emacs Command
The emacs command launches the Emacs text editor, a powerful and extensible editor that can be customized for various text editing tasks, programming, and document preparation.
Syntax
emacs [OPTIONS] [FILE...]
Description
Emacs is a highly customizable text editor that provides extensive functionality through its built-in Lisp interpreter. It can be used for text editing, programming, email, and many other tasks.
Key features:
- Powerful text editing capabilities
- Extensive customization through Emacs Lisp
- Built-in help system and tutorial
- Support for multiple programming languages
- Integrated development environment features
Common Options
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
-nw |
Run in terminal mode (no window) |
-q |
Start without loading init file |
-l file |
Load Lisp file on startup |
-f function |
Execute Lisp function on startup |
--help |
Display help information |
--version |
Show version information |
-batch |
Run in batch mode |
-eval expr |
Evaluate Lisp expression |
Examples
Open emacs
emacs
Starts Emacs with a new buffer
Open specific file
emacs myfile.txt
Opens myfile.txt in Emacs
Run in terminal mode
emacs -nw myfile.txt
Opens Emacs in terminal mode without GUI
Start without init file
emacs -q
Starts Emacs without loading configuration
Open multiple files
emacs file1.txt file2.txt file3.txt
Opens multiple files in separate buffers
Execute function on startup
emacs -f calendar
Starts Emacs and runs the calendar function
Load Lisp file
emacs -l ~/.emacs.d/my-config.el
Loads a specific Lisp configuration file
Batch mode processing
emacs -batch -l script.el -f my-function
Runs Emacs in batch mode for scripting
Evaluate Lisp expression
emacs -eval "(message \"Hello World\")"
Evaluates a Lisp expression on startup
Essential Key Bindings
| Key Binding | Description |
|---|---|
Ctrl+X Ctrl+F |
Open file |
Ctrl+X Ctrl+S |
Save file |
Ctrl+X Ctrl+C |
Exit Emacs |
Ctrl+G |
Cancel current command |
Ctrl+X B |
Switch buffer |
Ctrl+X K |
Kill buffer |
Ctrl+H T |
Start tutorial |