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Subject: |
24.0.50; Allowed names for the init file. Windows/POSIX inconsistence. |
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Date: |
Thu, 10 Mar 2011 22:36:41 +0100 |
Severity: wishlist
Hello,
I've been reading the documented behavior of Emacs with respect to the
way it looks for the init file during startup. This is explained in
the nodes "Init File" (for POSIX systems, I guess) and "Windows HOME" (for
MS Windows platforms).
According to the documentation (and the quick test I've done), we have this:
- On Windows systems, Emacs tries to find the init file by cheking (in
several paths) for the existence of a file named `.emacs'.
- On POSIX systems, Emacs accepts the following alternatives as init
file: `~/.emacs', `~/.emacs.el', or `~/.emacs.d/init.el'
So, the question is, why this inconsistence? i.e., why not accept on
Windows the same alternatives for the name of the init file as on
POSIX systems?
For example: Why not accept "<path>\.emacs.d\.init.el" as a valid init
file on Windows? (<path> being _any_ of the directories that Emacs
currently checks for the `.emacs' file)
--
Dani Moncayo
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Subject: |
Re: bug#8221: 24.0.50; Allowed names for the init file. Windows/POSIX inconsistency |
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Date: |
Fri, 11 Mar 2011 13:22:18 +0200 |
Version: 23.4
> Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2011 09:26:20 +0100
> From: Dani Moncayo <address@hidden>
> Cc: address@hidden
>
> >> On the other hand, and according to the same info node, C:\ is checked
> >> as one possible "home" directory.
> >
> > I think you're reading more that the info node says. What it says is
> > that Emacs is looking for HOME (the environment variable) and if it
> > finds it, it looks there for the "init file". If that fails, it looks
> > for ".emacs" in C:\; and if that fails, it looks for the AppData dir
> > (which is an alternative to HOME, not to C:\). So it is clear (if a
> > bit inconsistent) that looking for .emacs (specifically) on C:\
> > (specifically) is something done just because of back compatibility.
> >
>
> Yes, I got a bit confused about the exact procedure. Maybe I was
> somewhat biased, but IMO the current wording is a bit confusing:
> > The home directory is where your init file `.emacs' is stored. When
> > Emacs starts, it first checks whether the environment variable `HOME'
> > is set. If it is, it looks for the init file in the directory pointed
> > by `HOME'. If `HOME' is not defined, Emacs checks for an existing
> > `.emacs' file in `C:\', the root directory of drive `C:'(1). If
> > there's no such file in `C:\', Emacs next uses the Windows system calls
> > to find out the exact location of your application data directory. If
> > that system call fails, Emacs falls back to `C:\'.
>
> That made me think that the principle was (a) Try to find a suitable
> init file in several directories, and (b) Once an init file is found,
> the "home" directory is thereafter established accordingly.
>
> Thus, I suggest to revise the wording in that node, to avoid this confusion.
I modified the wording of that section, hopefully it's more clear
now. The full text is below.
I'm closing this bug; feel free to reopen if something is still
unclear.
@node Windows HOME
@section HOME and Startup Directories on MS-Windows
@cindex @code{HOME} directory on MS-Windows
The Windows equivalent of the @code{HOME} directory is the
@dfn{user-specific application data directory}. The actual location
depends on your Windows version and system configuration; typical values
are @file{C:\Documents and address@hidden Data} on
Windows 2K/XP/2K3, @file{C:address@hidden on
Windows Vista/7/2K8, and either @file{C:\WINDOWS\Application Data}
or @file{C:address@hidden Data} on the
older Windows 9X/ME systems. If this directory does not exist or
cannot be accessed, Emacs falls back to @file{C:\} as the default
value of @code{HOME}.
You can override this default value of @code{HOME} by explicitly
setting the environment variable @env{HOME} to point to any directory
on your system. @env{HOME} can be set either from the command shell
prompt or from the @samp{My Computer}s @samp{Properties} dialog.
@code{HOME} can also be set in the system registry, for details see
@ref{MS-Windows Registry}.
For compatibility with older versions of address@hidden
Older versions of Emacs didn't check the application data directory.
}, if there is a file named @file{.emacs} in @file{C:\}, the root
directory of drive @file{C:}, and @env{HOME} is set neither in the
environment nor in the Registry, Emacs will treat @file{C:\} as the
default @code{HOME} location, and will not look in the application
data directory, even if it exists. Note that only @file{.emacs} is
looked for in @file{C:\}; the older name @file{_emacs} (see below) is
not. This use of @file{C:\.emacs} to define @code{HOME} is
deprecated.
Whatever the final place is, Emacs sets the internal value of the
@env{HOME} environment variable to point to it, and it will use that
location for other files and directories it normally looks for or
creates in the user's home directory.
You can always find out where Emacs thinks is your home directory's
location by typing @kbd{C-x d ~/ @key{RET}}. This should present the
list of files in the home directory, and show its full name on the
first line. Likewise, to visit your init file, type @kbd{C-x C-f
~/.emacs @key{RET}} (assuming the file's name is @file{.emacs}).
@cindex init file @file{.emacs} on MS-Windows
The home directory is where your init file is stored. It can have
any name mentioned in @ref{Init File}.
@cindex @file{_emacs} init file, MS-Windows
Because MS-DOS does not allow file names with leading dots, and
because older Windows systems made it hard to create files with such
names, the Windows port of Emacs supports an alternative name
@file{_emacs} as a fallback, if such a file exists in the home
directory, whereas @file{.emacs} does not.
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