1 @c This is part of the Emacs manual.
2 @c Copyright (C) 1985, 1986, 1987, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2002,
3 @c 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
4 @c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
5 @node Emacs Invocation, X Resources, GNU Free Documentation License, Top
6 @appendix Command Line Arguments for Emacs Invocation
7 @cindex command line arguments
8 @cindex arguments (command line)
9 @cindex options (command line)
10 @cindex switches (command line)
11 @cindex startup (command line arguments)
12 @cindex invocation (command line arguments)
14 Emacs supports command line arguments to request various actions
15 when invoking Emacs. These are for compatibility with other editors
16 and for sophisticated activities. We don't recommend using them for
17 ordinary editing (@xref{Emacs Server}, for a way to access an existing
18 Emacs job from the command line).
20 Arguments starting with @samp{-} are @dfn{options}, and so is
21 @samp{+@var{linenum}}. All other arguments specify files to visit.
22 Emacs visits the specified files while it starts up. The last file
23 specified on the command line becomes the current buffer; the other
24 files are also visited in other buffers. As with most programs, the
25 special argument @samp{--} says that all subsequent arguments are file
26 names, not options, even if they start with @samp{-}.
28 Emacs command options can specify many things, such as the size and
29 position of the X window Emacs uses, its colors, and so on. A few
30 options support advanced usage, such as running Lisp functions on files
31 in batch mode. The sections of this chapter describe the available
32 options, arranged according to their purpose.
34 There are two ways of writing options: the short forms that start with
35 a single @samp{-}, and the long forms that start with @samp{--}. For
36 example, @samp{-d} is a short form and @samp{--display} is the
37 corresponding long form.
39 The long forms with @samp{--} are easier to remember, but longer to
40 type. However, you don't have to spell out the whole option name; any
41 unambiguous abbreviation is enough. When a long option takes an
42 argument, you can use either a space or an equal sign to separate the
43 option name and the argument. Thus, you can write either
44 @samp{--display sugar-bombs:0.0} or @samp{--display=sugar-bombs:0.0}.
45 We recommend an equal sign because it makes the relationship clearer,
46 and the tables below always show an equal sign.
48 @cindex initial options (command line)
49 @cindex action options (command line)
50 @vindex command-line-args
51 Most options specify how to initialize Emacs, or set parameters for
52 the Emacs session. We call them @dfn{initial options}. A few options
53 specify things to do, such as loading libraries or calling Lisp
54 functions. These are called @dfn{action options}. These and file
55 names together are called @dfn{action arguments}. The action
56 arguments are stored as a list of strings in the variable
57 @code{command-line-args}. (Actually, when Emacs starts up,
58 @code{command-line-args} contains all the arguments passed from the
59 command line; during initialization, the initial arguments are removed
60 from this list when they are processed, leaving only the action
64 * Action Arguments:: Arguments to visit files, load libraries,
66 * Initial Options:: Arguments that take effect while starting Emacs.
67 * Command Example:: Examples of using command line arguments.
68 * Resume Arguments:: Specifying arguments when you resume a running Emacs.
69 * Environment:: Environment variables that Emacs uses.
70 * Display X:: Changing the default display and using remote login.
71 * Font X:: Choosing a font for text, under X.
72 * Colors:: Choosing display colors.
73 * Window Size X:: Start-up window size, under X.
74 * Borders X:: Internal and external borders, under X.
75 * Title X:: Specifying the initial frame's title.
76 * Icons X:: Choosing what sort of icon to use, under X.
77 * Misc X:: Other display options.
80 @node Action Arguments
81 @appendixsec Action Arguments
83 Here is a table of action arguments:
88 @itemx --file=@var{file}
90 @itemx --find-file=@var{file}
92 @itemx --visit=@var{file}
93 @cindex visiting files, command-line argument
94 @vindex inhibit-startup-buffer-menu
95 Visit @var{file} using @code{find-file}. @xref{Visiting}.
97 When Emacs starts up, it displays the startup buffer in one window,
98 and the buffer visiting @var{file} in another window
99 (@pxref{Windows}). If you supply more than one file argument, the
100 displayed file is the last one specified on the command line; the
101 other files are visited but their buffers are not shown.
103 If the startup buffer is disabled (@pxref{Entering Emacs}), then
104 @var{file} is visited in a single window if one file argument was
105 supplied; with two file arguments, Emacs displays the files in two
106 different windows; with more than two file argument, Emacs displays
107 the last file specified in one window, plus a Buffer Menu in a
108 different window (@pxref{Several Buffers}). To inhibit using the
109 Buffer Menu for this, change the variable
110 @code{inhibit-startup-buffer-menu} to @code{t}.
112 @item +@var{linenum} @var{file}
113 @opindex +@var{linenum}
114 Visit @var{file} using @code{find-file}, then go to line number
117 @item +@var{linenum}:@var{columnnum} @var{file}
118 Visit @var{file} using @code{find-file}, then go to line number
119 @var{linenum} and put point at column number @var{columnnum}.
123 @itemx --load=@var{file}
125 @cindex loading Lisp libraries, command-line argument
126 Load a Lisp library named @var{file} with the function @code{load}.
127 @xref{Lisp Libraries}. If @var{file} is not an absolute file name,
128 the library can be found either in the current directory, or in the
129 Emacs library search path as specified with @env{EMACSLOADPATH}
130 (@pxref{General Variables}).
132 @strong{Warning:} If previous command-line arguments have visited
133 files, the current directory is the directory of the last file
138 @itemx --directory=@var{dir}
140 Add directory @var{dir} to the variable @code{load-path}.
142 @item -f @var{function}
144 @itemx --funcall=@var{function}
146 @cindex call Lisp functions, command-line argument
147 Call Lisp function @var{function}. If it is an interactive function
148 (a command), it reads the arguments interactively just as if you had
149 called the same function with a key sequence. Otherwise, it calls the
150 function with no arguments.
152 @item --eval=@var{expression}
154 @itemx --execute=@var{expression}
156 @cindex evaluate expression, command-line argument
157 Evaluate Lisp expression @var{expression}.
159 @item --insert=@var{file}
161 @cindex insert file contents, command-line argument
162 Insert the contents of @var{file} into the @samp{*scratch*} buffer
163 (@pxref{Lisp Interaction}). This is like what @kbd{M-x insert-file}
164 does (@pxref{Misc File Ops}).
168 Exit from Emacs without asking for confirmation.
172 Print a usage message listing all available options, then exit
177 Print Emacs version, then exit successfully.
180 @node Initial Options
181 @appendixsec Initial Options
183 The initial options specify parameters for the Emacs session. This
184 section describes the more general initial options; some other options
185 specifically related to the X Window System appear in the following
188 Some initial options affect the loading of the initialization file.
189 The normal actions of Emacs are to first load @file{site-start.el} if
190 it exists, then your own initialization file @file{~/.emacs} if it
191 exists, and finally @file{default.el} if it exists. @xref{Init File}.
192 Certain options prevent loading of some of these files or substitute
193 other files for them.
196 @item -t @var{device}
198 @itemx --terminal=@var{device}
200 @cindex device for Emacs terminal I/O
201 Use @var{device} as the device for terminal input and output.
202 @samp{--terminal} implies @samp{--no-window-system}.
204 @item -d @var{display}
206 @itemx --display=@var{display}
208 @cindex display for Emacs frame
209 Use the X Window System and use the display named @var{display} to open
210 the initial Emacs frame. @xref{Display X}, for more details.
214 @itemx --no-window-system
215 @opindex --no-window-system
216 @cindex disable window system
217 Don't communicate directly with the window system, disregarding the
218 @env{DISPLAY} environment variable even if it is set. This means that
219 Emacs uses the terminal from which it was launched for all its display
226 Run Emacs in @dfn{batch mode}. Batch mode is used for running
227 programs written in Emacs Lisp from shell scripts, makefiles, and so
228 on. To invoke a Lisp program, use the @samp{-batch} option in
229 conjunction with one or more of @samp{-l}, @samp{-f} or @samp{--eval}
230 (@pxref{Action Arguments}). @xref{Command Example}, for an example.
232 In batch mode, Emacs does not display the text being edited, and the
233 standard terminal interrupt characters such as @kbd{C-z} and @kbd{C-c}
234 have their usual effect. Emacs functions that normally print a
235 message in the echo area will print to either the standard output
236 stream (@code{stdout}) or the standard error stream (@code{stderr})
237 instead. (To be precise, functions like @code{prin1}, @code{princ}
238 and @code{print} print to @code{stdout}, while @code{message} and
239 @code{error} print to @code{stderr}.) Functions that normally read
240 keyboard input from the minibuffer take their input from the
241 terminal's standard input stream (@code{stdin}) instead.
243 @samp{--batch} implies @samp{-q} (do not load an initialization file),
244 but @file{site-start.el} is loaded nonetheless. It also causes Emacs
245 to exit after processing all the command options. In addition, it
246 disables auto-saving except in buffers for which it has been
247 explicitly requested.
249 @item --script @var{file}
252 Run Emacs in batch mode, like @samp{--batch}, and then read and
253 execute the Lisp code in @var{file}.
255 The normal use of this option is in executable script files that run
256 Emacs. They can start with this text on the first line
259 #!/usr/bin/emacs --script
263 which will invoke Emacs with @samp{--script} and supply the name of
264 the script file as @var{file}. Emacs Lisp then treats @samp{#!} as a
269 @itemx --no-init-file
270 @opindex --no-init-file
271 @cindex bypassing init and @file{default.el} file
272 @cindex init file, not loading
273 @cindex @file{default.el} file, not loading
274 Do not load your Emacs initialization file, and do not load the file
275 @file{default.el} either (@pxref{Init File}). Regardless of this
276 switch, @file{site-start.el} is still loaded. When Emacs is invoked
277 like this, the Customize facility does not allow options to be saved
278 (@pxref{Easy Customization}).
281 @opindex --no-site-file
282 @cindex @file{site-start.el} file, not loading
283 Do not load @file{site-start.el}. The options @samp{-q}, @samp{-u}
284 and @samp{--batch} have no effect on the loading of this file---this
285 option and @samp{-Q} are the only options that block it.
289 @vindex inhibit-startup-screen
290 @cindex splash screen
291 @cindex startup message
292 Do not display a startup screen. You can also achieve this effect by
293 setting the variable @code{inhibit-startup-screen} to non-@code{nil}
294 in your initialization file (@pxref{Entering Emacs}).
300 Start emacs with minimum customizations. This is like using
301 @samp{-q}, @samp{--no-site-file}, and @samp{--no-splash} together.
307 Start Emacs as a daemon---after Emacs starts up, it starts the Emacs
308 server and disconnects from the terminal without opening any frames.
309 You can then use the @command{emacsclient} command to connect to Emacs
310 for editing. @xref{Emacs Server}, for information about using Emacs
313 @item -daemon=@var{SERVER-NAME}
314 Start emacs in background as a daemon, and use @var{SERVER-NAME} as
318 @opindex --no-desktop
319 Do not reload any saved desktop. @xref{Saving Emacs Sessions}.
323 @itemx --user=@var{user}
325 @cindex load init file of another user
326 Load @var{user}'s initialization file instead of your
327 own@footnote{This option has no effect on MS-Windows.}.
330 @opindex --debug-init
331 @cindex errors in init file
332 Enable the Emacs Lisp debugger for errors in the init file.
333 @xref{Error Debugging,, Entering the Debugger on an Error, elisp, The
334 GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}.
338 @itemx --no-multibyte
339 @opindex --no-multibyte
340 @cindex unibyte operation, command-line argument
341 Do almost everything with single-byte buffers and strings.
342 All buffers and strings are unibyte unless you (or a Lisp program)
343 explicitly ask for a multibyte buffer or string. (Note that Emacs
344 always loads Lisp files in multibyte mode, even if @samp{--unibyte} is
345 specified; see @ref{Enabling Multibyte}.) Setting the environment
346 variable @env{EMACS_UNIBYTE} has the same effect
347 (@pxref{General Variables}).
352 @opindex --no-unibyte
353 Inhibit the effect of @env{EMACS_UNIBYTE}, so that Emacs
354 uses multibyte characters by default, as usual.
357 @node Command Example
358 @appendixsec Command Argument Example
360 Here is an example of using Emacs with arguments and options. It
361 assumes you have a Lisp program file called @file{hack-c.el} which, when
362 loaded, performs some useful operation on the current buffer, expected
366 emacs --batch foo.c -l hack-c -f save-buffer >& log
370 This says to visit @file{foo.c}, load @file{hack-c.el} (which makes
371 changes in the visited file), save @file{foo.c} (note that
372 @code{save-buffer} is the function that @kbd{C-x C-s} is bound to), and
373 then exit back to the shell (because of @samp{--batch}). @samp{--batch}
374 also guarantees there will be no problem redirecting output to
375 @file{log}, because Emacs will not assume that it has a display terminal
378 @node Resume Arguments
379 @appendixsec Resuming Emacs with Arguments
381 You can specify action arguments for Emacs when you resume it after
382 a suspension. To prepare for this, put the following code in your
383 @file{.emacs} file (@pxref{Hooks}):
385 @c `resume-suspend-hook' is correct. It is the name of a function.
387 (add-hook 'suspend-hook 'resume-suspend-hook)
388 (add-hook 'suspend-resume-hook 'resume-process-args)
391 As further preparation, you must execute the shell script
392 @file{emacs.csh} (if you use csh as your shell) or @file{emacs.bash}
393 (if you use bash as your shell). These scripts define an alias named
394 @code{edit}, which will resume Emacs giving it new command line
395 arguments such as files to visit. The scripts are found in the
396 @file{etc} subdirectory of the Emacs distribution.
398 Only action arguments work properly when you resume Emacs. Initial
399 arguments are not recognized---it's too late to execute them anyway.
401 Note that resuming Emacs (with or without arguments) must be done from
402 within the shell that is the parent of the Emacs job. This is why
403 @code{edit} is an alias rather than a program or a shell script. It is
404 not possible to implement a resumption command that could be run from
405 other subjobs of the shell; there is no way to define a command that could
406 be made the value of @env{EDITOR}, for example. Therefore, this feature
407 does not take the place of the Emacs Server feature (@pxref{Emacs
410 The aliases use the Emacs Server feature if you appear to have a
411 server Emacs running. However, they cannot determine this with complete
412 accuracy. They may think that a server is still running when in
413 actuality you have killed that Emacs, because the file
414 @file{/tmp/esrv@dots{}} still exists. If this happens, find that
418 @appendixsec Environment Variables
419 @cindex environment variables
421 The @dfn{environment} is a feature of the operating system; it
422 consists of a collection of variables with names and values. Each
423 variable is called an @dfn{environment variable}; environment variable
424 names are case-sensitive, and it is conventional to use upper case
425 letters only. The values are all text strings.
427 What makes the environment useful is that subprocesses inherit the
428 environment automatically from their parent process. This means you
429 can set up an environment variable in your login shell, and all the
430 programs you run (including Emacs) will automatically see it.
431 Subprocesses of Emacs (such as shells, compilers, and version-control
432 software) inherit the environment from Emacs, too.
436 @vindex initial-environment
437 Inside Emacs, the command @kbd{M-x getenv} gets the value of an
438 environment variable. @kbd{M-x setenv} sets a variable in the Emacs
439 environment. (Environment variable substitutions with @samp{$} work
440 in the value just as in file names; see @ref{File Names with $}.) The
441 variable @code{initial-environment} stores the initial environment
444 The way to set environment variables outside of Emacs depends on the
445 operating system, and especially the shell that you are using. For
446 example, here's how to set the environment variable @env{ORGANIZATION}
447 to @samp{not very much} using Bash:
450 export ORGANIZATION="not very much"
454 and here's how to do it in csh or tcsh:
457 setenv ORGANIZATION "not very much"
460 When Emacs is using the X Window System, various environment
461 variables that control X work for Emacs as well. See the X
462 documentation for more information.
465 * General Variables:: Environment variables that all versions of Emacs use.
466 * Misc Variables:: Certain system-specific variables.
467 * MS-Windows Registry:: An alternative to the environment on MS-Windows.
470 @node General Variables
471 @appendixsubsec General Variables
473 Here is an alphabetical list of environment variables that have
474 special meanings in Emacs. Most of these variables are also used by
475 some other programs. Emacs does not require any of these environment
476 variables to be set, but it uses their values if they are set.
480 Used by the @code{cd} command to search for the directory you specify,
481 when you specify a relative directory name.
483 @cindex unibyte operation, environment variable
484 Defining this environment variable with a nonempty value directs Emacs
485 to do almost everything with single-byte buffers and strings. It is
486 equivalent to using the @samp{--unibyte} command-line option on each
487 invocation. @xref{Initial Options}.
489 Directory for the architecture-independent files that come with Emacs.
490 This is used to initialize the Lisp variable @code{data-directory}.
492 Directory for the documentation string file,
493 @file{DOC-@var{emacsversion}}. This is used to initialize the Lisp
494 variable @code{doc-directory}.
496 A colon-separated list of directories@footnote{
497 Here and below, whenever we say ``colon-separated list of directories,''
498 it pertains to Unix and GNU/Linux systems. On MS-DOS and MS-Windows,
499 the directories are separated by semi-colons instead, since DOS/Windows
500 file names might include a colon after a drive letter.}
501 to search for Emacs Lisp files---used to initialize @code{load-path}.
503 A colon-separated list of directories to search for executable
504 files---used to initialize @code{exec-path}.
506 @vindex user-mail-address@r{, initialization}
507 Your email address; used to initialize the Lisp variable
508 @code{user-mail-address}, which the Emacs mail interface puts into
509 the @samp{From} header of outgoing messages (@pxref{Mail Headers}).
511 Used for shell-mode to override the @env{SHELL} environment variable.
513 The name of the file that shell commands are saved in between logins.
514 This variable defaults to @file{~/.bash_history} if you use Bash, to
515 @file{~/.sh_history} if you use ksh, and to @file{~/.history}
518 The location of your files in the directory tree; used for
519 expansion of file names starting with a tilde (@file{~}). On MS-DOS,
520 it defaults to the directory from which Emacs was started, with
521 @samp{/bin} removed from the end if it was present. On Windows, the
522 default value of @env{HOME} is the @file{Application Data}
523 subdirectory of the user profile directory (normally, this is
524 @file{C:/Documents and Settings/@var{username}/Application Data},
525 where @var{username} is your user name), though for backwards
526 compatibility @file{C:/} will be used instead if a @file{.emacs} file
529 The name of the machine that Emacs is running on.
531 A colon-separated list of directories. Used by the @code{complete} package
534 A colon-separated list of directories in which to search for Info files.
543 The user's preferred locale. The locale has six categories, specified
544 by the environment variables @env{LC_COLLATE} for sorting,
545 @env{LC_CTYPE} for character encoding, @env{LC_MESSAGES} for system
546 messages, @env{LC_MONETARY} for monetary formats, @env{LC_NUMERIC} for
547 numbers, and @env{LC_TIME} for dates and times. If one of these
548 variables is not set, the category defaults to the value of the
549 @env{LANG} environment variable, or to the default @samp{C} locale if
550 @env{LANG} is not set. But if @env{LC_ALL} is specified, it overrides
551 the settings of all the other locale environment variables.
553 On MS-Windows, if @env{LANG} is not already set in the environment
554 when Emacs starts, Emacs sets it based on the system-wide default
555 language, which you can set in the @samp{Regional Settings} Control Panel
556 on some versions of MS-Windows.
558 The value of the @env{LC_CTYPE} category is
559 matched against entries in @code{locale-language-names},
560 @code{locale-charset-language-names}, and
561 @code{locale-preferred-coding-systems}, to select a default language
562 environment and coding system. @xref{Language Environments}.
564 The user's login name. See also @env{USER}.
566 The name of your system mail inbox.
568 Name of setup file for the mh system. (The default is @file{~/.mh_profile}.)
570 Your real-world name.
572 The name of the news server. Used by the mh and Gnus packages.
574 The name of the organization to which you belong. Used for setting the
575 `Organization:' header in your posts from the Gnus package.
577 A colon-separated list of directories in which executables reside. This
578 is used to initialize the Emacs Lisp variable @code{exec-path}.
580 If set, this should be the default directory when Emacs was started.
582 If set, this specifies an initial value for the variable
583 @code{mail-default-reply-to}. @xref{Mail Headers}.
585 The name of a directory in which news articles are saved by default.
586 Used by the Gnus package.
588 The name of an interpreter used to parse and execute programs run from
591 The name of the outgoing mail server. Used by the SMTP library
592 (@pxref{Top,,,smtpmail,Sending mail via SMTP}).
593 @cindex background mode, on @command{xterm}
595 The type of the terminal that Emacs is using. This variable must be
596 set unless Emacs is run in batch mode. On MS-DOS, it defaults to
597 @samp{internal}, which specifies a built-in terminal emulation that
598 handles the machine's own display. If the value of @env{TERM} indicates
599 that Emacs runs in non-windowed mode from @command{xterm} or a similar
600 terminal emulator, the background mode defaults to @samp{light}, and
601 Emacs will choose colors that are appropriate for a light background.
603 The name of the termcap library file describing how to program the
604 terminal specified by the @env{TERM} variable. This defaults to
607 Used by the Emerge package as a prefix for temporary files.
609 This specifies the current time zone and possibly also daylight
610 saving time information. On MS-DOS, if @env{TZ} is not set in the
611 environment when Emacs starts, Emacs defines a default value as
612 appropriate for the country code returned by DOS. On MS-Windows, Emacs
613 does not use @env{TZ} at all.
615 The user's login name. See also @env{LOGNAME}. On MS-DOS, this
616 defaults to @samp{root}.
617 @item VERSION_CONTROL
618 Used to initialize the @code{version-control} variable (@pxref{Backup Names}).
622 @appendixsubsec Miscellaneous Variables
624 These variables are used only on particular configurations:
628 On MS-DOS and MS-Windows, the name of the command interpreter to use
629 when invoking batch files and commands internal to the shell. On MS-DOS
630 this is also used to make a default value for the @env{SHELL} environment
634 On MS-DOS, this variable defaults to the value of the @env{USER}
639 On MS-DOS and MS-Windows, these specify the name of the directory for
640 storing temporary files in.
643 On MS-DOS, this specifies a file to use to log the operation of the
644 internal terminal emulator. This feature is useful for submitting bug
648 On MS-DOS, this specifies the screen colors. It is useful to set them
649 this way, since otherwise Emacs would display the default colors
650 momentarily when it starts up.
652 The value of this variable should be the two-character encoding of the
653 foreground (the first character) and the background (the second
654 character) colors of the default face. Each character should be the
655 hexadecimal code for the desired color on a standard PC text-mode
656 display. For example, to get blue text on a light gray background,
657 specify @samp{EMACSCOLORS=17}, since 1 is the code of the blue color and
658 7 is the code of the light gray color.
660 The PC display usually supports only eight background colors. However,
661 Emacs switches the DOS display to a mode where all 16 colors can be used
662 for the background, so all four bits of the background color are
665 @item PRELOAD_WINSOCK
666 On MS-Windows, if you set this variable, Emacs will load and initialize
667 the network library at startup, instead of waiting until the first
671 On MS-Windows, @env{emacs_dir} is a special environment variable, which
672 indicates the full path of the directory in which Emacs is installed.
673 If Emacs is installed in the standard directory structure, it
674 calculates this value automatically. It is not much use setting this
675 variable yourself unless your installation is non-standard, since
676 unlike other environment variables, it will be overridden by Emacs at
677 startup. When setting other environment variables, such as
678 @env{EMACSLOADPATH}, you may find it useful to use @env{emacs_dir}
679 rather than hard-coding an absolute path. This allows multiple
680 versions of Emacs to share the same environment variable settings, and
681 it allows you to move the Emacs installation directory, without
682 changing any environment or registry settings.
685 @node MS-Windows Registry
686 @appendixsubsec The MS-Windows System Registry
687 @pindex addpm, MS-Windows installation program
688 @cindex registry, setting environment variables and resources on MS-Windows
690 Under MS-Windows, the installation program @command{addpm.exe} adds
691 values for @env{emacs_dir}, @env{EMACSLOADPATH}, @env{EMACSDATA},
692 @env{EMACSPATH}, @env{EMACSDOC}, @env{SHELL} and @env{TERM} to the
693 @file{HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE} section of the system registry, under
694 @file{/Software/GNU/Emacs}. It does this because there is no standard
695 place to set environment variables across different versions of
696 Windows. Running @command{addpm.exe} is no longer strictly necessary
697 in recent versions of Emacs, but if you are upgrading from an older
698 version, running @command{addpm.exe} ensures that you do not have
699 older registry entries from a previous installation, which may not be
700 compatible with the latest version of Emacs.
702 When Emacs starts, as well as checking the environment, it also checks
703 the System Registry for those variables and for @env{HOME}, @env{LANG}
704 and @env{PRELOAD_WINSOCK}.
706 To determine the value of those variables, Emacs goes through the
707 following procedure. First, the environment is checked. If the
708 variable is not found there, Emacs looks for registry keys by that
709 name under @file{/Software/GNU/Emacs}; first in the
710 @file{HKEY_CURRENT_USER} section of the registry, and if not found
711 there, in the @file{HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE} section. Finally, if Emacs
712 still cannot determine the values, compiled-in defaults are used.
714 In addition to the environment variables above, you can also add many
715 of the settings which on X belong in the @file{.Xdefaults} file
716 (@pxref{X Resources}) to the @file{/Software/GNU/Emacs} registry key.
717 Settings you add to the @file{HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE} section will affect
718 all users of the machine. Settings you add to the
719 @file{HKEY_CURRENT_USER} section will only affect you, and will
720 override machine wide settings.
723 @appendixsec Specifying the Display Name
724 @cindex display name (X Window System)
725 @cindex @env{DISPLAY} environment variable
727 The environment variable @env{DISPLAY} tells all X clients, including
728 Emacs, where to display their windows. Its value is set by default
729 in ordinary circumstances, when you start an X server and run jobs
730 locally. Occasionally you may need to specify the display yourself; for
731 example, if you do a remote login and want to run a client program
732 remotely, displaying on your local screen.
734 With Emacs, the main reason people change the default display is to
735 let them log into another system, run Emacs on that system, but have the
736 window displayed at their local terminal. You might need to log in
737 to another system because the files you want to edit are there, or
738 because the Emacs executable file you want to run is there.
740 The syntax of the @env{DISPLAY} environment variable is
741 @samp{@var{host}:@var{display}.@var{screen}}, where @var{host} is the
742 host name of the X Window System server machine, @var{display} is an
743 arbitrarily-assigned number that distinguishes your server (X terminal)
744 from other servers on the same machine, and @var{screen} is a
745 rarely-used field that allows an X server to control multiple terminal
746 screens. The period and the @var{screen} field are optional. If
747 included, @var{screen} is usually zero.
749 For example, if your host is named @samp{glasperle} and your server is
750 the first (or perhaps the only) server listed in the configuration, your
751 @env{DISPLAY} is @samp{glasperle:0.0}.
753 You can specify the display name explicitly when you run Emacs, either
754 by changing the @env{DISPLAY} variable, or with the option @samp{-d
755 @var{display}} or @samp{--display=@var{display}}. Here is an example:
758 emacs --display=glasperle:0 &
761 You can inhibit the direct use of the window system and GUI with the
762 @samp{-nw} option. It tells Emacs to display using ordinary @acronym{ASCII} on
763 its controlling terminal. This is also an initial option.
765 Sometimes, security arrangements prevent a program on a remote system
766 from displaying on your local system. In this case, trying to run Emacs
767 produces messages like this:
770 Xlib: connection to "glasperle:0.0" refused by server
774 You might be able to overcome this problem by using the @command{xhost}
775 command on the local system to give permission for access from your
779 @appendixsec Font Specification Options
780 @cindex font name (X Window System)
782 By default, Emacs displays text in X using a twelve point monospace
783 font. You can specify a different font using the command line option
784 @samp{-fn @var{font}} (or @samp{--font}, which is an alias for
790 @itemx --font=@var{font}
792 @cindex specify default font from the command line
793 Use @var{font} as the default font.
796 When passing a font specification to Emacs on the command line, you
797 may need to ``quote'' it, by enclosing it in quotation marks, if it
798 contains characters that the shell treats specially (e.g. spaces).
802 emacs -fn "DejaVu Sans Mono-12"
805 @cindex X defaults file
806 @cindex X resources file
807 You can also specify the font using your X resources file (usually a
808 file named @file{.Xdefaults} or @file{.Xresources} in your home
809 directory), by adding a line like this:
812 emacs.font: @var{font}
816 You must restart X, or use the @command{xrdb} command, for the X
817 resources file to take effect. @xref{Resources}. When specifying a
818 font in your X resources file, you should not quote it.
821 Emacs recognizes two types of fonts: @dfn{client-side} fonts, which
822 are provided by the Xft and Fontconfig libraries, and
823 @dfn{server-side} fonts, which are provided by the X server itself.
824 Most client-side fonts support advanced font features such as
825 antialiasing and subpixel hinting, while server-side fonts do not.
827 There are four different ways to express a ``font name''. The first
828 format consists of @dfn{Fontconfig patterns}. Fontconfig patterns
829 match only client-side fonts provided by Xft and Fontconfig, and have
833 @var{fontname}[-@var{fontsize}][:@var{name1}=@var{values1}][:@var{name2}=@var{values2}]...
837 Within this format, any of the elements in braces may be omitted.
838 Here, @var{fontname} is the ``family name'' of the font, such as
839 @samp{Monospace} or @samp{DejaVu Serif}; @var{fontsize} is the ``point
840 size'' of the font (one ``printer's point'' is about 1/72 of an inch);
841 and the @samp{@var{name}=@var{values}} entries specify settings such
842 as the slant and weight of the font. Each @var{values} may be a
843 single value, or a list of values separated by commas. In addition,
844 some property values are valid with only one kind of property name, in
845 which case the @samp{@var{name}=} part may be omitted.
847 Here is a list of common font properties:
851 One of @samp{italic}, @samp{oblique} or @samp{roman}.
854 One of @samp{light}, @samp{medium}, @samp{demibold}, @samp{bold} or
858 Some fonts define special styles which are a combination of slant and
859 weight. For instance, the font @samp{Dejavu Sans} defines the style
860 @samp{book}. This property, if specified, overrides the slant and
864 One of @samp{condensed}, @samp{normal}, or @samp{expanded}.
867 One of @samp{monospace}, @samp{proportional}, @samp{dual-width}, or
872 Here are some examples of Fontconfig patterns:
878 DejaVu Sans Mono:bold:italic
879 Monospace-12:weight=bold:slant=italic
882 See the Fontconfig manual for a more detailed description of
883 Fontconfig patterns. This manual is located in the file
884 @file{fontconfig-user.html}, which is distributed with Fontconfig. It
885 is also available online at
886 @url{http://fontconfig.org/fontconfig-user.html}. In particular, the
887 manual describes additional font properties that influence how the
888 font is hinted, antialiased, or scaled.
890 The second way to specify a font is to use a @dfn{GTK font
891 description}. Like Fontconfig patterns, GTK font descriptions match
892 only client-side fonts provided by Xft and Fontconfig. They have the
896 @var{fontname} [@var{properties}] [@var{fontsize}]
900 where @var{fontname} is the family name, @var{properties} is a list of
901 property values separated by spaces, and @var{fontsize} is the point
902 size. The properties that you may specify are as follows:
906 One of @samp{roman}, @samp{italic} or @samp{oblique}. If omitted, the
907 @samp{roman} style is used.
909 One of @samp{medium}, @samp{ultra-light}, @samp{light},
910 @samp{semi-bold}, or @samp{bold}. If omitted, @samp{medium} weight is
915 Here are some examples of GTK font descriptions:
919 Monospace Bold Italic 12
923 @cindex X Logical Font Description
924 The third way to specify a font is to use an @dfn{XLFD} (@dfn{X
925 Logical Font Description}), which is the traditional method for
926 specifying fonts under X. Each XLFD consists of fourteen words or
927 numbers, separated by dashes, like this:
930 -misc-fixed-medium-r-semicondensed--13-*-*-*-c-60-iso8859-1
934 A wildcard character (@samp{*}) in an XLFD matches any sequence of
935 characters (including none), and @samp{?} matches any single
936 character. However, matching is implementation-dependent, and can be
937 inaccurate when wildcards match dashes in a long name. For reliable
938 results, supply all 14 dashes and use wildcards only within a field.
939 Case is insignificant in an XLFD. The syntax for an XLFD is as
943 -@var{maker}-@var{family}-@var{weight}-@var{slant}-@var{widthtype}-@var{style}@dots{}
944 @dots{}-@var{pixels}-@var{height}-@var{horiz}-@var{vert}-@var{spacing}-@var{width}-@var{registry}-@var{encoding}
948 The entries have the following meanings:
952 The name of the font manufacturer.
954 The name of the font family (e.g. @samp{courier}).
956 The font weight---normally either @samp{bold}, @samp{medium} or
957 @samp{light}. Some font names support other values.
959 The font slant---normally @samp{r} (roman), @samp{i} (italic),
960 @samp{o} (oblique), @samp{ri} (reverse italic), or @samp{ot} (other).
961 Some font names support other values.
963 The font width---normally @samp{condensed}, @samp{extended},
964 @samp{semicondensed} or @samp{normal} (some font names support other
967 An optional additional style name. Usually it is empty---most long
968 font names have two hyphens in a row at this point.
970 The font height, in pixels.
972 The font height on the screen, measured in tenths of a printer's
973 point. This is the point size of the font, times ten. For a given
974 vertical resolution, @var{height} and @var{pixels} are proportional;
975 therefore, it is common to specify just one of them and use @samp{*}
978 The horizontal resolution, in pixels per inch, of the screen for which
979 the font is intended.
981 The vertical resolution, in pixels per inch, of the screen for which
982 the font is intended. Normally the resolution of the fonts on your
983 system is the right value for your screen; therefore, you normally
984 specify @samp{*} for this and @var{horiz}.
986 This is @samp{m} (monospace), @samp{p} (proportional) or @samp{c}
989 The average character width, in pixels, multiplied by ten.
992 The X font character set that the font depicts. (X font character
993 sets are not the same as Emacs character sets, but they are similar.)
994 You can use the @command{xfontsel} program to check which choices you
995 have. Normally you should use @samp{iso8859} for @var{registry} and
996 @samp{1} for @var{encoding}.
999 Some fonts have shorter nicknames, which you can use instead of a
1000 normal font specification. For instance,
1003 -misc-fixed-medium-r-semicondensed--13-*-*-*-c-60-iso8859-1
1007 is equivalent to @samp{6x13}. This is the fourth and final method of
1010 @cindex listing system fonts
1011 You will probably want to use a fixed-width default font---that is,
1012 a font in which all characters have the same width. Here's how to use
1013 the @command{fc-list} command to list all fixed-width Xft and
1014 Fontconfig fonts available on your system:
1017 fc-list :spacing=mono
1018 fc-list :spacing=charcell
1021 For server-side X fonts, any font with @samp{m} or @samp{c} in the
1022 @var{spacing} field of the XLFD is a fixed-width font. Here's how to
1023 use the @command{xlsfonts} program to list all the fixed-width fonts
1024 available on your system:
1027 xlsfonts -fn '*x*' | egrep "^[0-9]+x[0-9]+"
1028 xlsfonts -fn '*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-m*'
1029 xlsfonts -fn '*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-c*'
1033 To see what a particular font looks like, use the @command{xfd} command.
1041 displays the entire font @samp{6x13}.
1043 While running Emacs, you can set the font of a specific kind of text
1044 (@pxref{Faces}), or of a particular frame (@pxref{Frame Parameters}).
1047 @appendixsec Window Color Options
1048 @cindex color of window, from command line
1049 @cindex text colors, from command line
1051 @findex list-colors-display
1052 @cindex available colors
1053 On a color display, you can specify which color to use for various
1054 parts of the Emacs display. To find out what colors are available on
1055 your system, type @kbd{M-x list-colors-display}, or press
1056 @kbd{C-Mouse-2} and select @samp{Display Colors} from the pop-up menu.
1057 (A particular window system might support many more colors, but the
1058 list displayed by @code{list-colors-display} shows their portable
1059 subset that can be safely used on any display supported by Emacs.)
1060 If you do not specify colors, on windowed displays the default for the
1061 background is white and the default for all other colors is black. On a
1062 monochrome display, the foreground is black, the background is white,
1063 and the border is gray if the display supports that. On terminals, the
1064 background is usually black and the foreground is white.
1066 Here is a list of the command-line options for specifying colors:
1069 @item -fg @var{color}
1071 @itemx --foreground-color=@var{color}
1072 @opindex --foreground-color
1073 @cindex foreground color, command-line argument
1074 Specify the foreground color. @var{color} should be a standard color
1075 name, or a numeric specification of the color's red, green, and blue
1076 components as in @samp{#4682B4} or @samp{RGB:46/82/B4}.
1077 @item -bg @var{color}
1079 @itemx --background-color=@var{color}
1080 @opindex --background-color
1081 @cindex background color, command-line argument
1082 Specify the background color.
1083 @item -bd @var{color}
1085 @itemx --border-color=@var{color}
1086 @opindex --border-color
1087 @cindex border color, command-line argument
1088 Specify the color of the border of the X window.
1089 @item -cr @var{color}
1091 @itemx --cursor-color=@var{color}
1092 @opindex --cursor-color
1093 @cindex cursor color, command-line argument
1094 Specify the color of the Emacs cursor which indicates where point is.
1095 @item -ms @var{color}
1097 @itemx --mouse-color=@var{color}
1098 @opindex --mouse-color
1099 @cindex mouse pointer color, command-line argument
1100 Specify the color for the mouse cursor when the mouse is in the Emacs window.
1105 @itemx --reverse-video
1106 @opindex --reverse-video
1107 @cindex reverse video, command-line argument
1108 Reverse video---swap the foreground and background colors.
1109 @item --color=@var{mode}
1111 @cindex standard colors on a character terminal
1112 @cindex override character terminal color support
1113 For a character terminal only, specify the mode of color support.
1114 This option is intended for overriding the number of supported colors
1115 that the character terminal advertises in its @code{termcap} or
1116 @code{terminfo} database. The parameter @var{mode} can be one of the
1121 Don't use colors even if the terminal's capabilities specify color
1125 Same as when @option{--color} is not used at all: Emacs detects at
1126 startup whether the terminal supports colors, and if it does, turns on
1131 Turn on the color support unconditionally, and use color commands
1132 specified by the ANSI escape sequences for the 8 standard colors.
1134 Use color mode for @var{num} colors. If @var{num} is -1, turn off
1135 color support (equivalent to @samp{never}); if it is 0, use the
1136 default color support for this terminal (equivalent to @samp{auto});
1137 otherwise use an appropriate standard mode for @var{num} colors.
1138 Depending on your terminal's capabilities, Emacs might be able to turn
1139 on a color mode for 8, 16, 88, or 256 as the value of @var{num}. If
1140 there is no mode that supports @var{num} colors, Emacs acts as if
1141 @var{num} were 0, i.e.@: it uses the terminal's default color support
1144 If @var{mode} is omitted, it defaults to @var{ansi8}.
1147 For example, to use a coral mouse cursor and a slate blue text cursor,
1151 emacs -ms coral -cr 'slate blue' &
1154 You can reverse the foreground and background colors through the
1155 @samp{-rv} option or with the X resource @samp{reverseVideo}.
1157 The @samp{-fg}, @samp{-bg}, and @samp{-rv} options function on
1158 text-only terminals as well as on graphical displays.
1161 @appendixsec Options for Window Size and Position
1162 @cindex geometry of Emacs window
1163 @cindex position and size of Emacs frame
1164 @cindex width and height of Emacs frame
1165 @cindex specifying fullscreen for Emacs frame
1167 Here is a list of the command-line options for specifying size and
1168 position of the initial Emacs frame:
1171 @item -g @var{width}x@var{height}@r{[@{}+-@r{@}}@var{xoffset}@r{@{}+-@r{@}}@var{yoffset}@r{]]}
1173 @itemx --geometry=@var{width}x@var{height}@r{[@{}+-@r{@}}@var{xoffset}@r{@{}+-@r{@}}@var{yoffset}@r{]]}
1175 @cindex geometry, command-line argument
1176 Specify the size @var{width} and @var{height} (measured in character
1177 columns and lines), and positions @var{xoffset} and @var{yoffset}
1178 (measured in pixels). The @var{width} and @var{height} parameters
1179 apply to all frames, whereas @var{xoffset} and @var{yoffset} only to
1185 @opindex --fullscreen
1186 @cindex fullscreen, command-line argument
1187 Specify that width and height shall be the size of the screen.
1192 @opindex --fullheight
1193 @cindex fullheight, command-line argument
1194 Specify that the height shall be the height of the screen.
1199 @opindex --fullwidth
1200 @cindex fullwidth, command-line argument
1201 Specify that the width shall be the width of the screen.
1205 In the @samp{--geometry} option, @code{@r{@{}+-@r{@}}} means either a plus
1206 sign or a minus sign. A plus
1207 sign before @var{xoffset} means it is the distance from the left side of
1208 the screen; a minus sign means it counts from the right side. A plus
1209 sign before @var{yoffset} means it is the distance from the top of the
1210 screen, and a minus sign there indicates the distance from the bottom.
1211 The values @var{xoffset} and @var{yoffset} may themselves be positive or
1212 negative, but that doesn't change their meaning, only their direction.
1214 Emacs uses the same units as @command{xterm} does to interpret the geometry.
1215 The @var{width} and @var{height} are measured in characters, so a large font
1216 creates a larger frame than a small font. (If you specify a proportional
1217 font, Emacs uses its maximum bounds width as the width unit.) The
1218 @var{xoffset} and @var{yoffset} are measured in pixels.
1220 You do not have to specify all of the fields in the geometry
1221 specification. If you omit both @var{xoffset} and @var{yoffset}, the
1222 window manager decides where to put the Emacs frame, possibly by
1223 letting you place it with the mouse. For example, @samp{164x55}
1224 specifies a window 164 columns wide, enough for two ordinary width
1225 windows side by side, and 55 lines tall.
1227 The default frame width is 80 characters and the default height is
1228 40 lines. You can omit either the width or the height or both. If
1229 you start the geometry with an integer, Emacs interprets it as the
1230 width. If you start with an @samp{x} followed by an integer, Emacs
1231 interprets it as the height. Thus, @samp{81} specifies just the
1232 width; @samp{x45} specifies just the height.
1234 If you start with @samp{+} or @samp{-}, that introduces an offset,
1235 which means both sizes are omitted. Thus, @samp{-3} specifies the
1236 @var{xoffset} only. (If you give just one offset, it is always
1237 @var{xoffset}.) @samp{+3-3} specifies both the @var{xoffset} and the
1238 @var{yoffset}, placing the frame near the bottom left of the screen.
1240 You can specify a default for any or all of the fields in your X
1241 resource file (@pxref{Resources}), and then override selected fields
1242 with a @samp{--geometry} option.
1244 Since the mode line and the echo area occupy the last 2 lines of the
1245 frame, the height of the initial text window is 2 less than the height
1246 specified in your geometry. In non-X-toolkit versions of Emacs, the
1247 menu bar also takes one line of the specified number. But in the X
1248 toolkit version, the menu bar is additional and does not count against
1249 the specified height. The tool bar, if present, is also additional.
1251 Enabling or disabling the menu bar or tool bar alters the amount of
1252 space available for ordinary text. Therefore, if Emacs starts up with
1253 a tool bar (which is the default), and handles the geometry
1254 specification assuming there is a tool bar, and then your
1255 initialization file disables the tool bar, you will end up with a
1256 frame geometry different from what you asked for. To get the intended
1257 size with no tool bar, use an X resource to specify ``no tool bar''
1258 (@pxref{Table of Resources}); then Emacs will already know there's no
1259 tool bar when it processes the specified geometry.
1261 When using one of @samp{--fullscreen}, @samp{--fullwidth} or
1262 @samp{--fullheight} there may be some space around the frame
1263 anyway. That is because Emacs rounds the sizes so they are an
1264 even number of character heights and widths.
1266 Some window managers have options that can make them ignore both
1267 program-specified and user-specified positions. If these are set,
1268 Emacs fails to position the window correctly.
1271 @appendixsec Internal and External Borders
1272 @cindex borders (X Window System)
1274 An Emacs frame has an internal border and an external border. The
1275 internal border is an extra strip of the background color around the
1276 text portion of the frame. Emacs itself draws the internal border.
1277 The external border is added by the window manager outside the frame;
1278 depending on the window manager you use, it may contain various boxes
1279 you can click on to move or iconify the window.
1282 @item -ib @var{width}
1284 @itemx --internal-border=@var{width}
1285 @opindex --internal-border
1286 @cindex internal border width, command-line argument
1287 Specify @var{width} as the width of the internal border (between the text
1288 and the main border), in pixels.
1290 @item -bw @var{width}
1292 @itemx --border-width=@var{width}
1293 @opindex --border-width
1294 @cindex main border width, command-line argument
1295 Specify @var{width} as the width of the main border, in pixels.
1298 When you specify the size of the frame, that does not count the
1299 borders. The frame's position is measured from the outside edge of the
1302 Use the @samp{-ib @var{n}} option to specify an internal border
1303 @var{n} pixels wide. The default is 1. Use @samp{-bw @var{n}} to
1304 specify the width of the external border (though the window manager may
1305 not pay attention to what you specify). The default width of the
1306 external border is 2.
1309 @appendixsec Frame Titles
1311 An Emacs frame may or may not have a specified title. The frame
1312 title, if specified, appears in window decorations and icons as the
1313 name of the frame. If an Emacs frame has no specified title, the
1314 default title has the form @samp{@var{invocation-name}@@@var{machine}}
1315 (if there is only one frame) or the selected window's buffer name (if
1316 there is more than one frame).
1318 You can specify a title for the initial Emacs frame with a command
1322 @item -T @var{title}
1324 @itemx --title=@var{title}
1326 @cindex frame title, command-line argument
1327 Specify @var{title} as the title for the initial Emacs frame.
1330 The @samp{--name} option (@pxref{Resources}) also specifies the title
1331 for the initial Emacs frame.
1335 @cindex icons (X Window System)
1336 @cindex minimizing a frame at startup
1342 @cindex start iconified, command-line argument
1343 Start Emacs in an iconified (``minimized'') state.
1347 @itemx --no-bitmap-icon
1348 @opindex --no-bitmap-icon
1349 @cindex Emacs icon, a gnu
1350 Do not use a picture of a gnu as the Emacs icon.
1353 Most window managers allow you to ``iconify'' (or ``minimize'') an
1354 Emacs frame, hiding it from sight. Some window managers replace
1355 iconified windows with tiny ``icons'', while others remove them
1356 entirely from sight. The @samp{-iconic} option tells Emacs to begin
1357 running in an iconified state, rather than showing a frame right away.
1358 The text frame doesn't appear until you deiconify (or ``un-minimize'')
1361 By default, Emacs uses an icon containing the Emacs logo. On
1362 desktop environments such as Gnome, this icon is also displayed on the
1363 ``taskbar''. The @samp{-nbi} or @samp{--no-bitmap-icon} option tells
1364 Emacs to let the window manager choose what sort of icon to
1365 use---usually just a small rectangle containing the frame's title.
1368 @appendixsec Other Display Options
1373 @c @itemx --horizontal-scroll-bars
1374 @c @opindex --horizontal-scroll-bars
1375 @c @c @cindex horizontal scroll bars, command-line argument
1376 @c Enable horizontal scroll bars. Since horizontal scroll bars
1377 @c are not yet implemented, this actually does nothing.
1381 @itemx --vertical-scroll-bars
1382 @opindex --vertical-scroll-bars
1383 @cindex vertical scroll bars, command-line argument
1384 Enable vertical scroll bars.
1386 @item -lsp @var{pixels}
1388 @itemx --line-spacing=@var{pixels}
1389 @opindex --line-spacing
1390 @cindex line spacing, command-line argument
1391 Specify @var{pixels} as additional space to put between lines, in pixels.
1395 @itemx --no-blinking-cursor
1396 @opindex --no-blinking-cursor
1397 @cindex blinking cursor disable, command-line argument
1398 Disable the blinking cursor on graphical displays.
1402 @itemx --basic-display
1403 @opindex --basic-display
1404 Disable the menu-bar, the tool-bar, the scroll-bars, and tool tips,
1405 and turn off the blinking cursor. This can be useful for making a
1406 test case that simplifies debugging of display problems.
1409 The @samp{--xrm} option (@pxref{Resources}) specifies additional
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