EMACS(1) GNU EMACS(1)
NAME
emacs - GNU project Emacs editor
SYNOPSIS
emacs [ command-line switches ] [ files ... ]
DESCRIPTION
GNU Emacs is a version of Emacs, written by the author of the original
(PDP-10) Emacs, Richard Stallman. The user functionality of GNU Emacs
encompasses everything other editors do, and it is easily extensible
since its editing commands are written in Lisp.
The primary documentation of GNU Emacs is in the GNU Emacs Manual, which
you can read using Info, either from Emacs or as a standalone program.
Please look there for complete and up-to-date documentation. This man
page is updated only when someone volunteers to do so.
Emacs has an extensive interactive help facility, but the facility as-
sumes that you know how to manipulate Emacs windows and buffers. CTRL-h
or F1 enters the Help facility. Help Tutorial (CTRL-h t) starts an in-
teractive tutorial to quickly teach beginners the fundamentals of Emacs.
Help Apropos (CTRL-h a) helps you find a command with a name matching a
given pattern, Help Key (CTRL-h k) describes a given key sequence, and
Help Function (CTRL-h f) describes a given Lisp function.
GNU Emacs's many special packages handle mail reading (RMail) and send-
ing (Mail), outline editing (Outline), compiling (Compile), running sub-
shells within Emacs windows (Shell), running a Lisp read-eval-print loop
(Lisp-Interaction-Mode), automated psychotherapy (Doctor), and much
more.
Emacs Options
The following options are of general interest:
file Edit file.
--file=file, --find-file=file, --visit=file
The same as specifying file directly as an argument.
+number Go to the line specified by number (do not insert a space
between the "+" sign and the number). This applies only
to the next file specified.
+line:column
Go to the specified line and column.
--chdir=directory
Change to directory.
-q, --no-init-file
Do not load an init file.
-nl, --no-shared-memory
Do not use shared memory.
--no-site-file
Do not load the site-wide startup file.
-nsl, --no-site-lisp
Do not add site-lisp directories to load-path.
--no-desktop
Do not load a saved desktop.
-Q, --quick
Similar to "-q --no-site-file --no-splash". Also, avoid
processing X resources.
--no-splash
Do not display a splash screen during start-up.
--debug-init
Enable Emacs Lisp debugger during the processing of the
user init file ~/.emacs. This is useful for debugging
problems in the init file.
-u user, --user=user
Load user's init file instead of your own.
--init-directory=directory
Start emacs with user-emacs-directory set to directory.
-t file, --terminal=file
Use specified file as the terminal instead of using
stdin/stdout. This must be the first argument specified
in the command line.
--daemon[=name], --bg-daemon[=name]
Start Emacs as a daemon, enabling the Emacs server and
disconnecting from the terminal. You can then use the
emacsclient (see emacsclient(1)) command to connect to
the server (with optional name).
--fg-daemon[=name]
Like "--bg-daemon", but don't disconnect from the termi-
nal.
--version
Display Emacs version information and exit.
--help Display help and exit.
The following options are Lisp-oriented (these options are processed in
the order encountered):
-f function, --funcall=function
Execute the lisp function function.
-l file, --load=file
Load the lisp code in the file file.
--eval=expr, --execute=expr
Evaluate the Lisp expression expr.
The following options are useful when running Emacs as a batch editor:
--batch Edit in batch mode. The editor will send messages to
stderr. You must use -l and -f options to specify files
to execute and functions to call.
--script file
Run file as an Emacs Lisp script.
--insert=file
Insert contents of file into the current buffer.
--kill Exit Emacs while in batch mode.
-L dir, --directory=dir
Add dir to the list of directories Emacs searches for
Lisp files.
Using Emacs with X
Emacs has been tailored to work well with the X Window System. If you
run Emacs from under X windows, it will create its own X window to dis-
play in. You will probably want to start the editor as a background
process so that you can continue using your original window.
Emacs can be started with the following X switches:
--name=name
Specify the name which should be assigned to the initial
Emacs window. This controls looking up X resources as
well as the window title.
--no-x-resources
Do not load X resources.
-T name, --title=name
Specify the title for the initial X window.
-r, -rv, --reverse-video
Display the Emacs window in reverse video.
-fn font, --font=font
Set the Emacs window's font to that specified by font.
You will find the various X fonts in the
/usr/lib/X11/fonts directory. Note that Emacs will only
accept fixed width fonts. Under the X11 Release 4 font-
naming conventions, any font with the value "m" or "c" in
the eleventh field of the font name is a fixed width
font. Furthermore, fonts whose name are of the form
widthxheight are generally fixed width, as is the font
fixed. See xlsfonts(1) for more information.
When you specify a font, be sure to put a space between
the switch and the font name.
--xrm=resources
Set additional X resources.
--color, --color=mode
Override color mode for character terminals; mode de-
faults to "auto", and can also be "never", "auto", "al-
ways", or a mode name like "ansi8".
-bw pixels, --border-width=pixels
Set the Emacs window's border width to the number of pix-
els specified by pixels. Defaults to one pixel on each
side of the window.
-ib pixels, --internal-border=pixels
Set the window's internal border width to the number of
pixels specified by pixels. Defaults to one pixel of
padding on each side of the window.
-g geometry, --geometry=geometry
Set the Emacs window's width, height, and position as
specified. The geometry specification is in the standard
X format; see X(7) for more information. The width and
height are specified in characters; the default for GUI
frames is a width of 80 and a height between 35 and 40,
depending on the OS and the window manager. See the
Emacs manual, section "Options for Window Size and Posi-
tion", for information on how window sizes interact with
selecting or deselecting the tool bar, tab bar and menu
bar.
-lsp pixels, --line-spacing=pixels
Additional space to put between lines.
-vb, --vertical-scroll-bars
Enable vertical scrollbars.
-fh, --fullheight
Make the first frame as high as the screen.
-fs, --fullscreen
Make the first frame fullscreen.
-fw, --fullwidth
Make the first frame as wide as the screen.
-mm, --maximized
Maximize the first frame, like "-fw -fh".
-fg color, --foreground-color=color
On color displays, set the color of the text.
Use the command M-x list-colors-display for a list of
valid color names.
-bg color, --background-color=color
On color displays, set the color of the window's back-
ground.
-bd color, --border-color=color
On color displays, set the color of the window's border.
-cr color, --cursor-color=color
On color displays, set the color of the window's text
cursor.
-ms color, --mouse-color=color
On color displays, set the color of the window's mouse
cursor.
-d displayname, --display=displayname
Create the Emacs window on the display specified by dis-
playname. Must be the first option specified in the com-
mand line.
-nbi, --no-bitmap-icon
Do not use picture of gnu for Emacs icon.
--iconic
Start Emacs in iconified state.
-nbc, --no-blinking-cursor
Disable blinking cursor.
--parent-id=xid
Set parent window.
-nw, --no-window-system
Tell Emacs not to create a graphical frame. If you use
this switch when invoking Emacs from an xterm(1) window,
display is done in that window.
-D, --basic-display
This option disables many display features; use it for
debugging Emacs.
You can set X default values for your Emacs windows in your .Xresources
file (see xrdb(1)). Use the following format:
emacs.keyword:value
where value specifies the default value of keyword. Emacs lets you set
default values for the following keywords:
background (class Background)
For color displays, sets the window's background color.
bitmapIcon (class BitmapIcon)
If bitmapIcon's value is set to on, the window will
iconify into the "kitchen sink."
borderColor (class BorderColor)
For color displays, sets the color of the window's bor-
der.
borderWidth (class BorderWidth)
Sets the window's border width in pixels.
cursorColor (class Foreground)
For color displays, sets the color of the window's text
cursor.
cursorBlink (class CursorBlink)
Specifies whether to make the cursor blink. The default
is on. Use off or false to turn cursor blinking off.
font (class Font)
Sets the window's text font.
foreground (class Foreground)
For color displays, sets the window's text color.
fullscreen (class Fullscreen)
The desired fullscreen size. The value can be one of
fullboth, maximized, fullwidth, or fullheight, which cor-
respond to the command-line options "-fs", "-mm", "-fw",
and "-fh", respectively. Note that this applies to the
initial frame only.
geometry (class Geometry)
Sets the geometry of the Emacs window (as described
above).
iconName (class Title)
Sets the icon name for the Emacs window icon.
internalBorder (class BorderWidth)
Sets the window's internal border width in pixels.
lineSpacing (class LineSpacing)
Additional space ("leading") between lines, in pixels.
menuBar (class MenuBar)
Gives frames menu bars if on; don't have menu bars if
off. See the Emacs manual, sections "Lucid Resources"
and "Motif Resources", for how to control the appearance
of the menu bar if you have one.
minibuffer (class Minibuffer)
If none, don't make a minibuffer in this frame. It will
use a separate minibuffer frame instead.
paneFont (class Font)
Font name for menu pane titles, in non-toolkit versions
of Emacs.
pointerColor (class Foreground)
For color displays, sets the color of the window's mouse
cursor.
privateColormap (class PrivateColormap)
If on, use a private color map, in the case where the
"default visual" of class PseudoColor and Emacs is using
it.
reverseVideo (class ReverseVideo)
If reverseVideo's value is set to on, the window will be
displayed in reverse video.
screenGamma (class ScreenGamma)
Gamma correction for colors, equivalent to the frame pa-
rameter "screen-gamma".
scrollBarWidth (class ScrollBarWidth)
The scroll bar width in pixels, equivalent to the frame
parameter "scroll-bar-width".
selectionFont (class SelectionFont)
Font name for pop-up menu items, in non-toolkit versions
of Emacs. (For toolkit versions, see the Emacs manual,
sections "Lucid Resources" and "Motif Resources".)
selectionTimeout (class SelectionTimeout)
Number of milliseconds to wait for a selection reply. A
value of 0 means wait as long as necessary.
synchronous (class Synchronous)
Run Emacs in synchronous mode if on. Synchronous mode is
useful for debugging X problems.
title (class Title)
Sets the title of the Emacs window.
toolBar (class ToolBar)
Number of lines to reserve for the tool bar.
tabBar (class TabBar)
Number of lines to reserve for the tab bar.
useXIM (class UseXIM)
Turns off use of X input methods (XIM) if false or off.
verticalScrollBars (class ScrollBars)
Gives frames scroll bars if on; suppresses scroll bars if
off.
visualClass (class VisualClass)
Specify the "visual" that X should use. This tells X how
to handle colors. The value should start with one of
TrueColor, PseudoColor, DirectColor, StaticColor,
GrayScale, and StaticGray, followed by -depth, where
depth is the number of color planes.
MANUALS
You can order printed copies of the GNU Emacs Manual from the Free Soft-
ware Foundation, which develops GNU software. See the online store at
<https://shop.fsf.org/>.
Your local administrator might also have copies available. As with all
software and publications from FSF, everyone is permitted to make and
distribute copies of the Emacs manual. The Texinfo source to the manual
is also included in the Emacs source distribution.
FILES
/usr/local/share/info — files for the Info documentation browser. The
complete text of the Emacs reference manual is included in a convenient
tree structured form. This includes the Emacs Lisp Reference Manual,
useful to anyone wishing to write programs in the Emacs Lisp extension
language, and the Introduction to Programming in Emacs Lisp.
/usr/local/share/emacs/$VERSION/lisp — Lisp source files and compiled
files that define most editing commands. Some are preloaded; others are
autoloaded from this directory when used.
/usr/local/libexec/emacs/$VERSION/$ARCH — various programs that are used
with GNU Emacs.
/usr/local/share/emacs/$VERSION/etc — various files of information.
/usr/local/share/emacs/$VERSION/etc/DOC.* — contains the documentation
strings for the Lisp primitives and preloaded Lisp functions of GNU
Emacs. They are stored here to reduce the size of Emacs proper.
BUGS
There is a mailing list, bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org, for reporting Emacs bugs
and fixes. But before reporting something as a bug, please try to be
sure that it really is a bug, not a misunderstanding or a deliberate
feature. We ask you to read the section "Reporting Bugs" in the Emacs
manual for hints on how and when to report bugs. Also, include the ver-
sion number of the Emacs you are running in every bug report that you
send in. Bugs tend actually to be fixed if they can be isolated, so it
is in your interest to report them in such a way that they can be easily
reproduced.
Do not expect a personal answer to a bug report. The purpose of report-
ing bugs is to get them fixed for everyone in the next release, if pos-
sible. For personal assistance, consult the service directory at
<https://www.fsf.org/resources/service/> for a list of people who offer
it.
Please do not send anything but bug reports to this mailing list. For
other Emacs lists, see <https://savannah.gnu.org/mail/?group=emacs>.
UNRESTRICTIONS
Emacs is free; anyone may redistribute copies of Emacs to anyone under
the terms stated in the GNU General Public License, a copy of which ac-
companies each copy of Emacs and which also appears in the reference
manual.
Copies of Emacs may sometimes be received packaged with distributions of
Unix systems, but it is never included in the scope of any license cov-
ering those systems. Such inclusion violates the terms on which distri-
bution is permitted. In fact, the primary purpose of the GNU General
Public License is to prohibit anyone from attaching any other restric-
tions to redistribution of Emacs.
Richard Stallman encourages you to improve and extend Emacs, and urges
that you contribute your extensions to the GNU library. Eventually GNU
(Gnu's Not Unix) will be a complete replacement for Unix. Everyone will
be free to use, copy, study and change the GNU system.
SEE ALSO
emacsclient(1), etags(1), X(7), xlsfonts(1), xterm(1), xrdb(1)
AUTHORS
Emacs was written by Richard Stallman and the Free Software Foundation.
For detailed credits and acknowledgments, see the GNU Emacs manual.
COPYING
Copyright 1995-2025 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this
document provided the copyright notice and this permission notice are
preserved on all copies.
Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
document under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the
entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a per-
mission notice identical to this one.
Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this docu-
ment into another language, under the above conditions for modified ver-
sions, except that this permission notice may be stated in a translation
approved by the Free Software Foundation.
There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.
GNU Emacs 30.1 2024-07-18 EMACS(1)
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