Re: mouse-less emacs

[Sven Bretfeld]

sahteaccount@gmail.com writes:

> I am a fairly new linux and emacs user. When I was using a text editor
> under windows, I rarely used the mouse. I used ctrl+shift+arrow keys
> to select text and ctrl+c and ctrl+v to do copy paste stuff.

In Emacs you don't need a mouse at all. That's one of the (many)
reasons why I use Emacs for everything. You should read at least a
minimal amount of documentation, for example one of the many Emacs
tutorials on the web.

> So far in linux (and emacs) whenever I need to copy/paste something, I
> highlight the text with mouse and then middle-click the mouse to paste
> it. What would be the shortcuts to do same things in emacs with
> keyboard? Especially equivalent of ctrl+shift+arrow key in emacs?

- C-SPC to set the mark (i.e. to start selecting text, C-SPC means
  Ctrl and Space pressed together), arrow-keys to select the text.
  After some time in Emacs you may find it easier to use Emacs' innate
  key-bindings for cursor-movements instead of arrow keys.

- M-w to copy (M means Meta and corresponds to your Alt-key)

- C-y to yank (i.e. paste, C means Ctrl)

I don't know what ctrl+shift+arrow does in Windows, so I can't tell
you the Emacs equivalent. 

> Also ctrl+c and ctrl+v are conveniently located on the keyboard. To my
> despair ctrl+c has a different meaning (kill!) for linux.

I don't think that's true. What's your desktop? In Gnome and KDE these
key-bindings are the same as in Windows. In Linux, Ctrl-c kills
commands in the bash (i.e. in a terminal or without a graphical
desktop); but I don't think that this is what you have in mind. Apart
From that (and apart from Emacs which has its own system of
key-bindings), you can use Ctrl-x -c -v just like you are used to.

> Finally... Undo is simply ctrl+z in windows, while linux uses that
> combination to suspend the process. Emacs's ctrl+_ is difficult

Is it possible that you are mixing up Linux and Emacs? C-z is suspend
(iconify) in Emacs, not in Linux. This misunderstanding might also be
the explanation for your Copy-Paste problem above.

You can use undo in Emacs if you type C-x u (Ctrl and x together, then
release these keys and press u). This might be easier to type on your
keyboard.

You should take some half an hour and work through the Emacs tutorial
which is available if you type C-h t. It's self-explaining and you
will make your first step into a greater world, Luke.

Anyway, you should also read a little about using Linux. It's not
Windows and many concepts and approaches are different. You are a
Linuxer now, and you are welcome (if you don't continue to post to
mailing-lists anonymously ;-) ).

Greetings,

Sven

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