From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: main.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: sdt@smolny.plus.com (sebyte) Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.help Subject: Re: I can't use emacs's help system! Pls help me. Date: 21 Nov 2003 08:56:30 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Sender: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Message-ID: References: NNTP-Posting-Host: deer.gmane.org Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Trace: sea.gmane.org 1069434166 30585 80.91.224.253 (21 Nov 2003 17:02:46 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@sea.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Fri, 21 Nov 2003 17:02:46 +0000 (UTC) Original-X-From: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Fri Nov 21 18:02:42 2003 Return-path: Original-Received: from monty-python.gnu.org ([199.232.76.173]) by deer.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 3.35 #1 (Debian)) id 1ANEg5-0007d7-00 for ; Fri, 21 Nov 2003 18:02:41 +0100 Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1] helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.24) id 1ANFcj-0000JO-Td for geh-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org; Fri, 21 Nov 2003 13:03:18 -0500 Original-Path: shelby.stanford.edu!newsfeed.stanford.edu!cyclone.bc.net!news.maxwell.syr.edu!postnews1.google.com!not-for-mail Original-Newsgroups: gnu.emacs.help Original-Lines: 32 Original-NNTP-Posting-Host: 81.174.136.8 Original-X-Trace: posting.google.com 1069433790 11852 127.0.0.1 (21 Nov 2003 16:56:30 GMT) Original-X-Complaints-To: groups-abuse@google.com Original-NNTP-Posting-Date: Fri, 21 Nov 2003 16:56:30 +0000 (UTC) Original-Xref: shelby.stanford.edu gnu.emacs.help:118543 Original-To: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org X-BeenThere: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.2 Precedence: list List-Id: Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Xref: main.gmane.org gmane.emacs.help:14480 X-Report-Spam: http://spam.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.help:14480 Jason, It's not so long ago that I was struggling with the basics too. The learning curve is steep but it's well worth it believe me, and I haven't even begun to scratch the surface really. I simply haven't got the time. Anyway, I know enough to help you with your question. Each time you start emacs it looks for and reads your 'init file' if it finds it. 'init' is short for 'initialisation'. This must be called '.emacs', ('dot emacs'), and it must also be located in your home directory. You won't have one unless you've customised emacs in some way, (using the customisation buffers, 'Esc-x customize ' ), or you've found this out and written one yourself already, i.e., emacs does not create a default dot emacs automatically. So start up a text editor, emacs itself will do if you've sussed out how to write and save text files, and write this one line, exactly as it appears, and then save it as '.emacs' in your home directory. Then quit emacs and start it up again and you should be flying... (define-key global-map "\C-h" 'help-command) Basically, C-h, (Control-h), is historically the key sequence for 'backspace delete'. A lot of people do the opposite to what your doing and define C-h as 'backspace delete', because they are used to it, (it also 'fits in' with the other emacs cursor navigation key sequences), and define another key sequence, ('C-x ?' is quite common), as their 'help command'. Hope this helps. Let us know how you get on... sebyte