@dots{}
851 Display temporarily a list of the possible completions of the file
852 name before point (@code{comint-dynamic-list-filename-completions}).
855 @kindex C-d @r{(Shell mode)}
856 @findex comint-delchar-or-maybe-eof
857 Either delete a character or send @acronym{EOF}
858 (@code{comint-delchar-or-maybe-eof}). Typed at the end of the shell
859 buffer, this sends @acronym{EOF} to the subshell. Typed at any other
860 position in the buffer, this deletes a character as usual.
863 @kindex C-c C-a @r{(Shell mode)}
864 @findex comint-bol-or-process-mark
865 Move to the beginning of the line, but after the prompt if any
866 (@code{comint-bol-or-process-mark}). If you repeat this command twice
867 in a row, the second time it moves back to the process mark, which is
868 the beginning of the input that you have not yet sent to the subshell.
869 (Normally that is the same place---the end of the prompt on this
870 line---but after @kbd{C-c @key{SPC}} the process mark may be in a
874 Accumulate multiple lines of input, then send them together. This
875 command inserts a newline before point, but does not send the preceding
876 text as input to the subshell---at least, not yet. Both lines, the one
877 before this newline and the one after, will be sent together (along with
878 the newline that separates them), when you type @key{RET}.
881 @kindex C-c C-u @r{(Shell mode)}
882 @findex comint-kill-input
883 Kill all text pending at end of buffer to be sent as input
884 (@code{comint-kill-input}). If point is not at end of buffer,
885 this only kills the part of this text that precedes point.
888 @kindex C-c C-w @r{(Shell mode)}
889 Kill a word before point (@code{backward-kill-word}).
892 @kindex C-c C-c @r{(Shell mode)}
893 @findex comint-interrupt-subjob
894 Interrupt the shell or its current subjob if any
895 (@code{comint-interrupt-subjob}). This command also kills
896 any shell input pending in the shell buffer and not yet sent.
899 @kindex C-c C-z @r{(Shell mode)}
900 @findex comint-stop-subjob
901 Stop the shell or its current subjob if any (@code{comint-stop-subjob}).
902 This command also kills any shell input pending in the shell buffer and
906 @findex comint-quit-subjob
907 @kindex C-c C-\ @r{(Shell mode)}
908 Send quit signal to the shell or its current subjob if any
909 (@code{comint-quit-subjob}). This command also kills any shell input
910 pending in the shell buffer and not yet sent.
913 @kindex C-c C-o @r{(Shell mode)}
914 @findex comint-delete-output
915 Delete the last batch of output from a shell command
916 (@code{comint-delete-output}). This is useful if a shell command spews
917 out lots of output that just gets in the way.
920 @kindex C-c C-s @r{(Shell mode)}
921 @findex comint-write-output
922 Write the last batch of output from a shell command to a file
923 (@code{comint-write-output}). With a prefix argument, the file is
924 appended to instead. Any prompt at the end of the output is not
929 @kindex C-c C-r @r{(Shell mode)}
930 @kindex C-M-l @r{(Shell mode)}
931 @findex comint-show-output
932 Scroll to display the beginning of the last batch of output at the top
933 of the window; also move the cursor there (@code{comint-show-output}).
936 @kindex C-c C-e @r{(Shell mode)}
937 @findex comint-show-maximum-output
938 Scroll to put the end of the buffer at the bottom of the window
939 (@code{comint-show-maximum-output}).
942 @kindex C-c C-f @r{(Shell mode)}
943 @findex shell-forward-command
944 @vindex shell-command-regexp
945 Move forward across one shell command, but not beyond the current line
946 (@code{shell-forward-command}). The variable @code{shell-command-regexp}
947 specifies how to recognize the end of a command.
950 @kindex C-c C-b @r{(Shell mode)}
951 @findex shell-backward-command
952 Move backward across one shell command, but not beyond the current line
953 (@code{shell-backward-command}).
956 Ask the shell for its working directory, and update the Shell buffer's
957 default directory. @xref{Directory Tracking}.
959 @item M-x send-invisible @key{RET} @var{text} @key{RET}
960 @findex send-invisible
961 Send @var{text} as input to the shell, after reading it without
962 echoing. This is useful when a shell command runs a program that asks
965 Please note that Emacs will not echo passwords by default. If you
966 really want them to be echoed, evaluate (@pxref{Lisp Eval}) the
967 following Lisp expression:
970 (remove-hook 'comint-output-filter-functions
971 'comint-watch-for-password-prompt)
974 @item M-x comint-continue-subjob
975 @findex comint-continue-subjob
976 Continue the shell process. This is useful if you accidentally suspend
977 the shell process.@footnote{You should not suspend the shell process.
978 Suspending a subjob of the shell is a completely different matter---that
979 is normal practice, but you must use the shell to continue the subjob;
980 this command won't do it.}
982 @item M-x comint-strip-ctrl-m
983 @findex comint-strip-ctrl-m
984 Discard all control-M characters from the current group of shell output.
985 The most convenient way to use this command is to make it run
986 automatically when you get output from the subshell. To do that,
987 evaluate this Lisp expression:
990 (add-hook 'comint-output-filter-functions
991 'comint-strip-ctrl-m)
994 @item M-x comint-truncate-buffer
995 @findex comint-truncate-buffer
996 This command truncates the shell buffer to a certain maximum number of
997 lines, specified by the variable @code{comint-buffer-maximum-size}.
998 Here's how to do this automatically each time you get output from the
1002 (add-hook 'comint-output-filter-functions
1003 'comint-truncate-buffer)
1008 @cindex mode, Comint
1009 Shell mode is a derivative of Comint mode, a general-purpose mode for
1010 communicating with interactive subprocesses. Most of the features of
1011 Shell mode actually come from Comint mode, as you can see from the
1012 command names listed above. The special features of Shell mode include
1013 the directory tracking feature, and a few user commands.
1015 Other Emacs features that use variants of Comint mode include GUD
1016 (@pxref{Debuggers}) and @kbd{M-x run-lisp} (@pxref{External Lisp}).
1019 You can use @kbd{M-x comint-run} to execute any program of your choice
1020 in a subprocess using unmodified Comint mode---without the
1021 specializations of Shell mode.
1024 @subsection Shell Prompts
1026 @cindex prompt, shell
1027 A prompt is text output by a program to show that it is ready to
1028 accept new user input. Normally, Comint mode (and thus Shell mode)
1029 automatically figures out part of the buffer is a prompt, based on the
1030 output of the subprocess. (Specifically, it assumes that any received
1031 output line which doesn't end with a newline is a prompt.)
1033 Comint mode divides the buffer into two types of @dfn{fields}: input
1034 fields (where user input is typed) and output fields (everywhere
1035 else). Prompts are part of the output fields. Most Emacs motion
1036 commands do not cross field boundaries, unless they move over multiple
1037 lines. For instance, when point is in the input field on a shell
1038 command line, @kbd{C-a} puts point at the beginning of the input
1039 field, after the prompt. Internally, the fields are implemented using
1040 the @code{field} text property (@pxref{Text Properties,,, elisp, the
1041 Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}).
1043 @vindex comint-use-prompt-regexp
1044 @vindex shell-prompt-pattern
1045 If you change the variable @code{comint-use-prompt-regexp} to a
1046 non-@code{nil} value, then Comint mode recognize prompts using a
1047 regular expression (@pxref{Regexps}). In Shell mode, the regular
1048 expression is specified by the variable @code{shell-prompt-pattern}.
1049 The default value of @code{comint-use-prompt-regexp} is @code{nil},
1050 because this method for recognizing prompts is unreliable, but you may
1051 want to set it to a non-@code{nil} value in unusual circumstances. In
1052 that case, Emacs does not divide the Comint buffer into fields, so the
1053 general motion commands behave as they normally do in buffers without
1054 special text properties. However, you can use the paragraph motion
1055 commands to conveniently navigate the buffer (@pxref{Paragraphs}); in
1056 Shell mode, Emacs uses @code{shell-prompt-pattern} as paragraph
1060 @subsection Shell Command History
1062 Shell buffers support three ways of repeating earlier commands. You
1063 can use keys like those used for the minibuffer history; these work
1064 much as they do in the minibuffer, inserting text from prior commands
1065 while point remains always at the end of the buffer. You can move
1066 through the buffer to previous inputs in their original place, then
1067 resubmit them or copy them to the end. Or you can use a
1068 @samp{!}-style history reference.
1071 * Ring: Shell Ring. Fetching commands from the history list.
1072 * Copy: Shell History Copying. Moving to a command and then copying it.
1073 * History References:: Expanding @samp{!}-style history references.
1077 @subsubsection Shell History Ring
1080 @findex comint-previous-input
1081 @kindex M-p @r{(Shell mode)}
1084 Fetch the next earlier old shell command.
1086 @kindex M-n @r{(Shell mode)}
1087 @findex comint-next-input
1090 Fetch the next later old shell command.
1092 @kindex M-r @r{(Shell mode)}
1093 @findex comint-history-isearch-backward-regexp
1095 Begin an incremental regexp search of old shell commands.
1098 @kindex C-c C-x @r{(Shell mode)}
1099 @findex comint-get-next-from-history
1100 Fetch the next subsequent command from the history.
1103 @kindex C-c . @r{(Shell mode)}
1104 @findex comint-input-previous-argument
1105 Fetch one argument from an old shell command.
1108 @kindex C-c C-l @r{(Shell mode)}
1109 @findex comint-dynamic-list-input-ring
1110 Display the buffer's history of shell commands in another window
1111 (@code{comint-dynamic-list-input-ring}).
1114 Shell buffers provide a history of previously entered shell
1115 commands. To reuse shell commands from the history, use the editing
1116 commands @kbd{M-p}, @kbd{M-n}, @kbd{M-r} and @kbd{M-s}. These work
1117 just like the minibuffer history commands (@pxref{Minibuffer
1118 History}), except that they operate within the Shell buffer rather
1119 than the minibuffer.
1121 @kbd{M-p} fetches an earlier shell command to the end of the shell
1122 buffer. Successive use of @kbd{M-p} fetches successively earlier
1123 shell commands, each replacing any text that was already present as
1124 potential shell input. @kbd{M-n} does likewise except that it finds
1125 successively more recent shell commands from the buffer.
1126 @kbd{C-@key{UP}} works like @kbd{M-p}, and @kbd{C-@key{DOWN}} like
1129 The history search command @kbd{M-r} begins an incremental regular
1130 expression search of previous shell commands. After typing @kbd{M-r},
1131 start typing the desired string or regular expression; the last
1132 matching shell command will be displayed in the current line.
1133 Incremental search commands have their usual effects---for instance,
1134 @kbd{C-s} and @kbd{C-r} search forward and backward for the next match
1135 (@pxref{Incremental Search}). When you find the desired input, type
1136 @key{RET} to terminate the search. This puts the input in the command
1137 line. Any partial input you were composing before navigating the
1138 history list is restored when you go to the beginning or end of the
1141 Often it is useful to reexecute several successive shell commands that
1142 were previously executed in sequence. To do this, first find and
1143 reexecute the first command of the sequence. Then type @kbd{C-c C-x};
1144 that will fetch the following command---the one that follows the command
1145 you just repeated. Then type @key{RET} to reexecute this command. You
1146 can reexecute several successive commands by typing @kbd{C-c C-x
1147 @key{RET}} over and over.
1149 The command @kbd{C-c .}@: (@code{comint-input-previous-argument})
1150 copies an individual argument from a previous command, like
1151 @kbd{@key{ESC} .} in Bash. The simplest use copies the last argument from the
1152 previous shell command. With a prefix argument @var{n}, it copies the
1153 @var{n}th argument instead. Repeating @kbd{C-c .} copies from an
1154 earlier shell command instead, always using the same value of @var{n}
1155 (don't give a prefix argument when you repeat the @kbd{C-c .}
1158 These commands get the text of previous shell commands from a special
1159 history list, not from the shell buffer itself. Thus, editing the shell
1160 buffer, or even killing large parts of it, does not affect the history
1161 that these commands access.
1163 @vindex shell-input-ring-file-name
1164 Some shells store their command histories in files so that you can
1165 refer to commands from previous shell sessions. Emacs reads
1166 the command history file for your chosen shell, to initialize its own
1167 command history. The file name is @file{~/.bash_history} for bash,
1168 @file{~/.sh_history} for ksh, and @file{~/.history} for other shells.
1170 @node Shell History Copying
1171 @subsubsection Shell History Copying
1174 @kindex C-c C-p @r{(Shell mode)}
1175 @findex comint-previous-prompt
1177 Move point to the previous prompt (@code{comint-previous-prompt}).
1179 @kindex C-c C-n @r{(Shell mode)}
1180 @findex comint-next-prompt
1182 Move point to the following prompt (@code{comint-next-prompt}).
1184 @kindex C-c RET @r{(Shell mode)}
1185 @findex comint-copy-old-input
1187 Copy the input command at point, inserting the copy at the end of the
1188 buffer (@code{comint-copy-old-input}). This is useful if you move
1189 point back to a previous command. After you copy the command, you can
1190 submit the copy as input with @key{RET}. If you wish, you can edit
1191 the copy before resubmitting it. If you use this command on an output
1192 line, it copies that line to the end of the buffer.
1195 If @code{comint-use-prompt-regexp} is @code{nil} (the default), copy
1196 the old input command that you click on, inserting the copy at the end
1197 of the buffer (@code{comint-insert-input}). If
1198 @code{comint-use-prompt-regexp} is non-@code{nil}, or if the click is
1199 not over old input, just yank as usual.
1202 Moving to a previous input and then copying it with @kbd{C-c
1203 @key{RET}} or @kbd{mouse-2} produces the same results---the same
1204 buffer contents---that you would get by using @kbd{M-p} enough times
1205 to fetch that previous input from the history list. However, @kbd{C-c
1206 @key{RET}} copies the text from the buffer, which can be different
1207 from what is in the history list if you edit the input text in the
1208 buffer after it has been sent.
1210 @node History References
1211 @subsubsection Shell History References
1212 @cindex history reference
1214 Various shells including csh and bash support @dfn{history
1215 references} that begin with @samp{!} and @samp{^}. Shell mode
1216 recognizes these constructs, and can perform the history substitution
1219 If you insert a history reference and type @key{TAB}, this searches
1220 the input history for a matching command, performs substitution if
1221 necessary, and places the result in the buffer in place of the history
1222 reference. For example, you can fetch the most recent command
1223 beginning with @samp{mv} with @kbd{! m v @key{TAB}}. You can edit the
1224 command if you wish, and then resubmit the command to the shell by
1227 @vindex comint-input-autoexpand
1228 @findex comint-magic-space
1229 Shell mode can optionally expand history references in the buffer
1230 when you send them to the shell. To request this, set the variable
1231 @code{comint-input-autoexpand} to @code{input}. You can make
1232 @key{SPC} perform history expansion by binding @key{SPC} to the
1233 command @code{comint-magic-space}.
1235 Shell mode recognizes history references when they follow a prompt.
1236 @xref{Shell Prompts}, for how Shell mode recognizes prompts.
1238 @node Directory Tracking
1239 @subsection Directory Tracking
1240 @cindex directory tracking
1242 @vindex shell-pushd-regexp
1243 @vindex shell-popd-regexp
1244 @vindex shell-cd-regexp
1245 Shell mode keeps track of @samp{cd}, @samp{pushd} and @samp{popd}
1246 commands given to the subshell, in order to keep the Shell buffer's
1247 default directory (@pxref{File Names}) the same as the shell's working
1248 directory. It recognizes these commands by examining lines of input
1251 If you use aliases for these commands, you can tell Emacs to
1252 recognize them also, by setting the variables
1253 @code{shell-pushd-regexp}, @code{shell-popd-regexp}, and
1254 @code{shell-cd-regexp} to the appropriate regular expressions
1255 (@pxref{Regexps}). For example, if @code{shell-pushd-regexp} matches
1256 the beginning of a shell command line, that line is regarded as a
1257 @code{pushd} command. These commands are recognized only at the
1258 beginning of a shell command line.
1261 If Emacs gets confused about changes in the working directory of the
1262 subshell, type @kbd{M-x dirs}. This command asks the shell for its
1263 working directory and updates the default directory accordingly. It
1264 works for shells that support the most common command syntax, but may
1265 not work for unusual shells.
1267 @findex dirtrack-mode
1268 @cindex Dirtrack mode
1269 @cindex mode, Dirtrack
1270 @vindex dirtrack-list
1271 You can also use Dirtrack mode, a buffer-local minor mode that
1272 implements an alternative method of tracking the shell's working
1273 directory. To use this method, your shell prompt must contain the
1274 working directory at all times, and you must supply a regular
1275 expression for recognizing which part of the prompt contains the
1276 working directory; see the documentation of the variable
1277 @code{dirtrack-list} for details. To use Dirtrack mode, type @kbd{M-x
1278 dirtrack-mode} in the Shell buffer, or add @code{dirtrack-mode} to
1279 @code{shell-mode-hook} (@pxref{Hooks}).
1282 @subsection Shell Mode Options
1284 @vindex comint-scroll-to-bottom-on-input
1285 If the variable @code{comint-scroll-to-bottom-on-input} is
1286 non-@code{nil}, insertion and yank commands scroll the selected window
1287 to the bottom before inserting. The default is @code{nil}.
1289 @vindex comint-scroll-show-maximum-output
1290 If @code{comint-scroll-show-maximum-output} is non-@code{nil}, then
1291 arrival of output when point is at the end tries to scroll the last
1292 line of text to the bottom line of the window, showing as much useful
1293 text as possible. (This mimics the scrolling behavior of most
1294 terminals.) The default is @code{t}.
1296 @vindex comint-move-point-for-output
1297 By setting @code{comint-move-point-for-output}, you can opt for
1298 having point jump to the end of the buffer whenever output arrives---no
1299 matter where in the buffer point was before. If the value is
1300 @code{this}, point jumps in the selected window. If the value is
1301 @code{all}, point jumps in each window that shows the Comint buffer. If
1302 the value is @code{other}, point jumps in all nonselected windows that
1303 show the current buffer. The default value is @code{nil}, which means
1304 point does not jump to the end.
1306 @vindex comint-prompt-read-only
1307 If you set @code{comint-prompt-read-only}, the prompts in the Comint
1308 buffer are read-only.
1310 @vindex comint-input-ignoredups
1311 The variable @code{comint-input-ignoredups} controls whether successive
1312 identical inputs are stored in the input history. A non-@code{nil}
1313 value means to omit an input that is the same as the previous input.
1314 The default is @code{nil}, which means to store each input even if it is
1315 equal to the previous input.
1317 @vindex comint-completion-addsuffix
1318 @vindex comint-completion-recexact
1319 @vindex comint-completion-autolist
1320 Three variables customize file name completion. The variable
1321 @code{comint-completion-addsuffix} controls whether completion inserts a
1322 space or a slash to indicate a fully completed file or directory name
1323 (non-@code{nil} means do insert a space or slash).
1324 @code{comint-completion-recexact}, if non-@code{nil}, directs @key{TAB}
1325 to choose the shortest possible completion if the usual Emacs completion
1326 algorithm cannot add even a single character.
1327 @code{comint-completion-autolist}, if non-@code{nil}, says to list all
1328 the possible completions whenever completion is not exact.
1330 @vindex shell-completion-execonly
1331 Command completion normally considers only executable files.
1332 If you set @code{shell-completion-execonly} to @code{nil},
1333 it considers nonexecutable files as well.
1335 @vindex shell-completion-fignore
1336 @vindex comint-completion-fignore
1337 The variable @code{shell-completion-fignore} specifies a list of file
1338 name extensions to ignore in Shell mode completion. The default
1339 setting is @code{nil}, but some users prefer @code{("~" "#" "%")} to
1340 ignore file names ending in @samp{~}, @samp{#} or @samp{%}. Other
1341 related Comint modes use the variable @code{comint-completion-fignore}
1344 @findex shell-dynamic-complete-command
1345 Some implementation details of the shell command completion may also be found
1346 in the lisp documentation of the @code{shell-dynamic-complete-command}
1349 @findex shell-pushd-tohome
1350 @findex shell-pushd-dextract
1351 @findex shell-pushd-dunique
1352 You can configure the behavior of @samp{pushd}. Variables control
1353 whether @samp{pushd} behaves like @samp{cd} if no argument is given
1354 (@code{shell-pushd-tohome}), pop rather than rotate with a numeric
1355 argument (@code{shell-pushd-dextract}), and only add directories to the
1356 directory stack if they are not already on it
1357 (@code{shell-pushd-dunique}). The values you choose should match the
1358 underlying shell, of course.
1360 @vindex comint-terminfo-terminal
1361 @vindex TERM, environment variable, in sub-shell
1362 Comint mode sets the @env{TERM} environment variable to a safe default
1363 value, but this value disables some useful features. For example,
1364 color is disabled in applications that use @env{TERM} to determine if
1365 color is supported. Therefore, Emacs provides an option
1366 @code{comint-terminfo-terminal}, which you can set to a terminal that
1367 is present in your system's terminfo database, in order to take
1368 advantage of advanced features of that terminal.
1370 @node Terminal emulator
1371 @subsection Emacs Terminal Emulator
1374 To run a subshell in a text terminal emulator, use @kbd{M-x term}.
1375 This creates (or reuses) a buffer named @file{*terminal*}, and runs a
1376 subshell with input coming from your keyboard, and output going to
1379 @cindex line mode @r{(terminal emulator)}
1380 @cindex char mode @r{(terminal emulator)}
1381 The terminal emulator uses Term mode, which has two input modes. In
1382 @dfn{line mode}, Term basically acts like Shell mode (@pxref{Shell
1383 Mode}). In @dfn{char mode}, each character is sent directly to the
1384 subshell, as terminal input; the sole exception is the terminal escape
1385 character, which by default is @kbd{C-c} (@pxref{Term Mode}). Any
1386 echoing of your input is the responsibility of the subshell; any
1387 terminal output from the subshell goes into the buffer, advancing
1390 Some programs (such as Emacs itself) need to control the appearance
1391 of the terminal screen in detail. They do this by emitting special
1392 control codes. Term mode recognizes and handles ANSI-standard
1393 VT100-style escape sequences, which are accepted by most modern
1394 terminals, including @command{xterm}. (Hence, you can actually run
1395 Emacs inside an Emacs Term window.)
1397 The @code{term} face specifies the default appearance of text
1398 in the terminal emulator (the default is the same appearance as the
1399 @code{default} face). When terminal control codes are used to change
1400 the appearance of text, these are represented in the terminal emulator
1401 by the faces @code{term-color-black}, @code{term-color-red},
1402 @code{term-color-green}, @code{term-color-yellow}
1403 @code{term-color-blue}, @code{term-color-magenta},
1404 @code{term-color-cyan}, @code{term-color-white},
1405 @code{term-color-underline}, and @code{term-color-bold}.
1408 You can also Term mode to communicate with a device connected to a
1409 serial port. @xref{Serial Terminal}.
1411 The file name used to load the subshell is determined the same way
1412 as for Shell mode. To make multiple terminal emulators, rename the
1413 buffer @file{*terminal*} to something different using @kbd{M-x
1414 rename-uniquely}, just as with Shell mode.
1416 Unlike Shell mode, Term mode does not track the current directory by
1417 examining your input. But some shells can tell Term what the current
1418 directory is. This is done automatically by @code{bash} version 1.15
1425 @subsection Term Mode
1429 The terminal emulator uses Term mode, which has two input modes. In
1430 line mode, Term basically acts like Shell mode (@pxref{Shell Mode}).
1431 In char mode, each character is sent directly to the subshell, except
1432 for the Term escape character, normally @kbd{C-c}.
1434 To switch between line and char mode, use these commands:
1437 @kindex C-c C-j @r{(Term mode)}
1438 @findex term-line-mode
1440 Switch to line mode (@code{term-line-mode}). Do nothing if already in
1443 @kindex C-c C-k @r{(Term mode)}
1444 @findex term-char-mode
1446 Switch to char mode (@code{term-char-mode}). Do nothing if already in
1450 The following commands are only available in char mode:
1454 Send a literal @kbd{C-c} to the sub-shell.
1456 @item C-c @var{char}
1457 This is equivalent to @kbd{C-x @var{char}} in normal Emacs. For
1458 example, @kbd{C-c o} invokes the global binding of @kbd{C-x o}, which
1459 is normally @samp{other-window}.
1462 @cindex paging in Term mode
1463 Term mode has a page-at-a-time feature. When enabled, it makes
1464 output pause at the end of each screenful:
1467 @kindex C-c C-q @r{(Term mode)}
1468 @findex term-pager-toggle
1470 Toggle the page-at-a-time feature. This command works in both line
1471 and char modes. When the feature is enabled, the mode-line displays
1472 the word @samp{page}, and each time Term receives more than a
1473 screenful of output, it pauses and displays @samp{**MORE**} in the
1474 mode-line. Type @key{SPC} to display the next screenful of output, or
1475 @kbd{?} to see your other options. The interface is similar to the
1476 @code{more} program.
1480 @subsection Remote Host Shell
1482 @cindex connecting to remote host
1486 You can login to a remote computer, using whatever commands you
1487 would from a regular terminal (e.g., using the @code{telnet} or
1488 @code{rlogin} commands), from a Term window.
1490 A program that asks you for a password will normally suppress
1491 echoing of the password, so the password will not show up in the
1492 buffer. This will happen just as if you were using a real terminal,
1493 if the buffer is in char mode. If it is in line mode, the password is
1494 temporarily visible, but will be erased when you hit return. (This
1495 happens automatically; there is no special password processing.)
1497 When you log in to a different machine, you need to specify the type
1498 of terminal you're using, by setting the @env{TERM} environment
1499 variable in the environment for the remote login command. (If you use
1500 bash, you do that by writing the variable assignment before the remote
1501 login command, without a separating comma.) Terminal types
1502 @samp{ansi} or @samp{vt100} will work on most systems.
1504 @node Serial Terminal
1505 @subsection Serial Terminal
1506 @cindex terminal, serial
1509 If you have a device connected to a serial port of your computer,
1510 you can communicate with it by typing @kbd{M-x serial-term}. This
1511 command asks for a serial port name and speed, and switches to a new
1512 Term mode buffer. Emacs communicates with the serial device through
1513 this buffer just like it does with a terminal in ordinary Term mode.
1515 The speed of the serial port is measured in bits per second. The
1516 most common speed is 9600 bits per second. You can change the speed
1517 interactively by clicking on the mode line.
1519 A serial port can be configured even more by clicking on @samp{8N1} in
1520 the mode line. By default, a serial port is configured as @samp{8N1},
1521 which means that each byte consists of 8 data bits, No parity check
1524 If the speed or the configuration is wrong, you cannot communicate
1525 with your device and will probably only see garbage output in the
1529 @section Using Emacs as a Server
1531 @cindex Emacs as a server
1532 @cindex server, using Emacs as
1533 @cindex @env{EDITOR} environment variable
1535 Various programs can invoke your choice of editor to edit a
1536 particular piece of text. For instance, version control programs
1537 invoke an editor to enter version control logs (@pxref{Version
1538 Control}), and the Unix @command{mail} utility invokes an editor to
1539 enter a message to send. By convention, your choice of editor is
1540 specified by the environment variable @env{EDITOR}. If you set
1541 @env{EDITOR} to @samp{emacs}, Emacs would be invoked, but in an
1542 inconvenient way---by starting a new Emacs process. This is
1543 inconvenient because the new Emacs process doesn't share buffers, a
1544 command history, or other kinds of information with any existing Emacs
1547 You can solve this problem by setting up Emacs as an @dfn{edit
1548 server}, so that it ``listens'' for external edit requests and acts
1549 accordingly. There are various ways to start an Emacs server:
1552 @findex server-start
1554 Run the command @code{server-start} in an existing Emacs process:
1555 either type @kbd{M-x server-start}, or put the expression
1556 @code{(server-start)} in your init file (@pxref{Init File}). The
1557 existing Emacs process is the server; when you exit Emacs, the server
1558 dies with the Emacs process.
1560 @cindex daemon, Emacs
1562 Run Emacs as a @dfn{daemon}, using one of the @samp{--daemon} command-line
1563 options. @xref{Initial Options}. When Emacs is started this way, it
1564 calls @code{server-start} after initialization and does not open an
1565 initial frame. It then waits for edit requests from clients.
1567 @cindex systemd unit file
1569 If your operating system uses @command{systemd} to manage startup,
1570 you can automatically start Emacs in daemon mode when you login
1571 using the supplied @dfn{systemd unit file}. To activate this:
1573 systemctl --user enable emacs
1575 (If your Emacs was installed into a non-standard location, you may
1576 need to copy the @file{emacs.service} file to a standard directory
1577 such as @file{~/.config/systemd/user/}.)
1579 @cindex socket activation, systemd, Emacs
1581 An external process can invoke the Emacs server when a connection
1582 event occurs upon a specified socket and pass the socket to the new
1583 Emacs server process. An instance of this is the socket functionality
1584 of @command{systemd}: the @command{systemd} service creates a socket and
1585 listens for connections on it; when @command{emacsclient} connects to
1586 it for the first time, @command{systemd} can launch the Emacs server
1587 and hand over the socket to it for servicing @command{emacsclient}
1588 connections. A setup to use this functionality could be:
1590 @file{~/.config/systemd/user/emacs.socket}:
1593 ListenStream=/path/to/.emacs.socket
1596 WantedBy=sockets.target
1599 (The @file{emacs.service} file described above must also be installed.)
1601 The @code{ListenStream} path will be the path that Emacs listens for
1602 connections from @command{emacsclient}; this is a file of your choice.
1605 @cindex @env{TEXEDIT} environment variable
1606 Once an Emacs server is started, you can use a shell
1607 command called @command{emacsclient} to connect to the Emacs process
1608 and tell it to visit a file. You can then set the @env{EDITOR}
1609 environment variable to @samp{emacsclient}, so that external programs
1610 will use the existing Emacs process for editing.@footnote{Some
1611 programs use a different environment variable; for example, to make
1612 @TeX{} use @samp{emacsclient}, set the @env{TEXEDIT} environment
1613 variable to @samp{emacsclient +%d %s}.}
1616 You can run multiple Emacs servers on the same machine by giving
1617 each one a unique @dfn{server name}, using the variable
1618 @code{server-name}. For example, @kbd{M-x set-variable @key{RET}
1619 server-name @key{RET} "foo" @key{RET}} sets the server name to
1620 @samp{foo}. The @code{emacsclient} program can specify a server by
1621 name, using the @samp{-s} option (@pxref{emacsclient Options}).
1623 If you want to run multiple Emacs daemons (@pxref{Initial Options}),
1624 you can give each daemon its own server name like this:
1627 emacs --eval "(setq server-name \"foo\")" --daemon
1630 @findex server-eval-at
1631 If you have defined a server by a unique server name, it is possible
1632 to connect to the server from another Emacs instance and evaluate Lisp
1633 expressions on the server, using the @code{server-eval-at} function.
1634 For instance, @code{(server-eval-at "foo" '(+ 1 2))} evaluates the
1635 expression @code{(+ 1 2)} on the @samp{foo} server, and returns
1636 @code{3}. (If there is no server with that name, an error is
1637 signaled.) Currently, this feature is mainly useful for developers.
1640 * TCP Emacs server:: Listening to a TCP socket.
1641 * Invoking emacsclient:: Connecting to the Emacs server.
1642 * emacsclient Options:: Emacs client startup options.
1645 @node TCP Emacs server
1646 @subsection TCP Emacs server
1647 @cindex TCP Emacs server
1649 @vindex server-use-tcp
1650 An Emacs server usually listens to connections on a local Unix
1651 domain socket. Some operating systems, such as MS-Windows, do not
1652 support local sockets; in that case, the server uses TCP sockets
1653 instead. In some cases it is useful to have the server listen on a
1654 TCP socket even if local sockets are supported, e.g., if you need to
1655 contact the Emacs server from a remote machine. You can set
1656 @code{server-use-tcp} to non-@code{nil} to have Emacs listen on a TCP
1657 socket instead of a local socket. This is the default if your OS does
1658 not support local sockets.
1662 If the Emacs server is set to use TCP, it will by default listen to
1663 a random port on the localhost interface. This can be changed to
1664 another interface and/or a fixed port using the variables
1665 @code{server-host} and @code{server-port}.
1667 @vindex server-auth-key
1668 A TCP socket is not subject to file system permissions. To retain
1669 some control over which users can talk to an Emacs server over TCP
1670 sockets, the @command{emacsclient} program must send an authorization
1671 key to the server. This key is normally randomly generated by the
1672 Emacs server. This is the recommended mode of operation.
1674 @findex server-generate-key
1675 If needed, you can set the authorization key to a static value by
1676 setting the @code{server-auth-key} variable. The key must consist of
1677 64 ASCII printable characters except for space (this means characters
1678 from @samp{!} to @samp{~}, or from decimal code 33 to 126). You can
1679 use @kbd{M-x server-generate-key} to get a random key.
1681 @vindex server-auth-dir
1683 When you start a TCP Emacs server, Emacs creates a @dfn{server file}
1684 containing the TCP information to be used by @command{emacsclient} to
1685 connect to the server. The variable @code{server-auth-dir} specifies
1686 the directory containing the server file; by default, this is
1687 @file{~/.emacs.d/server/}. In the absence of a local socket with file
1688 permissions, the permissions of this directory determine which users
1689 can have their @command{emacsclient} processes talk to the Emacs
1692 @vindex EMACS_SERVER_FILE@r{, environment variable}
1693 To tell @command{emacsclient} to connect to the server over TCP with
1694 a specific server file, use the @samp{-f} or @samp{--server-file}
1695 option, or set the @env{EMACS_SERVER_FILE} environment variable
1696 (@pxref{emacsclient Options}). If @code{server-auth-dir} is set to a
1697 non-standard value, @command{emacsclient} needs an absolute file name
1698 to the server file, as the default @code{server-auth-dir} is
1699 hard-coded in @command{emacsclient} to be used as the directory for
1700 resolving relative filenames.
1702 @node Invoking emacsclient
1703 @subsection Invoking @code{emacsclient}
1704 @cindex @code{emacsclient} invocation
1706 The simplest way to use the @command{emacsclient} program is to run
1707 the shell command @samp{emacsclient @var{file}}, where @var{file} is a
1708 file name. This connects to an Emacs server, and tells that Emacs
1709 process to visit @var{file} in one of its existing frames---either a
1710 graphical frame, or one in a text terminal (@pxref{Frames}). You
1711 can then select that frame to begin editing.
1713 If there is no Emacs server, the @command{emacsclient} program halts
1714 with an error message (you can prevent this from happening by using
1715 the @samp{--alternate-editor=""} option to @command{emacsclient},
1716 @pxref{emacsclient Options}). If the Emacs process has no existing
1717 frame---which can happen if it was started as a daemon (@pxref{Emacs
1718 Server})---then Emacs opens a frame on the terminal in which you
1719 called @command{emacsclient}.
1721 You can also force @command{emacsclient} to open a new frame on a
1722 graphical display, or on a text terminal, using the @samp{-c} and
1723 @samp{-t} options. @xref{emacsclient Options}.
1725 If you are running on a single text terminal, you can switch between
1726 @command{emacsclient}'s shell and the Emacs server using one of two
1727 methods: (i) run the Emacs server and @command{emacsclient} on
1728 different virtual terminals, and switch to the Emacs server's virtual
1729 terminal after calling @command{emacsclient}; or (ii) call
1730 @command{emacsclient} from within the Emacs server itself, using Shell
1731 mode (@pxref{Interactive Shell}) or Term mode (@pxref{Term Mode});
1732 @code{emacsclient} blocks only the subshell under Emacs, and you can
1733 still use Emacs to edit the file.
1737 When you finish editing @var{file} in the Emacs server, type
1738 @kbd{C-x #} (@code{server-edit}) in its buffer. This saves the file
1739 and sends a message back to the @command{emacsclient} program, telling
1740 it to exit. Programs that use @env{EDITOR} usually wait for the
1741 editor---in this case @command{emacsclient}---to exit before doing
1744 You can also call @command{emacsclient} with multiple file name
1745 arguments: @samp{emacsclient @var{file1} @var{file2} ...} tells the
1746 Emacs server to visit @var{file1}, @var{file2}, and so forth. Emacs
1747 selects the buffer visiting @var{file1}, and buries the other buffers
1748 at the bottom of the buffer list (@pxref{Buffers}). The
1749 @command{emacsclient} program exits once all the specified files are
1750 finished (i.e., once you have typed @kbd{C-x #} in each server
1753 @vindex server-kill-new-buffers
1754 @vindex server-temp-file-regexp
1755 Finishing with a server buffer also kills the buffer, unless it
1756 already existed in the Emacs session before the server was asked to
1757 create it. However, if you set @code{server-kill-new-buffers} to
1758 @code{nil}, then a different criterion is used: finishing with a
1759 server buffer kills it if the file name matches the regular expression
1760 @code{server-temp-file-regexp}. This is set up to distinguish certain
1763 Each @kbd{C-x #} checks for other pending external requests to edit
1764 various files, and selects the next such file. You can switch to a
1765 server buffer manually if you wish; you don't have to arrive at it
1766 with @kbd{C-x #}. But @kbd{C-x #} is the way to tell
1767 @command{emacsclient} that you are finished.
1769 @vindex server-window
1770 If you set the value of the variable @code{server-window} to a
1771 window or a frame, @kbd{C-x #} always displays the next server buffer
1772 in that window or in that frame.
1774 @node emacsclient Options
1775 @subsection @code{emacsclient} Options
1776 @cindex @code{emacsclient} options
1778 You can pass some optional arguments to the @command{emacsclient}
1782 emacsclient -c +12 @var{file1} +4:3 @var{file2}
1786 The @samp{+@var{line}} or @samp{+@var{line}:@var{column}} arguments
1787 specify line numbers, or line and column numbers, for the next file
1788 argument. These behave like the command line arguments for Emacs
1789 itself. @xref{Action Arguments}.
1791 The other optional arguments recognized by @command{emacsclient} are
1795 @item -a @var{command}
1796 @itemx --alternate-editor=@var{command}
1797 Specify a shell command to run if @code{emacsclient} fails to contact Emacs.
1798 This is useful when running @code{emacsclient} in a script.
1799 The command may include arguments, which may be quoted "like this".
1800 Currently, escaping of quotes is not supported.
1802 As a special exception, if @var{command} is the empty string, then
1803 @code{emacsclient} starts Emacs in daemon mode (as @command{emacs
1804 --daemon}) and then tries connecting again.
1806 @cindex @env{ALTERNATE_EDITOR} environment variable
1807 The environment variable @env{ALTERNATE_EDITOR} has the same effect as
1808 the @samp{-a} option. If both are present, the latter takes
1811 @cindex client frame
1813 @itemx --create-frame
1814 Create a new graphical @dfn{client frame}, instead of using an
1815 existing Emacs frame. See below for the special behavior of @kbd{C-x
1816 C-c} in a client frame. If Emacs cannot create a new graphical frame
1817 (e.g., if it cannot connect to the X server), it tries to create a
1818 text terminal client frame, as though you had supplied the @samp{-t}
1821 On MS-Windows, a single Emacs session cannot display frames on both
1822 graphical and text terminals, nor on multiple text terminals. Thus,
1823 if the Emacs server is running on a text terminal, the @samp{-c}
1824 option, like the @samp{-t} option, creates a new frame in the server's
1825 current text terminal. @xref{Windows Startup}.
1827 If you omit a filename argument while supplying the @samp{-c} option,
1828 the new frame displays the @file{*scratch*} buffer by default. You
1829 can customize this behavior with the variable @code{initial-buffer-choice}
1830 (@pxref{Entering Emacs}).
1832 @item -F @var{alist}
1833 @itemx --frame-parameters=@var{alist}
1834 Set the parameters for a newly-created graphical frame
1835 (@pxref{Frame Parameters}).
1837 @item -d @var{display}
1838 @itemx --display=@var{display}
1839 Tell Emacs to open the given files on the X display @var{display}
1840 (assuming there is more than one X display available).
1844 Tell Emacs to evaluate some Emacs Lisp code, instead of visiting some
1845 files. When this option is given, the arguments to
1846 @command{emacsclient} are interpreted as a list of expressions to
1847 evaluate, @emph{not} as a list of files to visit.
1849 @item -f @var{server-file}
1850 @itemx --server-file=@var{server-file}
1851 Specify a server file (@pxref{TCP Emacs server}) for connecting to an
1852 Emacs server via TCP. Alternatively, you can set the
1853 @env{EMACS_SERVER_FILE} environment variable to point to the server
1856 An Emacs server usually uses a local socket to listen for connections,
1857 but also supports connections over TCP. To connect to a TCP Emacs
1858 server, @command{emacsclient} needs to read a @dfn{server file}
1859 containing the connection details of the Emacs server. The name of
1860 this file is specified with this option, either as a file name
1861 relative to @file{~/.emacs.d/server} or as an absolute file name.
1862 @xref{TCP Emacs server}.
1866 Let @command{emacsclient} exit immediately, instead of waiting until
1867 all server buffers are finished. You can take as long as you like to
1868 edit the server buffers within Emacs, and they are @emph{not} killed
1869 when you type @kbd{C-x #} in them.
1871 @item --parent-id @var{id}
1872 Open an @command{emacsclient} frame as a client frame in the parent X
1873 window with id @var{id}, via the XEmbed protocol. Currently, this
1874 option is mainly useful for developers.
1878 Do not let @command{emacsclient} display messages about waiting for
1879 Emacs or connecting to remote server sockets.
1882 @itemx --suppress-output
1883 Do not let @command{emacsclient} display results returned from the
1884 server. Mostly useful in combination with @samp{-e} when the
1885 evaluation performed is for side-effect rather than result.
1887 @item -s @var{server-name}
1888 @itemx --socket-name=@var{server-name}
1889 Connect to the Emacs server named @var{server-name}. The server name
1890 is given by the variable @code{server-name} on the Emacs server. If
1891 this option is omitted, @command{emacsclient} connects to the first
1892 server it finds. (This option is not supported on MS-Windows.)
1897 Create a new client frame on the current text terminal, instead of
1898 using an existing Emacs frame. This behaves just like the @samp{-c}
1899 option, described above, except that it creates a text terminal frame
1900 (@pxref{Non-Window Terminals}).
1902 On MS-Windows, @samp{-t} behaves just like @samp{-c} if the Emacs
1903 server is using the graphical display, but if the Emacs server is
1904 running on a text terminal, it creates a new frame in the current text
1907 @item -T @var{tramp-prefix}
1908 @itemx --tramp-prefix=@var{tramp-prefix}
1909 Set the prefix to add to filenames for Emacs to locate files on remote
1910 machines using TRAMP (@pxref{Top, The Tramp Manual,, tramp, The Tramp
1911 Manual}). This is mostly useful in combination with using the Emacs
1912 server over TCP (@pxref{TCP Emacs server}). By ssh-forwarding the
1913 listening port and making the @var{server-file} available on a remote
1914 machine, programs on the remote machine can use @command{emacsclient}
1915 as the value for the @env{EDITOR} and similar environment variables,
1916 but instead of talking to an Emacs server on the remote machine, the
1917 files will be visited in the local Emacs session using TRAMP.
1919 @vindex EMACSCLIENT_TRAMP@r{, environment variable}
1920 Setting the environment variable @env{EMACSCLIENT_TRAMP} has the same
1921 effect as using the @samp{-T} option. If both are specified, the
1922 command-line option takes precedence.
1924 For example, assume two hosts, @samp{local} and @samp{remote}, and
1925 that the local Emacs listens on tcp port 12345. Assume further that
1926 @file{/home} is on a shared file system, so that the server file
1927 @file{~/.emacs.d/server/server} is readable on both hosts.
1930 local$ ssh -R12345:localhost:12345 remote
1931 remote$ export EDITOR="emacsclient \
1932 --server-file=server \
1933 --tramp=/ssh:remote:"
1934 remote$ $EDITOR /tmp/foo.txt #Should open in local emacs.
1939 The new graphical or text terminal frames created by the @samp{-c}
1940 or @samp{-t} options are considered @dfn{client frames}. Any new
1941 frame that you create from a client frame is also considered a client
1942 frame. If you type @kbd{C-x C-c} (@code{save-buffers-kill-terminal})
1943 in a client frame, that command does not kill the Emacs session as it
1944 normally does (@pxref{Exiting}). Instead, Emacs deletes the client
1945 frame; furthermore, if the client frame has an @command{emacsclient}
1946 waiting to regain control (i.e., if you did not supply the @samp{-n}
1947 option), Emacs deletes all other frames of the same client, and marks
1948 the client's server buffers as finished, as though you had typed
1949 @kbd{C-x #} in all of them. If it so happens that there are no
1950 remaining frames after the client frame(s) are deleted, the Emacs
1953 As an exception, when Emacs is started as a daemon, all frames are
1954 considered client frames, and @kbd{C-x C-c} never kills Emacs. To
1955 kill a daemon session, type @kbd{M-x kill-emacs}.
1957 Note that the @samp{-t} and @samp{-n} options are contradictory:
1958 @samp{-t} says to take control of the current text terminal to create
1959 a new client frame, while @samp{-n} says not to take control of the
1960 text terminal. If you supply both options, Emacs visits the specified
1961 files(s) in an existing frame rather than a new client frame, negating
1962 the effect of @samp{-t}.
1965 @section Printing Hard Copies
1969 Emacs provides commands for printing hardcopies of either an entire
1970 buffer or part of one. You can invoke the printing commands directly,
1971 as detailed below, or using the @samp{File} menu on the menu bar.
1973 @findex htmlfontify-buffer
1974 Aside from the commands described in this section, you can also
1975 print hardcopies from Dired (@pxref{Operating on Files}) and the diary
1976 (@pxref{Displaying the Diary}). You can also ``print'' an Emacs
1977 buffer to HTML with the command @kbd{M-x htmlfontify-buffer}, which
1978 converts the current buffer to a HTML file, replacing Emacs faces with
1979 CSS-based markup. Furthermore, Org mode allows you to print Org
1980 files to a variety of formats, such as PDF (@pxref{Org Mode}).
1983 @item M-x print-buffer
1984 Print hardcopy of current buffer with page headings containing the
1985 file name and page number.
1986 @item M-x lpr-buffer
1987 Print hardcopy of current buffer without page headings.
1988 @item M-x print-region
1989 Like @code{print-buffer} but print only the current region.
1990 @item M-x lpr-region
1991 Like @code{lpr-buffer} but print only the current region.
1994 @findex print-buffer
1995 @findex print-region
1998 @vindex lpr-switches
1999 @vindex lpr-commands
2000 On most operating systems, the above hardcopy commands submit files
2001 for printing by calling the @command{lpr} program. To change the
2002 printer program, customize the variable @code{lpr-command}. To
2003 specify extra switches to give the printer program, customize the list
2004 variable @code{lpr-switches}. Its value should be a list of option
2005 strings, each of which should start with @samp{-} (e.g., the option
2006 string @code{"-w80"} specifies a line width of 80 columns). The
2007 default is the empty list, @code{nil}.
2009 @vindex printer-name
2010 @vindex lpr-printer-switch
2011 To specify the printer to use, set the variable @code{printer-name}.
2012 The default, @code{nil}, specifies the default printer. If you set it
2013 to a printer name (a string), that name is passed to @command{lpr}
2014 with the @samp{-P} switch; if you are not using @command{lpr}, you
2015 should specify the switch with @code{lpr-printer-switch}.
2017 @vindex lpr-headers-switches
2018 @vindex lpr-add-switches
2019 The variable @code{lpr-headers-switches} similarly specifies the
2020 extra switches to use to make page headers. The variable
2021 @code{lpr-add-switches} controls whether to supply @samp{-T} and
2022 @samp{-J} options (suitable for @command{lpr}) to the printer program:
2023 @code{nil} means don't add them (this should be the value if your
2024 printer program is not compatible with @command{lpr}).
2027 * PostScript:: Printing buffers or regions as PostScript.
2028 * PostScript Variables:: Customizing the PostScript printing commands.
2029 * Printing Package:: An optional advanced printing interface.
2033 @subsection PostScript Hardcopy
2035 These commands convert buffer contents to PostScript,
2036 either printing it or leaving it in another Emacs buffer.
2039 @item M-x ps-print-buffer
2040 Print hardcopy of the current buffer in PostScript form.
2041 @item M-x ps-print-region
2042 Print hardcopy of the current region in PostScript form.
2043 @item M-x ps-print-buffer-with-faces
2044 Print hardcopy of the current buffer in PostScript form, showing the
2045 faces used in the text by means of PostScript features.
2046 @item M-x ps-print-region-with-faces
2047 Print hardcopy of the current region in PostScript form, showing the
2048 faces used in the text.
2049 @item M-x ps-spool-buffer
2050 Generate and spool a PostScript image for the current buffer text.
2051 @item M-x ps-spool-region
2052 Generate and spool a PostScript image for the current region.
2053 @item M-x ps-spool-buffer-with-faces
2054 Generate and spool a PostScript image for the current buffer, showing the faces used.
2055 @item M-x ps-spool-region-with-faces
2056 Generate and spool a PostScript image for the current region, showing the faces used.
2057 @item M-x ps-despool
2058 Send the spooled PostScript to the printer.
2060 Generate/print PostScript for the current buffer as if handwritten.
2063 @findex ps-print-region
2064 @findex ps-print-buffer
2065 @findex ps-print-region-with-faces
2066 @findex ps-print-buffer-with-faces
2067 The @code{ps-print-buffer} and @code{ps-print-region} commands print
2068 buffer contents in PostScript form. One command prints the entire
2069 buffer; the other, just the region. The commands
2070 @code{ps-print-buffer-with-faces} and
2071 @code{ps-print-region-with-faces} behave similarly, but use PostScript
2072 features to show the faces (fonts and colors) of the buffer text.
2074 Interactively, when you use a prefix argument (@kbd{C-u}), the command
2075 prompts the user for a file name, and saves the PostScript image in that file
2076 instead of sending it to the printer.
2078 @findex ps-spool-region
2079 @findex ps-spool-buffer
2080 @findex ps-spool-region-with-faces
2081 @findex ps-spool-buffer-with-faces
2082 The commands whose names have @samp{spool} instead of @samp{print},
2083 generate the PostScript output in an Emacs buffer instead of sending
2087 Use the command @code{ps-despool} to send the spooled images to the
2088 printer. This command sends the PostScript generated by
2089 @samp{-spool-} commands (see commands above) to the printer. With a
2090 prefix argument (@kbd{C-u}), it prompts for a file name, and saves the
2091 spooled PostScript image in that file instead of sending it to the
2096 @kbd{M-x handwrite} is more frivolous. It generates a PostScript
2097 rendition of the current buffer as a cursive handwritten document. It
2098 can be customized in group @code{handwrite}. This function only
2099 supports ISO 8859-1 characters.
2101 @node PostScript Variables
2102 @subsection Variables for PostScript Hardcopy
2104 @vindex ps-lpr-command
2105 @vindex ps-lpr-switches
2106 @vindex ps-printer-name
2107 All the PostScript hardcopy commands use the variables
2108 @code{ps-lpr-command} and @code{ps-lpr-switches} to specify how to print
2109 the output. @code{ps-lpr-command} specifies the command name to run,
2110 @code{ps-lpr-switches} specifies command line options to use, and
2111 @code{ps-printer-name} specifies the printer. If you don't set the
2112 first two variables yourself, they take their initial values from
2113 @code{lpr-command} and @code{lpr-switches}. If @code{ps-printer-name}
2114 is @code{nil}, @code{printer-name} is used.
2116 @vindex ps-print-header
2117 The variable @code{ps-print-header} controls whether these commands
2118 add header lines to each page---set it to @code{nil} to turn headers
2121 @cindex color emulation on black-and-white printers
2122 @vindex ps-print-color-p
2123 If your printer doesn't support colors, you should turn off color
2124 processing by setting @code{ps-print-color-p} to @code{nil}. By
2125 default, if the display supports colors, Emacs produces hardcopy output
2126 with color information; on black-and-white printers, colors are emulated
2127 with shades of gray. This might produce illegible output, even if your
2128 screen colors only use shades of gray.
2130 Alternatively, you can set @code{ps-print-color-p} to @code{black-white} to
2131 print colors on black/white printers.
2133 @vindex ps-use-face-background
2134 By default, PostScript printing ignores the background colors of the
2135 faces, unless the variable @code{ps-use-face-background} is
2136 non-@code{nil}. This is to avoid unwanted interference with the zebra
2137 stripes and background image/text.
2139 @vindex ps-paper-type
2140 @vindex ps-page-dimensions-database
2141 The variable @code{ps-paper-type} specifies which size of paper to
2142 format for; legitimate values include @code{a4}, @code{a3},
2143 @code{a4small}, @code{b4}, @code{b5}, @code{executive}, @code{ledger},
2144 @code{legal}, @code{letter}, @code{letter-small}, @code{statement},
2145 @code{tabloid}. The default is @code{letter}. You can define
2146 additional paper sizes by changing the variable
2147 @code{ps-page-dimensions-database}.
2149 @vindex ps-landscape-mode
2150 The variable @code{ps-landscape-mode} specifies the orientation of
2151 printing on the page. The default is @code{nil}, which stands for
2152 portrait mode. Any non-@code{nil} value specifies landscape
2155 @vindex ps-number-of-columns
2156 The variable @code{ps-number-of-columns} specifies the number of
2157 columns; it takes effect in both landscape and portrait mode. The
2160 @vindex ps-font-family
2161 @vindex ps-font-size
2162 @vindex ps-font-info-database
2163 The variable @code{ps-font-family} specifies which font family to use
2164 for printing ordinary text. Legitimate values include @code{Courier},
2165 @code{Helvetica}, @code{NewCenturySchlbk}, @code{Palatino} and
2166 @code{Times}. The variable @code{ps-font-size} specifies the size of
2167 the font for ordinary text. It defaults to 8.5 points.
2169 @vindex ps-multibyte-buffer
2170 @cindex Intlfonts for PostScript printing
2171 @cindex fonts for PostScript printing
2172 Emacs supports more scripts and characters than a typical PostScript
2173 printer. Thus, some of the characters in your buffer might not be
2174 printable using the fonts built into your printer. You can augment
2175 the fonts supplied with the printer with those from the GNU Intlfonts
2176 package, or you can instruct Emacs to use Intlfonts exclusively. The
2177 variable @code{ps-multibyte-buffer} controls this: the default value,
2178 @code{nil}, is appropriate for printing @acronym{ASCII} and Latin-1
2179 characters; a value of @code{non-latin-printer} is for printers which
2180 have the fonts for @acronym{ASCII}, Latin-1, Japanese, and Korean
2181 characters built into them. A value of @code{bdf-font} arranges for
2182 the BDF fonts from the Intlfonts package to be used for @emph{all}
2183 characters. Finally, a value of @code{bdf-font-except-latin}
2184 instructs the printer to use built-in fonts for @acronym{ASCII} and Latin-1
2185 characters, and Intlfonts BDF fonts for the rest.
2187 @vindex bdf-directory-list
2188 To be able to use the BDF fonts, Emacs needs to know where to find
2189 them. The variable @code{bdf-directory-list} holds the list of
2190 directories where Emacs should look for the fonts; the default value
2191 includes a single directory @file{/usr/local/share/emacs/fonts/bdf}.
2193 Many other customization variables for these commands are defined and
2194 described in the Lisp files @file{ps-print.el} and @file{ps-mule.el}.
2196 @node Printing Package
2197 @subsection Printing Package
2198 @cindex Printing package
2200 The basic Emacs facilities for printing hardcopy can be extended
2201 using the Printing package. This provides an easy-to-use interface
2202 for choosing what to print, previewing PostScript files before
2203 printing, and setting various printing options such as print headers,
2204 landscape or portrait modes, duplex modes, and so forth. On GNU/Linux
2205 or Unix systems, the Printing package relies on the @file{gs} and
2206 @file{gv} utilities, which are distributed as part of the GhostScript
2207 program. On MS-Windows, the @file{gstools} port of Ghostscript can be
2210 @findex pr-interface
2211 To use the Printing package, add @code{(require 'printing)} to your
2212 init file (@pxref{Init File}), followed by @code{(pr-update-menus)}.
2213 This function replaces the usual printing commands in the menu bar
2214 with a @samp{Printing} submenu that contains various printing options.
2215 You can also type @kbd{M-x pr-interface @key{RET}}; this creates a
2216 @file{*Printing Interface*} buffer, similar to a customization buffer,
2217 where you can set the printing options. After selecting what and how
2218 to print, you start the print job using the @samp{Print} button (click
2219 @kbd{mouse-2} on it, or move point over it and type @key{RET}). For
2220 further information on the various options, use the @samp{Interface
2224 @section Sorting Text
2227 Emacs provides several commands for sorting text in the buffer. All
2228 operate on the contents of the region.
2229 They divide the text of the region into many @dfn{sort records},
2230 identify a @dfn{sort key} for each record, and then reorder the records
2231 into the order determined by the sort keys. The records are ordered so
2232 that their keys are in alphabetical order, or, for numeric sorting, in
2233 numeric order. In alphabetic sorting, all upper-case letters @samp{A}
2234 through @samp{Z} come before lower-case @samp{a}, in accordance with the
2235 @acronym{ASCII} character sequence.
2237 The various sort commands differ in how they divide the text into sort
2238 records and in which part of each record is used as the sort key. Most of
2239 the commands make each line a separate sort record, but some commands use
2240 paragraphs or pages as sort records. Most of the sort commands use each
2241 entire sort record as its own sort key, but some use only a portion of the
2242 record as the sort key.
2245 @findex sort-paragraphs
2248 @findex sort-numeric-fields
2249 @vindex sort-numeric-base
2251 @item M-x sort-lines
2252 Divide the region into lines, and sort by comparing the entire
2253 text of a line. A numeric argument means sort into descending order.
2255 @item M-x sort-paragraphs
2256 Divide the region into paragraphs, and sort by comparing the entire
2257 text of a paragraph (except for leading blank lines). A numeric
2258 argument means sort into descending order.
2260 @item M-x sort-pages
2261 Divide the region into pages, and sort by comparing the entire
2262 text of a page (except for leading blank lines). A numeric
2263 argument means sort into descending order.
2265 @item M-x sort-fields
2266 Divide the region into lines, and sort by comparing the contents of
2267 one field in each line. Fields are defined as separated by
2268 whitespace, so the first run of consecutive non-whitespace characters
2269 in a line constitutes field 1, the second such run constitutes field
2272 Specify which field to sort by with a numeric argument: 1 to sort by
2273 field 1, etc. A negative argument means count fields from the right
2274 instead of from the left; thus, minus 1 means sort by the last field.
2275 If several lines have identical contents in the field being sorted, they
2276 keep the same relative order that they had in the original buffer.
2278 @item M-x sort-numeric-fields
2279 Like @kbd{M-x sort-fields} except the specified field is converted
2280 to an integer for each line, and the numbers are compared. @samp{10}
2281 comes before @samp{2} when considered as text, but after it when
2282 considered as a number. By default, numbers are interpreted according
2283 to @code{sort-numeric-base}, but numbers beginning with @samp{0x} or
2284 @samp{0} are interpreted as hexadecimal and octal, respectively.
2286 @item M-x sort-columns
2287 Like @kbd{M-x sort-fields} except that the text within each line
2288 used for comparison comes from a fixed range of columns. With a
2289 prefix argument, sort in reverse order. See below for more details
2292 @findex reverse-region
2293 @item M-x reverse-region
2294 Reverse the order of the lines in the region. This is useful for
2295 sorting into descending order by fields, since those sort
2296 commands do not have a feature for doing that.
2299 For example, if the buffer contains this:
2302 On systems where clash detection (locking of files being edited) is
2303 implemented, Emacs also checks the first time you modify a buffer
2304 whether the file has changed on disk since it was last visited or
2305 saved. If it has, you are asked to confirm that you want to change
2310 applying @kbd{M-x sort-lines} to the entire buffer produces this:
2313 On systems where clash detection (locking of files being edited) is
2314 implemented, Emacs also checks the first time you modify a buffer
2315 saved. If it has, you are asked to confirm that you want to change
2317 whether the file has changed on disk since it was last visited or
2321 where the upper-case @samp{O} sorts before all lower-case letters. If
2322 you use @kbd{C-u 2 M-x sort-fields} instead, you get this:
2325 implemented, Emacs also checks the first time you modify a buffer
2326 saved. If it has, you are asked to confirm that you want to change
2328 On systems where clash detection (locking of files being edited) is
2329 whether the file has changed on disk since it was last visited or
2333 where the sort keys were @samp{Emacs}, @samp{If}, @samp{buffer},
2334 @samp{systems} and @samp{the}.
2336 @findex sort-columns
2337 @kbd{M-x sort-columns} requires more explanation. You specify the
2338 columns by putting point at one of the columns and the mark at the other
2339 column. Because this means you cannot put point or the mark at the
2340 beginning of the first line of the text you want to sort, this command
2341 uses an unusual definition of ``region'': all of the line point is in is
2342 considered part of the region, and so is all of the line the mark is in,
2343 as well as all the lines in between.
2345 For example, to sort a table by information found in columns 10 to 15,
2346 you could put the mark on column 10 in the first line of the table, and
2347 point on column 15 in the last line of the table, and then run
2348 @code{sort-columns}. Equivalently, you could run it with the mark on
2349 column 15 in the first line and point on column 10 in the last line.
2351 This can be thought of as sorting the rectangle specified by point and
2352 the mark, except that the text on each line to the left or right of the
2353 rectangle moves along with the text inside the rectangle.
2356 @vindex sort-fold-case
2357 Many of the sort commands ignore case differences when comparing, if
2358 @code{sort-fold-case} is non-@code{nil}.
2360 @c Picture Mode documentation
2362 @include picture-xtra.texi
2366 @node Editing Binary Files
2367 @section Editing Binary Files
2371 @cindex editing binary files
2373 There is a special major mode for editing binary files: Hexl mode. To
2374 use it, use @kbd{M-x hexl-find-file} instead of @kbd{C-x C-f} to visit
2375 the file. This command converts the file's contents to hexadecimal and
2376 lets you edit the translation. When you save the file, it is converted
2377 automatically back to binary.
2379 You can also use @kbd{M-x hexl-mode} to translate an existing buffer
2380 into hex. This is useful if you visit a file normally and then discover
2381 it is a binary file.
2383 Ordinary text characters overwrite in Hexl mode. This is to reduce
2384 the risk of accidentally spoiling the alignment of data in the file.
2385 There are special commands for insertion. Here is a list of the
2386 commands of Hexl mode:
2388 @c I don't think individual index entries for these commands are useful--RMS.
2391 Insert a byte with a code typed in decimal.
2394 Insert a byte with a code typed in octal.
2397 Insert a byte with a code typed in hex.
2400 Move to the beginning of a 1k-byte page.
2403 Move to the end of a 1k-byte page.
2406 Move to an address specified in hex.
2409 Move to an address specified in decimal.
2412 Leave Hexl mode, going back to the major mode this buffer had before you
2413 invoked @code{hexl-mode}.
2417 Other Hexl commands let you insert strings (sequences) of binary
2418 bytes, move by @code{short}s or @code{int}s, etc.; type @kbd{C-h a
2419 hexl-@key{RET}} for details.
2422 @node Saving Emacs Sessions
2423 @section Saving Emacs Sessions
2424 @cindex saving sessions
2425 @cindex restore session
2426 @cindex remember editing session
2427 @cindex reload files
2430 @vindex desktop-restore-frames
2431 Use the desktop library to save the state of Emacs from one session
2432 to another. Once you save the Emacs @dfn{desktop}---the buffers,
2433 their file names, major modes, buffer positions, and so on---then
2434 subsequent Emacs sessions reload the saved desktop. By default,
2435 the desktop also tries to save the frame and window configuration.
2436 To disable this, set @code{desktop-restore-frames} to @code{nil}.
2437 (See that variable's documentation for some related options
2438 that you can customize to fine-tune this behavior.)
2440 @vindex frameset-filter-alist
2441 When the desktop restores the frame and window configuration, it
2442 uses the recorded values of frame parameters, disregarding any
2443 settings for those parameters you have in your init file (@pxref{Init
2444 File}). This means that frame parameters such as fonts and faces for
2445 the restored frames will come from the desktop file, where they were
2446 saved when you exited your previous Emacs session; any settings for
2447 those parameters in your init file will be ignored. To disable this,
2448 customize the value of @code{frameset-filter-alist} to filter out the
2449 frame parameters you don't want to be restored.
2451 @findex desktop-save
2452 @vindex desktop-save-mode
2453 You can save the desktop manually with the command @kbd{M-x
2454 desktop-save}. You can also enable automatic saving of the desktop
2455 when you exit Emacs, and automatic restoration of the last saved
2456 desktop when Emacs starts: use the Customization buffer (@pxref{Easy
2457 Customization}) to set @code{desktop-save-mode} to @code{t} for future
2458 sessions, or add this line in your init file (@pxref{Init File}):
2461 (desktop-save-mode 1)
2464 @vindex desktop-auto-save-timeout
2466 When @code{desktop-save-mode} is active and the desktop file exists,
2467 Emacs auto-saves it every @code{desktop-auto-save-timeout}
2468 seconds, if that is non-@code{nil} and non-zero.
2470 @findex desktop-change-dir
2471 @findex desktop-revert
2472 @vindex desktop-path
2473 If you turn on @code{desktop-save-mode} in your init file, then when
2474 Emacs starts, it looks for a saved desktop in the current directory.
2475 (More precisely, it looks in the directories specified by
2476 @var{desktop-path}, and uses the first desktop it finds.)
2477 Thus, you can have separate saved desktops in different directories,
2478 and the starting directory determines which one Emacs reloads. You
2479 can save the current desktop and reload one saved in another directory
2480 by typing @kbd{M-x desktop-change-dir}. Typing @kbd{M-x
2481 desktop-revert} reverts to the desktop previously reloaded.
2483 Specify the option @samp{--no-desktop} on the command line when you
2484 don't want it to reload any saved desktop. This turns off
2485 @code{desktop-save-mode} for the current session. Starting Emacs with
2486 the @samp{--no-init-file} option also disables desktop reloading,
2487 since it bypasses the init file, where @code{desktop-save-mode} is
2490 @vindex desktop-restore-eager
2491 By default, all the buffers in the desktop are restored at one go.
2492 However, this may be slow if there are a lot of buffers in the
2493 desktop. You can specify the maximum number of buffers to restore
2494 immediately with the variable @code{desktop-restore-eager}; the
2495 remaining buffers are restored lazily, when Emacs is idle.
2497 @findex desktop-clear
2498 @vindex desktop-globals-to-clear
2499 @vindex desktop-clear-preserve-buffers-regexp
2500 Type @kbd{M-x desktop-clear} to empty the Emacs desktop. This kills
2501 all buffers except for internal ones, and clears the global variables
2502 listed in @code{desktop-globals-to-clear}. If you want this to
2503 preserve certain buffers, customize the variable
2504 @code{desktop-clear-preserve-buffers-regexp}, whose value is a regular
2505 expression matching the names of buffers not to kill.
2507 If you want to save minibuffer history from one session to
2508 another, use the @code{savehist} library.
2510 @node Recursive Edit
2511 @section Recursive Editing Levels
2512 @cindex recursive editing level
2513 @cindex editing level, recursive
2515 A @dfn{recursive edit} is a situation in which you are using Emacs
2516 commands to perform arbitrary editing while in the middle of another
2517 Emacs command. For example, when you type @kbd{C-r} inside of a
2518 @code{query-replace}, you enter a recursive edit in which you can change
2519 the current buffer. On exiting from the recursive edit, you go back to
2520 the @code{query-replace}. @xref{Query Replace}.
2523 @findex exit-recursive-edit
2524 @cindex exiting recursive edit
2525 @dfn{Exiting} the recursive edit means returning to the unfinished
2526 command, which continues execution. The command to exit is @kbd{C-M-c}
2527 (@code{exit-recursive-edit}).
2529 You can also @dfn{abort} the recursive edit. This is like exiting,
2530 but also quits the unfinished command immediately. Use the command
2531 @kbd{C-]} (@code{abort-recursive-edit}) to do this. @xref{Quitting}.
2533 The mode line shows you when you are in a recursive edit by displaying
2534 square brackets around the parentheses that always surround the major and
2535 minor mode names. Every window's mode line shows this in the same way,
2536 since being in a recursive edit is true of Emacs as a whole rather than
2537 any particular window or buffer.
2539 It is possible to be in recursive edits within recursive edits. For
2540 example, after typing @kbd{C-r} in a @code{query-replace}, you may type a
2541 command that enters the debugger. This begins a recursive editing level
2542 for the debugger, within the recursive editing level for @kbd{C-r}.
2543 Mode lines display a pair of square brackets for each recursive editing
2544 level currently in progress.
2546 Exiting the inner recursive edit (such as with the debugger @kbd{c}
2547 command) resumes the command running in the next level up. When that
2548 command finishes, you can then use @kbd{C-M-c} to exit another recursive
2549 editing level, and so on. Exiting applies to the innermost level only.
2550 Aborting also gets out of only one level of recursive edit; it returns
2551 immediately to the command level of the previous recursive edit. If you
2552 wish, you can then abort the next recursive editing level.
2554 Alternatively, the command @kbd{M-x top-level} aborts all levels of
2555 recursive edits, returning immediately to the top-level command
2556 reader. It also exits the minibuffer, if it is active.
2558 The text being edited inside the recursive edit need not be the same text
2559 that you were editing at top level. It depends on what the recursive edit
2560 is for. If the command that invokes the recursive edit selects a different
2561 buffer first, that is the buffer you will edit recursively. In any case,
2562 you can switch buffers within the recursive edit in the normal manner (as
2563 long as the buffer-switching keys have not been rebound). You could
2564 probably do all the rest of your editing inside the recursive edit,
2565 visiting files and all. But this could have surprising effects (such as
2566 stack overflow) from time to time. So remember to exit or abort the
2567 recursive edit when you no longer need it.
2569 In general, we try to minimize the use of recursive editing levels in
2570 GNU Emacs. This is because they constrain you to go back in a
2571 particular order---from the innermost level toward the top level. When
2572 possible, we present different activities in separate buffers so that
2573 you can switch between them as you please. Some commands switch to a
2574 new major mode which provides a command to switch back. These
2575 approaches give you more flexibility to go back to unfinished tasks in
2576 the order you choose.
2579 @c Apart from edt and viper, this is all obsolete.
2580 @c (Can't believe we were saying "most other editors" into 2014!)
2581 @c There seems no point having a node just for those, which both have
2582 @c their own manuals.
2585 @cindex emulating other editors
2586 @cindex other editors
2591 GNU Emacs can be programmed to emulate (more or less) most other
2592 editors. Standard facilities can emulate these:
2595 @item CRiSP/Brief (PC editor)
2597 @vindex crisp-override-meta-x
2598 @findex scroll-all-mode
2600 @cindex Brief emulation
2601 @cindex emulation of Brief
2603 @kbd{M-x crisp-mode} enables key bindings to emulate the CRiSP/Brief
2604 editor. Note that this rebinds @kbd{M-x} to exit Emacs unless you set
2605 the variable @code{crisp-override-meta-x}. You can also use the
2606 command @kbd{M-x scroll-all-mode} or set the variable
2607 @code{crisp-load-scroll-all} to emulate CRiSP's scroll-all feature
2608 (scrolling all windows together).
2610 @item EDT (DEC VMS editor)
2611 @findex edt-emulation-on
2612 @findex edt-emulation-off
2613 Turn on EDT emulation with @kbd{M-x edt-emulation-on}; restore normal
2614 command bindings with @kbd{M-x edt-emulation-off}.
2616 Most of the EDT emulation commands are keypad keys, and most standard
2617 Emacs key bindings are still available. The EDT emulation rebindings
2618 are done in the global keymap, so there is no problem switching
2619 buffers or major modes while in EDT emulation.
2621 @item TPU (DEC VMS editor)
2624 @kbd{M-x tpu-edt-on} turns on emulation of the TPU editor emulating EDT.
2626 @item vi (Berkeley editor)
2628 Viper is an emulator for vi. It implements several levels of
2629 emulation; level 1 is closest to vi itself, while level 5 departs
2630 somewhat from strict emulation to take advantage of the capabilities of
2631 Emacs. To invoke Viper, type @kbd{M-x viper-mode}; it will guide you
2632 the rest of the way and ask for the emulation level. @inforef{Top,
2635 @item vi (another emulator)
2637 @kbd{M-x vi-mode} enters a major mode that replaces the previously
2638 established major mode. All of the vi commands that, in real vi, enter
2639 input mode are programmed instead to return to the previous major
2640 mode. Thus, ordinary Emacs serves as vi's input mode.
2642 Because vi emulation works through major modes, it does not work
2643 to switch buffers during emulation. Return to normal Emacs first.
2645 If you plan to use vi emulation much, you probably want to bind a key
2646 to the @code{vi-mode} command.
2648 @item vi (alternate emulator)
2650 @kbd{M-x vip-mode} invokes another vi emulator, said to resemble real vi
2651 more thoroughly than @kbd{M-x vi-mode}. Input mode in this emulator
2652 is changed from ordinary Emacs so you can use @key{ESC} to go back to
2653 emulated vi command mode. To get from emulated vi command mode back to
2654 ordinary Emacs, type @kbd{C-z}.
2656 This emulation does not work through major modes, and it is possible
2657 to switch buffers in various ways within the emulator. It is not
2658 so necessary to assign a key to the command @code{vip-mode} as
2659 it is with @code{vi-mode} because terminating insert mode does
2662 @inforef{Top, VIP, vip}, for full information.
2664 @item WordStar (old wordprocessor)
2665 @findex wordstar-mode
2666 @kbd{M-x wordstar-mode} provides a major mode with WordStar-like
2673 @section Hyperlinking and Web Navigation Features
2675 The following subsections describe convenience features for handling
2676 URLs and other types of links occurring in Emacs buffer text.
2679 * EWW:: A web browser in Emacs.
2680 * Embedded WebKit Widgets:: Embedding browser widgets in Emacs buffers.
2681 * Browse-URL:: Following URLs.
2682 * Goto Address mode:: Activating URLs.
2683 * FFAP:: Finding files etc. at point.
2687 @subsection Web Browsing with EWW
2690 @findex eww-open-file
2691 @dfn{EWW}, the Emacs Web Wowser, is a web browser package for Emacs.
2692 It allows browsing URLs within an Emacs buffer. The command @kbd{M-x
2693 eww} will open a URL or search the web. You can open a file
2694 using the command @kbd{M-x eww-open-file}. You can use EWW as the
2695 web browser for @code{browse-url}, @pxref{Browse-URL}. For full
2696 details, @pxref{Top, EWW,, eww, The Emacs Web Wowser Manual}.
2698 @node Embedded WebKit Widgets
2699 @subsection Embedded WebKit Widgets
2701 @cindex webkit widgets
2702 @cindex embedded widgets
2704 @findex xwidget-webkit-browse-url
2705 @findex xwidget-webkit-mode
2706 @cindex Xwidget-WebKit mode
2707 If Emacs was compiled with the appropriate support packages, it is
2708 able to show browser widgets in its buffers. The command @kbd{M-x
2709 xwidget-webkit-browse-url} asks for a URL to display in the browser
2710 widget. The URL normally defaults to the URL at or before point, but
2711 if there is an active region (@pxref{Mark}), the default URL comes
2712 from the region instead, after removing any whitespace from it. The
2713 command then creates a new buffer with the embedded browser showing
2714 the specified URL. The buffer is put in the Xwidget-WebKit mode
2715 (similar to Image mode, @pxref{File Conveniences}), which provides
2716 one-key commands for scrolling the widget, changing its size, and
2717 reloading it. Type @w{@kbd{C-h b}} in that buffer to see the key
2721 @subsection Following URLs
2722 @cindex World Wide Web
2725 @findex browse-url-at-point
2726 @findex browse-url-at-mouse
2731 @item M-x browse-url @key{RET} @var{url} @key{RET}
2732 Load a URL into a Web browser.
2735 The Browse-URL package allows you to easily follow URLs from within
2736 Emacs. Most URLs are followed by invoking a web browser;
2737 @samp{mailto:} URLs are followed by invoking the @code{compose-mail}
2738 Emacs command to send mail to the specified address (@pxref{Sending
2741 The command @kbd{M-x browse-url} prompts for a URL, and follows it.
2742 If point is located near a plausible URL, that URL is offered as the
2743 default. The Browse-URL package also provides other commands which
2744 you might like to bind to keys, such as @code{browse-url-at-point} and
2745 @code{browse-url-at-mouse}.
2747 @vindex browse-url-mailto-function
2748 @vindex browse-url-browser-function
2749 You can customize Browse-URL's behavior via various options in the
2750 @code{browse-url} Customize group. In particular, the option
2751 @code{browse-url-mailto-function} lets you define how to follow
2752 @samp{mailto:} URLs, while @code{browse-url-browser-function} lets you
2753 define how to follow other types of URLs. For more information, view
2754 the package commentary by typing @kbd{C-h P browse-url @key{RET}}.
2756 @node Goto Address mode
2757 @subsection Activating URLs
2758 @findex goto-address-mode
2759 @cindex mode, Goto Address
2760 @cindex Goto Address mode
2761 @cindex URLs, activating
2764 @item M-x goto-address-mode
2765 Activate URLs and e-mail addresses in the current buffer.
2768 @kindex C-c RET @r{(Goto Address mode)}
2769 @findex goto-address-at-point
2770 You can make Emacs mark out URLs specially in the current buffer, by
2771 typing @kbd{M-x goto-address-mode}. When this buffer-local minor mode
2772 is enabled, it finds all the URLs in the buffer, highlights them, and
2773 turns them into clickable buttons. You can follow the URL by typing
2774 @kbd{C-c @key{RET}} (@code{goto-address-at-point}) while point is on
2775 its text; or by clicking with @kbd{mouse-2}, or by clicking
2776 @kbd{mouse-1} quickly (@pxref{Mouse References}). Following a URL is
2777 done by calling @code{browse-url} as a subroutine
2778 (@pxref{Browse-URL}).
2780 It can be useful to add @code{goto-address-mode} to mode hooks and
2781 hooks for displaying an incoming message
2782 (e.g., @code{rmail-show-message-hook} for Rmail, and
2783 @code{mh-show-mode-hook} for MH-E). This is not needed for Gnus,
2784 which has a similar feature of its own.
2787 @subsection Finding Files and URLs at Point
2788 @findex find-file-at-point
2790 @findex dired-at-point
2793 @cindex finding file at point
2795 The FFAP package replaces certain key bindings for finding files,
2796 such as @kbd{C-x C-f}, with commands that provide more sensitive
2797 defaults. These commands behave like the ordinary ones when given a
2798 prefix argument. Otherwise, they get the default file name or URL
2799 from the text around point. If what is found in the buffer has the
2800 form of a URL rather than a file name, the commands use
2801 @code{browse-url} to view it (@pxref{Browse-URL}).
2803 This feature is useful for following references in mail or news
2804 buffers, @file{README} files, @file{MANIFEST} files, and so on. For
2805 more information, view the package commentary by typing @kbd{C-h P
2808 @cindex FFAP minor mode
2810 To enable FFAP, type @kbd{M-x ffap-bindings}. This makes the
2811 following key bindings, and also installs hooks for additional FFAP
2812 functionality in Rmail, Gnus and VM article buffers.
2815 @item C-x C-f @var{filename} @key{RET}
2816 @kindex C-x C-f @r{(FFAP)}
2817 Find @var{filename}, guessing a default from text around point
2818 (@code{find-file-at-point}).
2820 @kindex C-x C-r @r{(FFAP)}
2821 @code{ffap-read-only}, analogous to @code{find-file-read-only}.
2823 @kindex C-x C-v @r{(FFAP)}
2824 @code{ffap-alternate-file}, analogous to @code{find-alternate-file}.
2825 @item C-x d @var{directory} @key{RET}
2826 @kindex C-x d @r{(FFAP)}
2827 Start Dired on @var{directory}, defaulting to the directory at
2828 point (@code{dired-at-point}).
2830 @code{ffap-list-directory}, analogous to @code{list-directory}.
2832 @kindex C-x 4 f @r{(FFAP)}
2833 @code{ffap-other-window}, analogous to @code{find-file-other-window}.
2835 @code{ffap-read-only-other-window}, analogous to
2836 @code{find-file-read-only-other-window}.
2838 @code{ffap-dired-other-window}, like @code{dired-other-window}.
2840 @kindex C-x 5 f @r{(FFAP)}
2841 @code{ffap-other-frame}, analogous to @code{find-file-other-frame}.
2843 @code{ffap-read-only-other-frame}, analogous to
2844 @code{find-file-read-only-other-frame}.
2846 @code{ffap-dired-other-frame}, analogous to @code{dired-other-frame}.
2848 Search buffer for next file name or URL, then find that file or URL.
2850 @kindex S-mouse-3 @r{(FFAP)}
2851 @code{ffap-at-mouse} finds the file guessed from text around the position
2854 @kindex C-S-mouse-3 @r{(FFAP)}
2855 Display a menu of files and URLs mentioned in current buffer, then
2856 find the one you select (@code{ffap-menu}).
2860 @section Games and Other Amusements
2863 @findex animate-birthday-present
2865 The @code{animate} package makes text dance (e.g., @kbd{M-x
2866 animate-birthday-present}).
2872 @kbd{M-x blackbox}, @kbd{M-x mpuz} and @kbd{M-x 5x5} are puzzles.
2873 @code{blackbox} challenges you to determine the location of objects
2874 inside a box by tomography. @code{mpuz} displays a multiplication
2875 puzzle with letters standing for digits in a code that you must
2876 guess---to guess a value, type a letter and then the digit you think it
2877 stands for. The aim of @code{5x5} is to fill in all the squares.
2880 @kbd{M-x bubbles} is a game in which the object is to remove as many
2881 bubbles as you can in the smallest number of moves.
2885 @cindex cryptanalysis
2886 @kbd{M-x decipher} helps you to cryptanalyze a buffer which is
2887 encrypted in a simple monoalphabetic substitution cipher.
2889 @findex dissociated-press
2890 @kbd{M-x dissociated-press} scrambles the text in the current Emacs
2891 buffer, word by word or character by character, writing its output to
2892 a buffer named @file{*Dissociation*}. A positive argument tells it to
2893 operate character by character, and specifies the number of overlap
2894 characters. A negative argument tells it to operate word by word, and
2895 specifies the number of overlap words. Dissociated Press produces
2896 results fairly like those of a Markov chain, but is however, an
2897 independent, ignoriginal invention; it techniquitously copies several
2898 consecutive characters from the sample text between random jumps,
2899 unlike a Markov chain which would jump randomly after each word or
2900 character. Keep dissociwords out of your documentation, if you want
2901 it to be well userenced and properbose.
2904 @kbd{M-x dunnet} runs a text-based adventure game.
2908 If you want a little more personal involvement, try @kbd{M-x gomoku},
2909 which plays the game Go Moku with you.
2911 @cindex tower of Hanoi
2913 If you are a little bit bored, you can try @kbd{M-x hanoi}. If you are
2914 considerably bored, give it a numeric argument. If you are very, very
2915 bored, try an argument of 9. Sit back and watch.
2919 @kbd{M-x life} runs Conway's Game of Life cellular automaton.
2922 @cindex landmark game
2923 @kbd{M-x landmark} runs a relatively non-participatory game in which
2924 a robot attempts to maneuver towards a tree at the center of the
2925 window based on unique olfactory cues from each of the four
2928 @findex morse-region
2929 @findex unmorse-region
2932 @cindex --/---/.-./.../.
2933 @kbd{M-x morse-region} converts the text in the region to Morse
2934 code; @kbd{M-x unmorse-region} converts it back. @kbd{M-x
2935 nato-region} converts the text in the region to NATO phonetic
2936 alphabet; @kbd{M-x denato-region} converts it back.
2944 @kbd{M-x pong}, @kbd{M-x snake} and @kbd{M-x tetris} are
2945 implementations of the well-known Pong, Snake and Tetris games.
2949 @kbd{M-x solitaire} plays a game of solitaire in which you jump pegs
2953 The command @kbd{M-x zone} plays games with the display when Emacs
2958 Finally, if you find yourself frustrated, try describing your
2959 problems to the famous psychotherapist Eliza. Just do @kbd{M-x
2960 doctor}. End each input by typing @key{RET} twice.