Changing the PATH from emacs?

Changing the PATH from emacs?

[Stefan Arentz]

I'm using Emacs.app, the Carbon emacs for OS X. Works great, but it
can't find ispell, which was installed in /opt/local/bin, a path that
is not by default in the system PATH.

There doesn't seem to be a way to do this through Emacs.app/Info.plist
so my question is whether it possible to change the PATH from my
.emacs profile?

 S.

Re: Changing the PATH from emacs?

[Peter Dyballa]

Am 11.02.2008 um 17:28 schrieb Stefan Arentz:

> There doesn't seem to be a way to do this through Emacs.app/Info.plist
> so my question is whether it possible to change the PATH from my
> .emacs profile?

	(setenv "PATH" (concat "/opt/local/bin" ":" (getenv "PATH")))

You could also work according to this:  http://developer.apple.com/qa/ 
qa2001/qa1067.html

--
Greetings

   Pete

When people run around and around in circles we say they are crazy.  
When planets do it we say they are orbiting.

Re: Changing the PATH from emacs?

[Stefan Arentz]

Peter Dyballa <Peter_Dyballa@Web.DE> writes:

> Am 11.02.2008 um 17:28 schrieb Stefan Arentz:
>
>> There doesn't seem to be a way to do this through Emacs.app/Info.plist
>> so my question is whether it possible to change the PATH from my
>> .emacs profile?
>
> 	(setenv "PATH" (concat "/opt/local/bin" ":" (getenv "PATH")))
>
> You could also work according to this:  http://developer.apple.com/qa/
> qa2001/qa1067.html

Thanks! Works perfect! (The elisp snippet)

 S.

Re: Changing the PATH from emacs?

[Sven Joachim]

On 2008-02-11 18:25 +0100, Peter Dyballa wrote:

> Am 11.02.2008 um 17:28 schrieb Stefan Arentz:
>
>> There doesn't seem to be a way to do this through Emacs.app/Info.plist
>> so my question is whether it possible to change the PATH from my
>> .emacs profile?
>
> 	(setenv "PATH" (concat "/opt/local/bin" ":" (getenv "PATH")))

Are you sure that this will work?  AFAIK `setenv' only modifies the
environment of subprocesses; where Emacs searches for programs is
determined by the lisp variable `exec-path'.

Sven

Re: Changing the PATH from emacs?

[Sven Joachim]

On 2008-02-11 17:28 +0100, Stefan Arentz wrote:

> I'm using Emacs.app, the Carbon emacs for OS X. Works great, but it
> can't find ispell, which was installed in /opt/local/bin, a path that
> is not by default in the system PATH.
>
> There doesn't seem to be a way to do this through Emacs.app/Info.plist
> so my question is whether it possible to change the PATH from my
> .emacs profile?

I think you should not change PATH, but rather the `exec-path' Lisp
variable.  Quoting the Emacs Lisp reference manual:

,----
|  -- User Option: exec-path
|      The value of this variable is a list of directories to search for
|      programs to run in subprocesses.  Each element is either the name
|      of a directory (i.e., a string), or `nil', which stands for the
|      default directory (which is the value of `default-directory').  
| 
|      The value of `exec-path' is used by `call-process' and
|      `start-process' when the PROGRAM argument is not an absolute file
|      name.
`----

You can use add-to-list to add elements there, e.g.

(add-to-list 'exec-path "/opt/local/bin" t)

to let Emacs search for programs in /opt/local/bin.

Sven

Re: Changing the PATH from emacs?

[Stefan Arentz]

Sven Joachim <svenjoac@gmx.de> writes:

> On 2008-02-11 18:25 +0100, Peter Dyballa wrote:
>
>> Am 11.02.2008 um 17:28 schrieb Stefan Arentz:
>>
>>> There doesn't seem to be a way to do this through Emacs.app/Info.plist
>>> so my question is whether it possible to change the PATH from my
>>> .emacs profile?
>>
>> 	(setenv "PATH" (concat "/opt/local/bin" ":" (getenv "PATH")))
>
> Are you sure that this will work?  AFAIK `setenv' only modifies the
> environment of subprocesses; where Emacs searches for programs is
> determined by the lisp variable `exec-path'.

Indeed. It did not work, I tested it the wrong way and was confused.

Your exec-path hint did the trick though!

 S.

Re: Changing the PATH from emacs?

[Sven Joachim]

On 2008-02-11 18:52 +0100, Stefan Arentz wrote:

> Sven Joachim <svenjoac@gmx.de> writes:
>
>> On 2008-02-11 18:25 +0100, Peter Dyballa wrote:
>>
>>> Am 11.02.2008 um 17:28 schrieb Stefan Arentz:
>>>
>>>> There doesn't seem to be a way to do this through Emacs.app/Info.plist
>>>> so my question is whether it possible to change the PATH from my
>>>> .emacs profile?
>>>
>>> 	(setenv "PATH" (concat "/opt/local/bin" ":" (getenv "PATH")))
>>
>> Are you sure that this will work?  AFAIK `setenv' only modifies the
>> environment of subprocesses; where Emacs searches for programs is
>> determined by the lisp variable `exec-path'.
>
> Indeed. It did not work, I tested it the wrong way and was confused.
>
> Your exec-path hint did the trick though!

It might be best to set up both.  When Emacs executes a program directly
(such as in call-process or start-process), you need to modify
exec-path, but when it uses a shell (as in shell-command), it is the
PATH environment variable that is relevant.

Cheers,
       Sven

Re: Changing the PATH from emacs?

[Stefan Monnier]

> I'm using Emacs.app, the Carbon emacs for OS X. Works great, but it
> can't find ispell, which was installed in /opt/local/bin, a path that
> is not by default in the system PATH.

> There doesn't seem to be a way to do this through Emacs.app/Info.plist
> so my question is whether it possible to change the PATH from my
> .emacs profile?

Your problem has nothing to do with Emacs and shouldn't be fixed in an
Emacs-specific way.  You should set your PATH variable properly for
*all* applications.  E.g. via the .macosx/environment.plist file (or
whatever its name is).


        Stefan