This page last modified: May 15 2007
title:Emacs configuration and remote file access examples keywords:.emacs,config,example,auto,automatic,default,set,setting,init,custom,init.el,custom.el,xemacs,tutorial description:Hints on setting up your emacs configuration, and remote file access. Edit remote files ----------------- Emacs includes a package called Tramp. Tramp enables you to edit files on a remote machine as though the files were local. For my instructions below ssh (sshd) is required on the remote machine. Tramp automatically handles copying the file back and forth. This has the advantage that your editing is all local and very fast. The only delays happen during saving. You enable Tramp by adding these two lines to your .emacs file, or by evaluating them from inside Emacs: (setq tramp-syntax 'url) (require 'tramp) To evaluate them, type or paste them into the Lisp eval in the minibuffer. Run the eval-expression function: ESC : (M-: press escape, then type a colon, also M-x eval-expression) After entering one line, press return. Repeat for the second line. In tramp mode you can now open files of the url format: /protocol:hostname:/path/file The : is required after protocol and the hostname. I suggest you use ssh:, although scp: and sftp: probably also work. /ssh:example.com:/home/mst3k/public_html/index.html When you open the first file, tramp does all kinds of magical things (running a shell, setting env vars, running a Perl script, etc.) Personalize and Automate your Emacs configuration ------------------------------------------------- I suggest that you download my .emacs file. You can probably find it at: http://defindit.com/readme_files/dot_emacs.txt On your machine give it one of the following names (where mst3k is a placeholder for your userid). /home/mst3k/.emacs /home/mst3k/.xemacs/init.el C:/_emacs If you want to change a key binding, see the define-key section. To view your current key bindings, use the emacs functions describe-bindings describe-key describe-key-briefly (M = "meta" = escape key. M-x = press and release the "Esc" key, then press the "x" key. C = control = the Ctrl key. C-x = press and hold the Ctrl key, and press the x key at the same time. If you do M-x the text "M-x " will appear in the "mini-buffer" at the bottom of the emacs screen. Do not press Enter (return) after M-x. After entering a command you must press the Enter (return) key for that command to run. Use C-g to cancel.) See all current key bindings: M-x describe-bindings See what is bound to some key (C-d in this example). Emacs splits the screen and show the key info in the second window. M-x describe-key C-d ;; My favorite indent style for Perl is C++. This requires calling ;; the cperl-set-style function, but that isn't loaded until cperl-mode is loaded ;; Therefore you must use the add-hook which adds this my new function ;; twl-cperl-setup to the cperl-mode-hook. ;; This only applies to newer versions of emacs. Older versions perl-mode ;; had this behavior by default, but new versions have replaced perl-mode ;; with cperl-mode. The code below seems to have no effect on older ;; versions of emacs. (defun twl-cperl-setup () (cperl-set-style "C++")) (add-hook 'cperl-mode-hook 'twl-cperl-setup) xemacs notes ------------ (if (eq 'tty (device-type)) (set-device-class nil 'color)) (global-set-key "\C-cd" 'double-word) (global-set-key "\C-z" 'up-one)