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From: jbw@bigbird.bu.edu (Joe Wells)
Newsgroups: gnu.emacs.help,comp.emacs
Subject: GNU Emacs Frequently Asked Questions with Answers (differences)
Message-ID: <JBW.91May13000447@bigbird.bu.edu>
Date: 13 May 91 04:04:47 GMT
Sender: news@bu.edu.bu.edu
Followup-To: gnu.emacs.help
Organization: Boston University Computer Science Department
Lines: 535

Here is the differences between this version of the FAQ list and the last
version.  Question numbers were stripped from both versions before doing
the comparison because the questions were renumbered.  (Actually, I don't
keep numbers in the master copy that I edit.)

-- 
Enjoy,

Joe Wells <jbw@cs.bu.edu>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
GNU Emacs Frequently Asked Questions with Answers (differences)

Sun May 12 23:47:35 1991

--- FAQ-6.sed	Mon May 13 03:55:35 1991
+++ FAQ-7.sed	Mon May 13 03:55:32 1991
@@ -26,24 +26,17 @@
   
   M-C-a means while holding down both the "Control" key and the "Meta" key
-  press the "a" key.
+  press the "a" key.  C-M-a is a synonym for M-C-a.
   
-  C-M-a is a synonym for M-C-a.
-  
-  RET means press the "Return" key.  RET is the same as C-m.  This sends
+  * RET means press the "Return" key.  RET is the same as C-m.  This sends
   ASCII code 13.
-  
-  LFD means press the "Linefeed" key.  LFD is also the same as C-j.  This
+  * LFD means press the "Linefeed" key.  LFD is also the same as C-j.  This
   sends ASCII code 10.  Under Unix, ASCII code 10 is more often called
   "Newline".
-  
-  DEL means press the "Delete" key.  DEL is the same as C-?.  This sends
+  * DEL means press the "Delete" key.  DEL is the same as C-?.  This sends
   ASCII code 127.
-  
-  ESC means press the "Escape" key.  ESC is the same as C-[.  This sends
+  * ESC means press the "Escape" key.  ESC is the same as C-[.  This sends
   ASCII code 27.
-  
-  SPC means press the "Space" key.  This send ASCII code 32.
-  
-  TAB means press the "Tab" key.  TAB is the same as C-i.  This send ASCII
+  * SPC means press the "Space" key.  This send ASCII code 32.
+  * TAB means press the "Tab" key.  TAB is the same as C-i.  This send ASCII
   code 9.
   
@@ -91,5 +84,5 @@
   
   To run non-interactive Emacs functions, use M-ESC instead and type a
-  Lisp form.
+  Lisp form that invokes the function (see question #).
   
 Q: What do things like this mean: etc/SERVICE, src/config.h,
@@ -97,7 +90,7 @@
   
   These are the names of files that are part of the GNU Emacs
-  distribution.  The GNU Emacs distribution is so big that it is divided
-  into several subdirectories; the important subdirectories are named
-  "etc", "lisp", and "src".
+  distribution.  The GNU Emacs distribution is divided into several
+  subdirectories; the important subdirectories are named "etc", "lisp",
+  and "src".
   
   If you use GNU Emacs, but don't know where it is kept on your system,
@@ -120,7 +113,7 @@
   GPL == GNU General Public Licence
   
-  NOTE: Avoid confusing the FSF, the LPF, and the OSF.  The LPF only
-  opposes look-and-feel copyrights and software patents.  The FSF aims to
-  make high quality free software available for everyone.  The OSF is a
+  NOTE: Avoid confusing the FSF, the LPF, and the OSF.  The LPF opposes
+  look-and-feel copyrights and software patents.  The FSF aims to make
+  high quality free software available for everyone.  The OSF is a
   commercial organization which wants to provide an alternative,
   standardized version of Unix not controlled by AT&T.
@@ -127,6 +120,6 @@
   
   WARNING: The word "free" in the title of the Free Software Foundation
-  refers to "freedom", not "zero dollars".  You can charge any price for
-  GPL-covered software that you want to.  However, in practice, the
+  refers to "freedom", not "zero dollars".  Anyone can charge any price
+  for GPL-covered software that they want to.  However, in practice, the
   freedom enforced by the GPL leads to low or nonexistent prices, because
   you can always get the software for less money from someone else,
@@ -163,4 +156,8 @@
   You can order a hardcopy of the manual from the FSF.  See question #.
   
+  You can get a printed reference card listing commands and keys to invoke
+  them.  You can order one from the FSF for $1 (or 10 for $5), or you can
+  print your own from the etc/refcard.tex file in the Emacs distribution.
+  
   You can list all of the commands whose names contain a certain word
   (actually which match a regular expression) using the "command-apropos"
@@ -171,14 +168,14 @@
   command.
   
-  You may find that command-apropos and apropos are extremely slow on your
-  system.  This will be fixed in Emacs 19.  If you can't wait that long,
-  there is a "fast-apropos.el" file available that contains the fix.  This
-  file also contains a "super-apropos" command that will list all the
-  functions and variables whose documentation strings contain a certain
-  word.
-  
   There are many other commands in Emacs for getting help and information.
   To get a list of these commands, type "C-h C-h C-h".
   
+  NOTE: You may find that command-apropos and apropos are extremely slow
+  on your system.  This will be fixed in Emacs 19.  If you can't wait that
+  long, there is a "fast-apropos.el" file available that contains the fix.
+  This file also contains a "super-apropos" command that will list all the
+  functions and variables whose documentation strings contain a certain
+  word.
+  
 Q: Where can I get GNU Emacs on the net (or by snail mail)?
   
@@ -185,5 +182,5 @@
   Look in the files etc/DISTRIB and etc/FTP for information on nearby
   archive sites.  If you don't already have GNU Emacs, see question
-  16 for how to get these two files.
+  17 for how to get these two files.
   
   The latest version is always available via anonymous FTP at MIT
@@ -214,5 +211,5 @@
   OUR TIME (pacific time zone, GMT-8)).
   
-  If you don't have TeX you can convert the TeXinfo sources into
+  If you don't have TeX you can convert the Texinfo sources into
   {t,n,ps}roff format with the "texi2roff" program, which is available via
   anonymous FTP (tut.cis.ohio-state.edu:/pub/gnu/texi2roff/texi2roff.shar.Z)
@@ -252,4 +249,6 @@
   mode whenever you retrieve any files with names ending in ".elc".
   
+Q: How do I submit code to the Emacs Lisp Archive?
+  
   Submissions for the archive should be sent to Dave Sill <de5@ornl.gov>.
   If you have ftp access, the submission can be deposited in the directory
@@ -260,9 +259,17 @@
   available in the archive.
   
+  The format of an LCD-datafile entry is this:
+  
+    Name|Author|Contact|Description|Date|Version|Archive
+  
+  Here is an example:
+  
+    1char|Bard Bloom|bard@theory.lcs.mit.edu|Help fixing typos.|90-07-13||~/misc/1char.el.Z
+  
 Q: Where can I get documentation on GNU Emacs Lisp?
   
   Obtain the GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual for Emacs 18 under Unix.  It
-  is available from the FSF for $50.  The latest revision available for
-  FTP is edition 1.03 dated 28 January 1991.
+  is available from the FSF for $50 (or 5 for $200).  The latest revision
+  available for FTP is edition 1.03 dated 28 January 1991.
   
   Within Emacs, you can type "C-h f" to get the documentation for a
@@ -327,5 +334,5 @@
   These additional files are available from the FSF via e-mail:
   
-    * GNU's Bulletin, June, 1990 -- this file includes:
+    * GNU's Bulletin, January, 1991 -- this file includes:
 	GNU'S Who
 	What Is the Free Software Foundation?
@@ -332,17 +339,20 @@
 	What Is Copyleft?
 	GNUs Flashes
-	Possible New Terms for GNU Libraries	by Richard Stallman
-	"League for Programming Freedom" by Michael Bloom and Richard Stallman
 	Free Software Support
+        "Protect Your Freedom to Write Programs" by Richard Stallman
 	GNU Project Status Report
-	GNU Wish List
+        "Help Keep Government Software Free" by Richard Stallman
 	GNU Documentation
+	GNU Wish List
 	GNU Software Available Now
-	   Contents of the Emacs Release Tape
-	   Contents of the Pre-Release Tape
+	   Contents of the Emacs Tape
+	   Contents of the Compiler Tape
 	   Contents of the X11 Tapes
 	   VMS Emacs and Compiler Tapes
 	How to Get GNU Software
+        Free Software for MS-DOS
+           GNUish MS-DOS project
 	Freemacs, an Extensible Editor for MS-DOS
+        GNU in Japan
 	Thank GNUs
 	FSF Order Form
@@ -353,5 +363,5 @@
   
   Snail mail address:
-    Free Software Foundation
+    Free Software Foundation, Inc.
     675 Massachusetts Avenue
     Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
@@ -390,5 +400,5 @@
   * VM:
   
-    Author: Kyle Jones <kyle@xanth.cs.odu.edu>
+    Author: Kyle Jones <kyle@uunet.uu.net>
   
     Mailing lists: info-vm-request@uunet.uu.net
@@ -415,6 +425,5 @@
     Anonymous FTP:
     Latest version: 2.1
-    durer.cme.nist.gov:/pub/gnu/elisp/supercite-2.1.shar.0#
-     (where # is replaced by 1 or 2)
+    durer.cme.nist.gov:/pub/gnu/elisp/supercite-2.1.shar.0{1,2}
   
     E-mail:
@@ -477,7 +486,7 @@
   
   First create Info files from the Texinfo files with the "makeinfo"
-  program.  The texinfo-format-buffer command is currently out of date.
+  program.  The texinfo-format-buffer command is currently obsolete.
   makeinfo is available as part of the latest Texinfo package
-  (prep.ai.mit.edu:/pub/gnu/texinfo-2.04.tar.Z).  It also comes with
+  (prep.ai.mit.edu:/pub/gnu/texinfo-2.05.tar.Z).  It also comes with
   Emacs, but several include files are missing.
   
@@ -520,4 +529,10 @@
      directory with symbolic links or by copying it.
   
+Q: Can I view Info files without using GNU Emacs?
+  
+  Yes, the "info" and "xinfo" programs do this.  You can get "info" as
+  part of the latest Texinfo package (see question #).  "xinfo" is
+  available separately (prep.ai.mit.edu:/pub/gnu/xinfo-1.01.01.tar.Z).
+  
 Q: What is the real legal meaning of the GNU copyleft?
   
@@ -570,5 +585,5 @@
   look-and-feel copyrights.  Write to league@prep.ai.mit.edu for more
   information.  You can get papers describing the LPF's views via
-  anonymous FTP (prep.ai.mit.edu:pub/gnu/lpf/*) or via anonymous UUCP
+  anonymous FTP (prep.ai.mit.edu:/pub/lpf/*) or via anonymous UUCP
   (osu-cis!~/lpf/*).
   
@@ -599,10 +614,11 @@
   From the latest "GNU's Bulletin":
   
-  Version 19 approaches release with a host of new features: before and
-  after change hooks; X selection processing (including CLIPBOARD
-  selections); scrollbars; support for European character sets; floating
-  point numbers; per-buffer mouse commands; interfacing with the X
-  resource manager; mouse-tracking; Lisp-level binding of function keys;
-  and multiple X windows (`screens' to Emacs).
+  Version 19 approaches release, counting among its new features: before
+  and after change hooks, source-level Lisp debugging, X selection
+  processing, including clipboard selections, scrollbars, support for
+  European character sets, floating point numbers, per-buffer mouse
+  commands, interfacing with the X resource manager, mouse-tracking,
+  Lisp-level binding of function keys, and multiple X windows (`screens'
+  to Emacs).
   
   Thanks go to Alan Carroll and the people who worked on Epoch for
@@ -611,26 +627,23 @@
   the minibuffer, and another with a minibuffer attached to each screen.
   
-  More features of Version 19 are buffer allocation, which uses a new
-  mechanism capable of returning storage to the system when a buffer is
-  killed, and a new input system---all input now arrives in the form of
+  A couple of other features of Emacs 19 are buffer allocation, which uses
+  a new mechanism capable of returning storage to the system when a buffer
+  is killed, and a new input system---all input now arrives in the form of
   Lisp objects.
   
-  Other features being considered for Version 19 include:
+  Other features being considered for later releases of Emacs 19 include:
+  associating property lists with regions of text in a buffer; multiple
+  font, color, and pixmaps defined by those properties; different
+  visibility conditions for the regions, and for various windows showing
+  one buffer; hooks to be run if point or mouse moves outside a certain
+  range; incrementally saving undo history in a file; static menu bars;
+  and better pop-up menus.
+  
+  Mention of these two items disappeared from the latest GNU's bulletin:
   
-  * Associating property lists with regions of text in a buffer.
-  * Multiple font, color, and pixmaps defined by those properties.
-  * Different visibility conditions for the regions, and for the various
-    windows showing one buffer.
-  * Incremental syntax analysis for various programming languages.
-  * Hooks to be run if point or mouse moves outside a certain range.
-  * Source-level debugging for Emacs Lisp.
-  * Incrementally saving undo history in a file, so that recover-file also
-    reinstalls buffer's undo history.
-  * Static menu bars, and better pop-up menus.
+  * Incremental syntax analysis for various programming languages (Leif).
   * A more sophisticated emacsclient/server model, which would provide
     network transparent Emacs widget functionality.
   
-  Also, Emacs 19 will have a Emacs Lisp source code debugger.
-  
 Q: Is there an Emacs that has better mouse and X window support?
   
@@ -688,5 +701,6 @@
        5.25", 360K, or 3.50", 720K
   
-  There is a mailing list for Freemacs.  To subscribe, send e-mail:
+  There is a mailing list for Freemacs.  {Is it operational yet?}  To
+  subscribe, send e-mail:
   
     address: listserv@clvm.bitnet
@@ -790,7 +804,7 @@
   
   If not compiled on a Sun, the function keys will appear to Emacs in a
-  way remarkably similar to the keys of a DEC LK201 keyboard (used on
-  VT220 series terminals).  The arrow keys work the same as above.  These
-  X keysyms will be recognized:
+  way remarkably similar to the keys of a DEC LK201 keyboard (used on some
+  VT series terminals).  The arrow keys work the same as above.  These X
+  keysyms will be recognized:
   
     F1 through F20
@@ -799,9 +813,15 @@
     Find
     Insert (LK201 "Insert Here" key)
-    Delete (LK201 "Remove" key)
     Select
+    Up, Down, Right, Left (LK201 arrow keys)
+  
+  These keysyms are supposed to be recognized, but they are not due to a
+  bug:
+  
     Prior (LK201 "Prev Screen" key)
     Next (LK201 "Next Screen" key)
-    Up, Down, Right, Left (LK201 arrow keys)
+  
+  And finally, the "Delete" keysym generates the DEL character (C-?)
+  instead of the key sequence given by the LK201 "Remove" key.
   
   Each function key will generate a key sequence that looks like "ESC [ ##
@@ -892,4 +912,6 @@
   u" will do this.
   
+  Sometimes "rlogin -8" will avoid this problem.
+  
   Some versions of tcsh will prevent even this from working.  One way
   around this is to start another shell before starting rlogin, and issue
@@ -997,6 +1019,5 @@
 	  (function
 	   (lambda ()
-	     (if (string-match "\\`vt[123][024]0" (or (getenv "TERM") ""))
-		 (enable-arrow-keys))))))
+	     (if (fboundp 'enable-arrow-keys) (enable-arrow-keys)))))
   
   We put this in our lisp/default.el file, so users don't have to worry
@@ -1007,5 +1028,6 @@
 	      (function
 	       (lambda ()
-		 (if (string-match "\\`vt[123][024]0" (or (getenv "TERM") ""))
+		 (and (fboundp 'enable-arrow-keys)
+		      (eq 'backward-paragraph (lookup-key esc-map "["))
 		     (enable-arrow-keys))))))
   
@@ -1263,9 +1285,10 @@
 Q: How do I get rid of the ^M junk in my Shell buffer?
   
-  If you are using a recent version of tcsh, the problem won't occur.
-  With an older version of tcsh, put this in your ".cshrc" (or ".tcshrc")
-  file:
+  For tcsh, put this in your ".cshrc" (or ".tcshrc") file:
   
-    if ($?tcsh) if ($?EMACS) unset edit
+    if ($?EMACS) then
+        if ($?tcsh) unset edit
+        stty nl
+    endif
   
   Or put this in your .emacs_tcsh file:
@@ -1272,6 +1295,14 @@
   
     unset edit
+    stty nl
+  
+  Alternatively, use csh in your Shell buffers instead of tcsh.  One way
+  is:
+  
+    (setq explicit-shell-file-name "/bin/csh") 
+  
+  and another is to do this in your .cshrc (or .tcshrc) file:
   
-  {Someone should send me the solution for csh.}
+    setenv ESHELL /bin/csh
   
 Q: Does GNU Emacs have a vulnerability to Trojan horses?
@@ -1288,6 +1319,20 @@
   "File Variables" section of the manual (and Info tree).
   
+Q: How do I recover my mail files after RMAIL munges their format?
 
+  You may have noticed that RMAIL has a disturbing way of eating your
+  "mbox" file and producing instead an RMAIL file in an entirely different
+  format.  To remedy this, Ken Manheimer <klm@cme.nist.gov> wrote a
+  package called "rmail-to-vm" that does a very nice job of recovering
+  mail files, even entire directories of mail files.
+  
+  WARNING:  The last version I used didn't correctly handle the number of
+  spaces after the day of the month in the date portion of the "From "
+  line message separator.  So you may have to add an extra space by hand
+  after days with only one digit in them, or else Mail will think several
+  messages are just one.
 
+
+
 Configuring Emacs for yourself:
 
@@ -1300,4 +1345,9 @@
     C-h i m emacs RET g init SPC file RET
   
+  WARNING:  In general, new Emacs users should not have .emacs files,
+  because it causes confusing non-standard behavior.  Then they send
+  questions to help-gnu-emacs asking why Emacs isn't behaving as
+  documented.  :-)
+  
 Q: How do you debug a .emacs file?
   
@@ -1396,4 +1446,9 @@
   Then "xset b 0" will turn off Emacs's beeping.
   
+  After "xset b BASE":
+  
+    XBell (disp,  VAL) beeps with volume BASE - (BASE*VAL)/100 + VAL,
+    XBell (disp, -VAL) beeps with volume BASE - (BASE*VAL)/100.
+  
 Q: How do I make Emacs send 8-bit characters to my terminal?
   
@@ -1517,14 +1572,63 @@
   
   Make a keyboard macro that invokes the command and then type "M-0 C-x e".
+  
   WARNING: any messages your command prints in the echo area will be
   suppressed.
   
-Q: How do I search for an unprintable (8-bit) character that appears
- in a buffer as \237?
+Q: How do I search for or delete unprintable (8-bit or control) characters?
+  
+  To search for a single character that appears in the buffer as, for
+  example, \237, you can type "C-s C-q 2 3 7".  (This assumes the value of
+  search-quote-char is 17 (C-q).)
+  
+  Searching for ALL unprintable characters is best done with a "regexp"
+  search.  The easiest regexp to use for the unprintable chars is the
+  complement of the regexp for the printable chars.
+  
+  Regexp for the printable chars: [\t\n\r\f -~]
+  
+  Regexp for the unprintable chars: [^\t\n\r\f -~]
+  
+  To type some of these special characters (\t, \n, \r, \f) as an
+  interactive argument to isearch-forward-regexp or re-search-forward, you
+  need to use C-q.
   
-  C-s C-q 2 3 7
+  So, to search for unprintable characters using re-search-forward:
   
-  (This assumes the value of search-quote-char is 17 (C-q).)
+    M-x re-search-forward RET [^ TAB C-q C-j C-q RET C-q C-l SPC -~] RET
   
+  Using isearch-forward-regexp:
+  
+    M-C-s [^ TAB RET C-q RET C-q C-l SPC -~]
+  
+  To delete all unprintable characters, simply use a replace-regexp:
+  
+    M-x replace-regexp RET [^ TAB C-q C-j C-q RET C-q C-l SPC -~] RET RET
+  
+  Notes:
+  
+  * With isearch, you can type RET to get a quoted C-j.  (Not a quoted C-m.)
+  
+  * You don't need to quote TAB with either isearch or typing something in
+    the minibuffer.
+  
+  Here are the Emacs Lisp forms of the above regexps:
+  
+    ;; regexp matching all printable characters:
+    "[\t\n\r\f -~]"
+  
+    ;; regexp matching all unprintable characters:
+    "[^\t\n\r\f -~]"
+  
+    ;; alternative regexps for all unprintable characters:
+    "[\C-@-\C-h\C-k\C-n-\C-_\C-?-\377]"
+    "[\000-\010\013\016-\037\177-\377]"
+  
+  (To use "[\000-\010\013\016-\037\177-\377]" interactively, type:
+  
+    [ C-q 000 - C-q 010 C-q 013 C-q 016 - C-q 037 C-q 177 - C-q 377 ]
+  
+   )
+  
 Q: How do I control Emacs's case sensitivitiy when searching/replacing?
     
@@ -1556,8 +1660,4 @@
   M-x overwrite-mode (minor mode).  
   
-  WARNING: delete-backward-char (usually the delete key) doesn't work
-  properly in Overwrite mode.  It deletes the character to the left,
-  rather than replacing it with a space.
-  
 Q: How do I show which parenthesis matches the one I'm looking at?
   
@@ -1582,6 +1682,6 @@
       "Go to the matching parenthesis if on parenthesis otherwise insert %."
       (interactive "p")
-      (cond ((looking-at "[([{]") (forward-sexp 1) (backward-char))
-	    ((looking-at "[])}]") (forward-char) (backward-sexp 1))
+      (cond ((looking-at "\\s\(") (forward-list 1) (backward-char 1))
+	    ((looking-at "\\s\)") (forward-char 1) (backward-list 1))
 	    (t (self-insert-command (or arg 1)))))
   
@@ -1650,11 +1750,11 @@
   Emacs".  Also read the man page for emacstool (etc/emacstool.1).
   
-Q: How do I get Emacs to display the current line number on the mode line?
+Q: How do I make Emacs show the current line (column) number on the mode line?
   
-  There is no "correct" way to constantly display the current line number
-  on the mode line in Emacs 18.  Emacs is not a line-oriented editor, and
-  really has no idea what "lines" of the buffer are displayed in the
-  window.  It would require a lot of work at the C code level to make
-  Emacs keep track of this.
+  There is no "correct" way to constantly display the current line (or
+  column) number on the mode line in Emacs 18.  Emacs is not a
+  line-oriented editor, and really has no idea what "lines" of the buffer
+  are displayed in the window.  It would require a lot of work at the C
+  code level to make Emacs keep track of this.
   
   Emacs 19 will probably be able to do this, but probably not with great
