PATH Variable

PATH Variable

[srandby]

Hi:

Would somebody please tell me how to change the PATH variable used by
Emacs? I want to use a shell command, but Emacs can't find the
command. I've tried a bunch of stuff, but so far nothing works.

Scott Randby

Re: PATH Variable

[Anupam Sengupta]

>>>>> "Srandby" == srandby  <srandby@gmail.com> writes:

    Srandby> Hi: Would somebody please tell me how to change the PATH variable
    Srandby> used by Emacs? I want to use a shell command, but Emacs can't find
    Srandby> the command. I've tried a bunch of stuff, but so far nothing works.

Try adding this code fragment in your .emacs file:

(setenv "PATH"
              (concat (expand-file-name <<YOUR PATH HERE>>)
                      path-separator (getenv "PATH")))

You may want to make this a function and invoke it for each path-element you
want to be accessible from within Emacs.

E.g.,

;;; Define a function to setup additional path
(defun my-add-path (path-element)
  "Add the specified path element to the Emacs PATH"
  (interactive "DEnter directory to be added to path: ")
  (if (file-directory-p path-element)
      (setenv "PATH"
              (concat (expand-file-name path-element)
                      path-separator (getenv "PATH")))))

and then:

;;; Set localized PATH for Emacs.
;;; Example only
(if (fboundp 'my-add-path)
    (let ((my-paths (list
                     "/opt/local/bin"
                     "/usr/local/bin"
                     "/usr/local/sbin"
                     "/usr/local/mysql/bin"
                     "~/bin")))
      (dolist (path-to-add my-paths (getenv "PATH"))
        (my-add-path path-to-add))))

BTW, this needs the cl package for the `dolist', which is present in Emacs 22
and /possibly/ on V21 as well. If not present in your Emacs version, just
replace the `dolist' with an alternate looping mechanism.

HTH,
-- 
Anupam

Re: PATH Variable

[Camille Bourgoin]

Anupam Sengupta <anupamsg@gmail.com> writes:

>>>>>> "Srandby" == srandby  <srandby@gmail.com> writes:
>
>     Srandby> Hi: Would somebody please tell me how to change the PATH variable
>     Srandby> used by Emacs? I want to use a shell command, but Emacs can't find
>     Srandby> the command. I've tried a bunch of stuff, but so far nothing works.
>
> Try adding this code fragment in your .emacs file:
>
> (setenv "PATH"
>               (concat (expand-file-name <<YOUR PATH HERE>>)
>                       path-separator (getenv "PATH")))
>
> You may want to make this a function and invoke it for each path-element you
> want to be accessible from within Emacs.
>
> E.g.,
>
> ;;; Define a function to setup additional path
> (defun my-add-path (path-element)
>   "Add the specified path element to the Emacs PATH"
>   (interactive "DEnter directory to be added to path: ")
>   (if (file-directory-p path-element)
>       (setenv "PATH"
>               (concat (expand-file-name path-element)
>                       path-separator (getenv "PATH")))))
>
> and then:
>
> ;;; Set localized PATH for Emacs.
> ;;; Example only
> (if (fboundp 'my-add-path)
>     (let ((my-paths (list
>                      "/opt/local/bin"
>                      "/usr/local/bin"
>                      "/usr/local/sbin"
>                      "/usr/local/mysql/bin"
>                      "~/bin")))
>       (dolist (path-to-add my-paths (getenv "PATH"))
>         (my-add-path path-to-add))))
>
> BTW, this needs the cl package for the `dolist', which is present in Emacs 22
> and /possibly/ on V21 as well. If not present in your Emacs version, just
> replace the `dolist' with an alternate looping mechanism.
>
> HTH,
> -- 
> Anupam

dolist is present in Emacs 21.

-- 
Camille "Mesmento" Bourgoin
jabber : mr.camille@im.apinc.org
web : http://jbbourgoin.free.fr

Re: PATH Variable

[srandby]

Thanks for the help, I've got it working now.

I'm relatively new to Emacs, but I wish I wasn't. I've used other
editors through the years, but none of them compare favorably to
Emacs. For a long time, I used BBEdit (a Mac editor). It is a fine
editor, but change requests I've submitted to Bare Bones have mostly
been ignored and it is impossible to customize. Later, I used JEdit,
but getting Java to work on a Linux box is a pain and the editor is
sometimes slow and buggy. Now, I'm using Emacs which I installed
easily. The documentation is great, the features are fantastic, it is
free software (as in liberty of course), the community is supportive,
and on and on. I've seen Emacs derided on a number of forums, but
those putting down Emacs must not know much of anything about it.

Scott Randby

Re: PATH Variable

[David Kastrup]

srandby <srandby@gmail.com> writes:

> I've seen Emacs derided on a number of forums, but those putting
> down Emacs must not know much of anything about it.

Those loving it are also not likely to know really much about it.
Would you ask a librarian "and you have read all those books?"?

-- 
David Kastrup, Kriemhildstr. 15, 44793 Bochum

Re: PATH Variable

[srandby]

On Jul 16, 5:25 pm, David Kastrup <d...@gnu.org> wrote:
> srandby <sran...@gmail.com> writes:
> > I've seen Emacs derided on a number of forums, but those putting
> > down Emacs must not know much of anything about it.
>
> Those loving it are also not likely to know really much about it.
> Would you ask a librarian "and you have read all those books?"?
>
> --
> David Kastrup, Kriemhildstr. 15, 44793 Bochum

Your analogy lacks substance. It is not a librarians job to provide a
critique of the books in a library. Now, if a librarian were to review
a book in a library, then of course the librarian should have, at the
very least, read the book. Similarly, if one wishes to deride Emacs,
then one should know how to use Emacs and how it works. Yet, it is an
easy matter to find put-downs of Emacs authored by people who clearly
know little or nothing about it. Such put-downs are nothing but
propaganda.

Of course, there is also the case of those who know a great deal about
Emacs and subject others to their rants against it on forums not meant
for such a purpose. These anti-Emacs self-righteous zealots argue
using the in-your-face tactics so popular with television evangelists
in order to hide their weak positions. As they can't find an audience
who is truly interested in what they have to say, these fanatics find
an audience who will almost certainly react against what they have to
say. But this is not done to foster an honest debate about Emacs or to
help others with their Emacs problems, it is done out of a spirit of
arrogance, self-promotion, and ignorance of opposing viewpoints.

Scott Randby

Re: PATH Variable

[Thien-Thi Nguyen]

() srandby <srandby@gmail.com>
() Mon, 16 Jul 2007 22:20:08 -0700

   if one wishes to deride Emacs, then one should know how to use
   Emacs and how it works.  Yet, it is an easy matter to find
   put-downs of Emacs authored by people who clearly know little
   or nothing about it. Such put-downs are nothing but propaganda.

perhaps that is the purpose of the put-downs.  to disregard
put-downs w/o knowing their motivation is like disregarding emacs
w/o knowing it.

   weak positions

when you can see positions unfiltered by their potential to
withstand attack, you may come to appreciate variety for its own
sake.

   truly interested

what it truly something, infinity or non-zero?

   this is not done to foster an honest debate about Emacs or to
   help others with their Emacs problems, it is done out of a
   spirit of arrogance, self-promotion, and ignorance of opposing
   viewpoints.

likewise, emacs problems arise and are buried under the same
mentalities, for its caretakers are (historically) humans.
categorically ignoring "improper derision" is everyone's pasttime.

thi

Re: PATH Variable

[srandby]

On Jul 16, 1:39 am, Anupam Sengupta <anupa...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >>>>> "Srandby" == srandby  <sran...@gmail.com> writes:
>
>     Srandby> Hi: Would somebody please tell me how to change the PATH variable
>     Srandby> used by Emacs? I want to use a shell command, but Emacs can't find
>     Srandby> the command. I've tried a bunch of stuff, but so far nothing works.
>
> Try adding this code fragment in your .emacs file:
>
> (setenv "PATH"
>               (concat (expand-file-name <<YOUR PATH HERE>>)
>                       path-separator (getenv "PATH")))
>
> You may want to make this a function and invoke it for each path-element you
> want to be accessible from within Emacs.
>
> E.g.,
>
> ;;; Define a function to setup additional path
> (defun my-add-path (path-element)
>   "Add the specified path element to the Emacs PATH"
>   (interactive "DEnter directory to be added to path: ")
>   (if (file-directory-p path-element)
>       (setenv "PATH"
>               (concat (expand-file-name path-element)
>                       path-separator (getenv "PATH")))))
>
> and then:
>
> ;;; Set localized PATH for Emacs.
> ;;; Example only
> (if (fboundp 'my-add-path)
>     (let ((my-paths (list
>                      "/opt/local/bin"
>                      "/usr/local/bin"
>                      "/usr/local/sbin"
>                      "/usr/local/mysql/bin"
>                      "~/bin")))
>       (dolist (path-to-add my-paths (getenv "PATH"))
>         (my-add-path path-to-add))))
>
> BTW, this needs the cl package for the `dolist', which is present in Emacs 22
> and /possibly/ on V21 as well. If not present in your Emacs version, just
> replace the `dolist' with an alternate looping mechanism.
>
> HTH,
> --
> Anupam

Thanks for the help, I've got it working now.

Scott Randby

Re: PATH Variable

[Daniel Jensen]

srandby <srandby@gmail.com> writes:

> Would somebody please tell me how to change the PATH variable used by
> Emacs? I want to use a shell command, but Emacs can't find the
> command. I've tried a bunch of stuff, but so far nothing works.

(add-to-list 'exec-path "/foo/bar/")

RE: PATH Variable

[srandby]

Thanks for all the help, I've got it working now.

Scott Randby