This is the introduction to a list of frequently asked questions (FAQ's) about XEmacs with answers. This article contains a listing of the questions; subsequent articles contain the questions and answers.
This is not a substitute for general Emacs questions, and actually includes nothing that might help a novice learn to use Emacs or XEmacs. For that, check out the regular Emacs lists, the tutorial inside of XEmacs (look on the Help menu), or the O'Reilly book Learning GNU Emacs. This FAQ focuses on specific issues regarding XEmacs. If you don't find the answer here, perhaps it really is a more general question, and check the GNU Emacs FAQ for more information, as well.
The FAQ list is posted to reduce the noise level in the `comp.emacs.xemacs' newsgroup which results from the repetition of frequently asked questions, wrong answers to these questions, corrections to the wrong answers, corrections to the corrections, debate, name calling, etc. Also, it serves as a repository of the canonical "best" answers to these questions. However, if you know a better answer or even a slight change that improves an answer, please tell me!
If you know the answer of a question is in the FAQ list, please reply to the question by e-mail instead of posting. Help reduce noise!
Please suggest new questions, answers, wording changes, deletions, etc. The most helpful form for suggestions is a context diff (i.e. the output of `diff -c'). Include `FAQ' in the subject of messages sent to us about the FAQ list.
Please do not send questions to us just because you do not want to disturb a lot of people and you think we would know the answer. We do not have time to answer questions individually and keep up with everything else we have to get done.
Many thanks need to go to all contributors on the old alt.lucid-emacs.* and current comp.emacs.xemacs groups. This would never have been collected without you.
Any directories given are usually in reference to the base directory formed by unpacking XEmacs.
An alternative to GNU Emacs, originally based on an early alpha version of FSF's version 19. XEmacs was known as Lucid Emacs through version 19.10. Almost all features of GNU Emacs are supported in XEmacs (the ones that aren't supported are generally implemented in a better way in XEmacs). The maintainers of XEmacs actively track changes to GNU Emacs while also working to add new features never before seen in Emacs.
The current version is 19.13, released on September 1, 1995.
The canonical source and binaries is found via anonymous FTP at ftp.cs.uiuc.edu:/pub/xemacs/
This is really a general Emacs question, but a table of some common terms/acronyms is provided here for your convenience. See the GNU Emacs FAQ for a more complete list.
Probably the easiest way, if everything is installed, is to use info, by pressing C-h i, or selecting `Emacs Info' from the Help Menu. Also, M-x apropos will look for commands for you.
Try reading this FAQ, examining the regular GNU Emacs FAQ (which can be found with the Emacs 19 distribution) as well as at http://www.eecs.nwu.edu/emacs/faq/ and reading the Usenet group `comp.emacs.xemacs'. If that does not help, try posting your question to `comp.emacs.xemacs'. If you cannot post or read Usenet news, there is a corresponding mailing list which is available. It can be subscribed to by sending mail to
xemacs-request@cs.uiuc.edu
for subscription information and
xemacs@cs.uiuc.edu
to send messages to the list.
To cancel a subscription, YOU MUST use the xemacs-request address.
Bug reports should be sent to the same locations.
The mailing list is archived in the directory ftp.cs.uiuc.edu:/pub/xemacs/mlists/
InfoDock is an integrated productivity toolset, mainly aimed at technical people. It is built atop the XEmacs variant of GNU Emacs and so has all of the power of Emacs, but with an easier to use and more comprehensive menu-based user interface. The next section describes how it differs from XEmacs and GNU Emacs from the Free Software Foundation.
The quickest way to get a feel for InfoDock is to browse the InfoDock Manual, especially the section on tools. This will help you decide whether or not to download InfoDock for local use. This manual is available in gzipped Postscript form, alongside the InfoDock distribution. (See below for FTP retrieval instructions.)
InfoDock is aimed at people who want a free, turn-key productivity environment. Although InfoDock is customizable, it is not intended for people who like basic versions of Emacs which need to be customized extensively for local use; standard Emacs distributions are better for such uses. InfoDock is for those people who want a complete, pre-customized environment in one package, which they need not touch more than once or twice a year to update to new revisions.
InfoDock is pre-built for SPARCstations running SunOS V4 or V5 (Solaris). It is intended for use on a color display, although most features will work on monochrome monitors. Simply unpack InfoDock according to the instructions in the ID-INSTALL file and you are ready to run.
The InfoDock Manual is concise, yet sufficient as a user guide for users who have never used an Emacs-type editor before. For users who are already familiar with Emacs, it supplements the information in the GNU Emacs Manual.
InfoDock menus are much more extensive and more mature than standard Emacs menus. Each menu offers a `Manual' item which displays documentation associated with the menu's functions. Three types of menubars are provided:
Most modes also include mode-specific popup menus. Additionally, region and rectangle popup menus are included.
InfoDock saves a more extensive set of user options than other Emacs versions.
InfoDock inserts a useful file header in many file types, showing the author, summary, and last modification time of each file. A summary program can then be used to summarize all of the files in a directory, for easy MANIFEST file creation.
Your working set of buffers is automatically saved and restored (if you answer yes to a prompt) between InfoDock sessions.
Refined color choices for code highlighting are provided for both dark and light background display frames.
The C-z key prefix performs frame-based commands which parallel the C-x key prefix for window-based commands.
The Smart Menu system is included for producing command menus on dumb terminals. (InfoDock does not yet run on dumb terminals but will in 1995.)
Lisp libraries are better categorized according to function.
Extensions and improvements to many areas of Emacs are included, such as: paragraph filling, mail reading with Rmail, shell handling, outlining, code highlighting and browsing, and man page browsing.
InfoDock questions, answers and discussion should go to the mail list `infodock@hub.ucsb.edu'. Use `infodock-request@hub.ucsb.edu' to be added or removed from the list. Always include your InfoDock version number when sending help requests.
InfoDock is available across the Internet via anonymous FTP. To get it, first move to a directory into which you want the InfoDock archive files placed. We will call this <DIST-DIR>.
cd <DIST-DIR>
FTP to ftp.cs.uiuc.edu (Internet Host ID = 128.174.252.1):
prompt> ftp ftp.cs.uiuc.edu
Login as `anonymous' with your own <user-id>@<site-name> as a password.
Name (ftp.cs.uiuc.edu): anonymous 331 Guest login ok, send your complete e-mail address as password. Password: -<your-user-id@your-domain> 230 Guest login ok, access restrictions apply.
Move to the location of the InfoDock archives:
ftp> cd pub/xemacs/infodock
Set your transfer mode to binary:
ftp> bin 200 Type set to I.
Turn off prompting:
ftp> prompt Interactive mode off.
Retrieve the InfoDock archives that you want, either by using a `get <file>' for each file you want or by using the following to get a complete distribution, including all binaries:
ftp> mget ID-INSTALL ftp> mget id-*
Close the FTP connection:
ftp> quit 221 Goodbye.
Read the `ID-INSTALL' file which you just retrieved for step-by-step installation instructions.