Install on Windows

Installing Emacs on Windows

Getting Emacs

Got to Emacs FTP page, select latest version. "i686" for 64-bit, "i386" for 32-bit.

Download: ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/emacs/windows/emacs-24.5-bin-i686-mingw32.zip

Create Emacs Directory

• Make new emacs directory, if needed, to match version: C:\emacs\emacs-24.5
• Move downloaded zip file to this directory
• Explore new directory
• Using favorite unzip utility, unzip to this directory
  • Using Windows Unzip:
    • Right-click select "Extract All...""
    • Set extract to this directory: "C:\emacs\emacs-24.5"
  • Using 7-zip:
    • Right-click select "7-zip -> "Extract Here"

That's it. You can run emacs directly using "C:\emacs\emacs-24.5\bin\runemacs.exe"

See below for more setup.

Adding Emacs to Start Programs Menu

To find emacs using START -> All Programs, execute emacs addpm utility:

• C:\emacs\emacs-24.5\bin\addpm.exe
• Path defined should match bin parent directory: "C:\emacs\emacs-24.5"

Setting HOME directory

Emacs uses the HOME environment variable to find startup files. HOME is referenced in emacs using "~". To change HOME on Windows:

• Select Start Button --> ThisPC --> Properties
• In popup window, select "Advanced Properties" link
• In 2nd popup window, select "Advanced" tab, "Environment Variables" button
• In User Variables section:
  • select "HOME", then "Edit..." button,
  • if not present, select "New..." button
• In 3rd popup window,
  • Enter Variable name: HOME
  • Enter Variable value: %USERPROFILE%
  • OK, OK, OK to save and exit
• Restart Emacs

"~" now points to your C:\User<user> directory, instead of the "C:\User<user>\AppData\Roaming" directory

Emacs customization

Emacs customization can be placed in your home directory .emacs file

• Edit the file ~/.emacs

• Add these lines, to prevent accidental exit on C-x C-c

   ;; Make sure I don't accidentally leave Dodge
   (setq confirm-kill-emacs 'y-or-n-p)
  

• Other useful settings:

   ;; Set column number mode by default
   (column-number-mode t)
   ;; Turn OFF tool-bar (-1 off; t on)
   (tool-bar-mode -1)
   ;; use visible flash for Ctrl-G bell (bell silent in some VMs)
   (setq visible-bell t)
   ;; Set column number mode by default
   (column-number-mode t)
  

• Some of my Esoteric settings:

   ;; Allow narrowing buffer focus to region. bound to C-x n n (wide: C-x n w)
   (put 'narrow-to-region 'disabled nil)
   ;; Allow scrolling window left and right. bound to C-x < and C-x >
   (put 'scroll-left 'disabled nil)
   ;; Allow 'set-goal-column. bound to C-x C-n (unset with arg C-x C-n )
   (put 'set-goal-column 'disabled nil)
   ;; Turn OFF tool-bar (-1 off; t on)
   (tool-bar-mode -1)
   ;; Hide vertical scroll bars
   (scroll-bar-mode -1)
   ;; Change to sentence ending in a period-single-space for forward-sentence
   (setq sentence-end-double-space nil)
  
   ;; emacs debugger display level
   ;; choices: emergency : error : warning : debug
   (setq warning-minimum-level :error)
   ;; Do Not enter debugger on error
   (setq debug-on-error nil)
  
   ;;; Add additional auto-load-modes
   ;;; Markdown mode
   (add-to-list 'auto-mode-alist '("\\.md\\'" . markdown-mode))
  

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