comparison lispref/os.texi @ 25875:6a17c48b52ef

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@samp{-no-site-file} was specified.  The library's file name is usually
@file{site-start.el}.
@cindex @file{site-start.el}

@item 
It loads the file @file{~/.emacs}, unless @samp{-q} or @samp{-batch} was
specified on the command line.  The @samp{-u} option can specify another
user whose home directory should be used instead of @file{~}.

@item 
It loads the library @file{default}, unless @code{inhibit-default-init}
is non-@code{nil}.  (This is not done in @samp{-batch} mode or if
@samp{-q} was specified on the command line.)  The library's file name

@end defopt

@defopt inhibit-startup-echo-area-message
This variable controls the display of the startup echo area message.
You can suppress the startup echo area message by adding text with this
form to your @file{.emacs} file:

@example
(setq inhibit-startup-echo-area-message
      "@var{your-login-name}")
@end example

Emacs explicitly checks for an expression as shown above in your
@file{.emacs} file; your login name must appear in the expression as a
Lisp string constant.  Other methods of setting
@code{inhibit-startup-echo-area-message} to the same value do not
inhibit the startup message.

This way, you can easily inhibit the message for yourself if you wish,
but thoughtless copying of your @file{.emacs} file will not inhibit the
message for someone else.
@end defopt

@node Init File
@subsection The Init File: @file{.emacs}
@cindex init file
@cindex @file{.emacs}

  When you start Emacs, it normally attempts to load the file
@file{.emacs} from your home directory.  This file is called your
@dfn{init file}.  If it exists, it must contain Lisp code.  The
command-line switches @samp{-q} and @samp{-u} affect the use of the init
file; @samp{-q} says not to load an init file, and @samp{-u} says to
load a specified user's init file instead of yours.  @xref{Entering
Emacs,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}.

@cindex default init file
  A site may have a @dfn{default init file}, which is the library named
@file{default.el}.  Emacs finds the @file{default.el} file through the
standard search path for libraries (@pxref{How Programs Do Loading}).

user's init file.  Its normal value is @code{"site-start"}.  The only
way you can change it with real effect is to do so before dumping
Emacs.
@end defvar

  If there is a great deal of code in your @file{.emacs} file, you
can make it load faster by renaming it to @file{.emacs.el}
and then byte-compiling it (@pxref{Byte Compilation}).

  @xref{Init File Examples,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}, for
examples of how to make various commonly desired customizations in your
@file{.emacs} file.

@defopt inhibit-default-init

name.  Thus, terminal types @samp{aaa-48} and @samp{aaa-30-rv} both use
the @file{term/aaa} library.  If necessary, the library can evaluate
@code{(getenv "TERM")} to find the full name of the terminal
type.@refill

  Your @file{.emacs} file can prevent the loading of the
terminal-specific library by setting the variable
@code{term-file-prefix} to @code{nil}.  This feature is useful when
experimenting with your own peculiar customizations.

  You can also arrange to override some of the actions of the
terminal-specific library by setting the variable
@code{term-setup-hook}.  This is a normal hook which Emacs runs using
@code{run-hooks} at the end of Emacs initialization, after loading both
your @file{.emacs} file and any terminal-specific libraries.  You can
use this variable to define initializations for terminals that do not
have their own libraries.  @xref{Hooks}.

@defvar term-file-prefix
@cindex @code{TERM} environment variable

(load (concat term-file-prefix (getenv "TERM")))
@end example

@noindent
You may set the @code{term-file-prefix} variable to @code{nil} in your
@file{.emacs} file if you do not wish to load the
terminal-initialization file.  To do this, put the following in
your @file{.emacs} file: @code{(setq term-file-prefix nil)}.

On MS-DOS, if the environment variable @code{TERM} is not set, Emacs
uses @samp{internal} as the terminal type.
@end defvar

@defvar term-setup-hook 
This variable is a normal hook that Emacs runs after loading your
@file{.emacs} file, the default initialization file (if any) and the
terminal-specific Lisp file.

You can use @code{term-setup-hook} to override the definitions made by a
terminal-specific file.
@end defvar

kill the Emacs until you are about to log out.)
@end ignore

@defun command-line
This function parses the command line that Emacs was called with,
processes it, loads the user's @file{.emacs} file and displays the
startup messages.
@end defun

@defvar command-line-processed
The value of this variable is @code{t} once the command line has been

@defvar user-mail-address
This holds the nominal email address of the user who is using Emacs.
Emacs normally sets this variable to a default value after reading your
init files, but not if you have already set it.  So you can set the
variable to some other value in your @file{~/.emacs} file if you do not
want to use the default value.
@end defvar

@defun user-login-name &optional uid
If you don't specify @var{uid}, this function returns the name under

control, and provides the characters @kbd{C-\} and @kbd{C-^} as aliases
for them using @code{keyboard-translate-table} (@pxref{Translating Input}).
@end deffn

You can use the function @code{enable-flow-control-on} in your
@file{.emacs} file to enable flow control automatically on certain
terminal types.

@defun enable-flow-control-on &rest termtypes
This function enables flow control, and the aliases @kbd{C-\} and @kbd{C-^},
if the terminal type is one of @var{termtypes}.  For example:

25875:6a17c48b52ef

@samp{-no-site-file} was specified.  The library's file name is usually
@file{site-start.el}.
@cindex @file{site-start.el}

@item 
It loads your init file (usually @file{~/.emacs}), unless @samp{-q} or
@samp{-batch} was specified on the command line.  The @samp{-u} option
can specify another user whose home directory should be used instead of
@file{~}.

@item 
It loads the library @file{default}, unless @code{inhibit-default-init}
is non-@code{nil}.  (This is not done in @samp{-batch} mode or if
@samp{-q} was specified on the command line.)  The library's file name

@end defopt

@defopt inhibit-startup-echo-area-message
This variable controls the display of the startup echo area message.
You can suppress the startup echo area message by adding text with this
form to your init file:

@example
(setq inhibit-startup-echo-area-message
      "@var{your-login-name}")
@end example

Emacs explicitly checks for an expression as shown above in your init
file; your login name must appear in the expression as a Lisp string
constant.  Other methods of setting
@code{inhibit-startup-echo-area-message} to the same value do not
inhibit the startup message.

This way, you can easily inhibit the message for yourself if you wish,
but thoughtless copying of your init file will not inhibit the message
for someone else.
@end defopt

@node Init File
@subsection The Init File, @file{.emacs}
@cindex init file
@cindex @file{.emacs}

  When you start Emacs, it normally attempts to load your @dfn{init
file}, a file in your home directory.  Its normal name is @file{.emacs},
but you can alternatively call it @file{.emacs.el}, which enables you to
byte-compile it (@pxref{Byte Compilation}); then the actual file loaded
will be @file{.emacs.elc}.

  The command-line switches @samp{-q} and @samp{-u} control whether and
where to find the init file; @samp{-q} says not to load an init file,
and @samp{-u @var{user}} says to load @var{user}'s init file instead of
yours.  @xref{Entering Emacs,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}.  If
neither option is specified, Emacs uses the @code{LOGNAME} environment
variable, or the @code{USER} (most systems) or @code{USERNAME} (MS
systems) variable, to find your home directory and thus your init file;
this way, even if you have su'd, Emacs still loads your own init file.
If those environment variables are absent, though, Emacs uses your
user-id to find your home directory.

@cindex default init file
  A site may have a @dfn{default init file}, which is the library named
@file{default.el}.  Emacs finds the @file{default.el} file through the
standard search path for libraries (@pxref{How Programs Do Loading}).

user's init file.  Its normal value is @code{"site-start"}.  The only
way you can change it with real effect is to do so before dumping
Emacs.
@end defvar

  @xref{Init File Examples,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}, for
examples of how to make various commonly desired customizations in your
@file{.emacs} file.

@defopt inhibit-default-init

name.  Thus, terminal types @samp{aaa-48} and @samp{aaa-30-rv} both use
the @file{term/aaa} library.  If necessary, the library can evaluate
@code{(getenv "TERM")} to find the full name of the terminal
type.@refill

  Your init file can prevent the loading of the
terminal-specific library by setting the variable
@code{term-file-prefix} to @code{nil}.  This feature is useful when
experimenting with your own peculiar customizations.

  You can also arrange to override some of the actions of the
terminal-specific library by setting the variable
@code{term-setup-hook}.  This is a normal hook which Emacs runs using
@code{run-hooks} at the end of Emacs initialization, after loading both
your init file and any terminal-specific libraries.  You can
use this variable to define initializations for terminals that do not
have their own libraries.  @xref{Hooks}.

@defvar term-file-prefix
@cindex @code{TERM} environment variable

(load (concat term-file-prefix (getenv "TERM")))
@end example

@noindent
You may set the @code{term-file-prefix} variable to @code{nil} in your
init file if you do not wish to load the
terminal-initialization file.  To do this, put the following in
your init file: @code{(setq term-file-prefix nil)}.

On MS-DOS, if the environment variable @code{TERM} is not set, Emacs
uses @samp{internal} as the terminal type.
@end defvar

@defvar term-setup-hook 
This variable is a normal hook that Emacs runs after loading your
init file, the default initialization file (if any) and the
terminal-specific Lisp file.

You can use @code{term-setup-hook} to override the definitions made by a
terminal-specific file.
@end defvar

kill the Emacs until you are about to log out.)
@end ignore

@defun command-line
This function parses the command line that Emacs was called with,
processes it, loads the user's init file and displays the
startup messages.
@end defun

@defvar command-line-processed
The value of this variable is @code{t} once the command line has been

@defvar user-mail-address
This holds the nominal email address of the user who is using Emacs.
Emacs normally sets this variable to a default value after reading your
init files, but not if you have already set it.  So you can set the
variable to some other value in your init file if you do not
want to use the default value.
@end defvar

@defun user-login-name &optional uid
If you don't specify @var{uid}, this function returns the name under

control, and provides the characters @kbd{C-\} and @kbd{C-^} as aliases
for them using @code{keyboard-translate-table} (@pxref{Translating Input}).
@end deffn

You can use the function @code{enable-flow-control-on} in your
init file to enable flow control automatically on certain
terminal types.

@defun enable-flow-control-on &rest termtypes
This function enables flow control, and the aliases @kbd{C-\} and @kbd{C-^},
if the terminal type is one of @var{termtypes}.  For example: