Re: recentf-mode works 'by hand' but not if started from .emacs

["B. T. Raven" <ecinmn@alcisp.com>]

<roland.rau@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1168614875.355310.217590@q2g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> Dear all,
>
> I wanted to enable the recentf-mode in GNU Emacs.
> If I do
> M-x recentf-mode
> it works fine.
> If I write down
> (recentf-mode t)
> in a Lisp Interaction Bufffer and 'C-x,C-e' it, it also works.
>
> If I put, however, the same code at the end of my .emacs file
> (recentf-mode t)
> I get an error (without it, I have no errors during startup).
>
> Can somebody tell me what I did wrong?
> Thanks,
> Roland
>
> As usual, I guess the following information is required:
> a) Emacs version
> (version)
> "GNU Emacs 22.0.50.1 (i386-mingw-nt5.1.2600)
>  of 2006-08-30 on W2ONE"
> b) Error Protocol (from *Messages*)
> (C:\rolandprogs\Emacs\emacs\bin\emacs.exe
> --load=C:/rolandprogs/Emacs/EmacsW32/bin/gnuservauto.el)
> Loading encoded-kb...done
> Adding c:/rolandprogs/Emacs/EmacsW32/lisp/ to load-path
> Loading c:/rolandprogs/auctex/auctex-11.14/tex-site.el (source)...done
> Loading c:/rolandprogs/ess/ess-5.3.1/lisp/ess-site.el (source)...
> Loading regexp-opt...done
> enabling speedbar support
> Loading c:/rolandprogs/ess/ess-5.3.1/lisp/ess-site.el (source)...done
> Loading pc-select...done
> Loading delsel...done
> Loading time...done
> Loading c:/HOME/nc.el (source)...
> Loading advice...done
> Loading c:/HOME/nc.el (source)...done
> Loading paren...done
> Loading c:/HOME/haskell-site-file.el (source)...done
> Loading c:/HOME/recentf.el (source)...done
> Loading c:/HOME/.recentf...done
> Cleaning up the recentf list...
> Loading cl-macs...done
> Cleaning up the recentf list...done
>
>
> An error has occurred while loading `c:/HOME/.emacs':
>
> Wrong type argument: keymapp, nil
>
> To ensure normal operation, you should investigate and remove the
> cause of the error in your initialization file.  Start Emacs with
> the `--debug-init' option to view a complete error backtrace.
>

Apparently this variable cannot be set directly, only through the
Customize menu or the function (or command) (recentf-mode). I think I set
these through Customize but I don't understand the syntax. The function
and variable have the same name. Anyway it works:

(custom-set-variables
...
.
 '(recentf-max-menu-items 20)
 '(recentf-max-saved-items 40)
 '(recentf-mode t nil (recentf))
.
.
.
)

This is in 21.3 but I don't see any major differences in this
functionality between vers 21 and 22.

Ed