updating /usr/bin/emacs

updating /usr/bin/emacs

[Brian Brooks]

Hello.  I am currently running OS X 10.5.5.

I use emacs within Terminal.app by running the command 'emacs' which
launches /usr/bin/emacs.  Though, this uses GNU Emacs 22.1.1 (mac-
apple-darwin, Carbon Version 1.6.0) -- which is the emacs that the MBP
shipped with I presume.

I would like to update to Emacs 22.3 (or whatever is the latest).
Although I don't want to install a duplicate copy of emacs.  I've
noticed that by installing emacs versions like Carbon Emacs or
AquaEmacs seems to just install a separate copy of Emacs with a GUI
and all that.

I would just like to update /usr/bin/emacs to whatever the latest
version of emacs is and still be able to run it within Terminal.app

How do I go about doing that? Thanks!

Re: updating /usr/bin/emacs

[Xah]

On Oct 17, 11:58 am, Brian Brooks <brian.bro...@colorado.edu> wrote:
> Hello.  I am currently running OS X 10.5.5.
>
> I use emacs within Terminal.app by running the command 'emacs' which
> launches /usr/bin/emacs.  Though, this uses GNU Emacs 22.1.1 (mac-
> apple-darwin, Carbon Version 1.6.0) -- which is the emacs that the MBP
> shipped with I presume.
>
> I would like to update to Emacs 22.3 (or whatever is the latest).
> Although I don't want to install a duplicate copy of emacs.  I've
> noticed that by installing emacs versions like Carbon Emacs or
> AquaEmacs seems to just install a separate copy of Emacs with a GUI
> and all that.
>
> I would just like to update /usr/bin/emacs to whatever the latest
> version of emacs is and still be able to run it within Terminal.app
>
> How do I go about doing that? Thanks!

it is generally not recommended to diddle anything in the default OS X
dirs such as /usr/bin. e.g. if you want to update your perl, python,
you'd better off install it elsewhere, e.g. fink does in /sw/ and
MacPorts in /opt/.

my own experience is that you can do fine if you do it in /usr/bin/
local. And it is most safe if you do it in “~/bin/”

in the case of emacs, perhaps there's no problem since emacs and its
subsystems isn't much run as a script engine as do perl that the OS
actually depends on. (however, emacs requires few other packages such
as png lib, encryption, etc. So, if the new emacs needs newer version
of these, you run into problem)

But if you insist on replacing /usr/bin/emacs, you could just do it in
the usual way, by compiling the source and set the install dir to /usr/
bin and /usr/share/emacs etc.

there's little reason you really want to though. My recommendation is
just to install Carbon emacs. Then, you can start it in terminal by:

/Applications/Emacs.app/Contents/MacOS/Emacs -nw

If you just want to type “emacs” to start it, then you just define a
alias in “~/.bash_profile”. Like this:

alias emacs="/Applications/Emacs.app/Contents/MacOS/Emacs -nw";

(don't remember if alias has precedence than shell commands... but you
can easily find out or use sym link)

  Xah
∑ http://xahlee.org/

☄

Re: updating /usr/bin/emacs

[Nikolaj Schumacher]

Xah <xahlee@gmail.com> wrote:

> On Oct 17, 11:58 am, Brian Brooks <brian.bro...@colorado.edu> wrote:

>> I would just like to update /usr/bin/emacs to whatever the latest
>> version of emacs is and still be able to run it within Terminal.app

> it is generally not recommended to diddle anything in the default OS X
> dirs such as /usr/bin. e.g. if you want to update your perl, python,
> you'd better off install it elsewhere, e.g. fink does in /sw/ and
> MacPorts in /opt/.

If you don't want the GUI (which I can highly recommend, though), using
those package managers is the easiest and cleanest way.

Since they don't install in /usr/bin, so you'll need to put (in the case
of MacPorts) /opt/local/bin in front of your $PATH once, and then
installing Emacs is down to just:

sudo port install emacs


Very easy.  Unfortunately, 22.3 hasn't trickled down to MacPorts, yet.
When it does you can upgrade like this:

sudo port sync
sudo port upgrade outdated

regards,
Nikolaj Schumacher

Re: updating /usr/bin/emacs

[Barry Margolin]

In article 
<4da63d85-8098-478a-872a-eac5ce206cb3@f40g2000pri.googlegroups.com>,
 Xah <xahlee@gmail.com> wrote:

> My recommendation is
> just to install Carbon emacs. Then, you can start it in terminal by:
> 
> /Applications/Emacs.app/Contents/MacOS/Emacs -nw

You should also put /Applications/Emacs.app/Contents/MacOS/bin in your 
$PATH, ahead of /usr/bin, so that you'll use the compatible versions of 
utilities like emacsclient that come with Emacs.  Put:

PATH=/Applications/Emacs.app/Contents/MacOS/bin:$PATH

in your ~/.profile file.

-- 
Barry Margolin, barmar@alum.mit.edu
Arlington, MA
*** PLEASE post questions in newsgroups, not directly to me ***
*** PLEASE don't copy me on replies, I'll read them in the group ***

Re: updating /usr/bin/emacs

[Peter Dyballa]

Am 17.10.2008 um 20:58 schrieb Brian Brooks:

> I would just like to update /usr/bin/emacs to whatever the latest
> version of emacs is and still be able to run it within Terminal.app

You can install whichever GNU or Carbon or other Emacs you want! The  
X11 version (22.3, for example from Fink, or 23.0.60 from CVS) can  
run inside Terminal when invoked with -nw or --no-window-system. When  
you install a Carbon version (Carbon Emacs or Aquamacs Emacs) you can  
launch the proper binary inside the application bundle – Xah already  
mentioned this. The same mechanism also works with the Aqua or Cocoa  
version, Emacs.app, from CVS (version 23.0.60).

You should not try to substitute Apple software.

--
Greetings

   Pete

Never be led astray onto the path of virtue