Re: [External] : Running emacs without any customisation

[Emanuel Berg <incal@dataswamp.org>]

Here is that old (2013-08-07) article again.

I understand it but not the 1-3 part, really? I wonder what
I is?

~/.Xdefaults and ~/.Xresources

The old solution was: Whenever an X (Xlib) application is
started, it looks in ~/.Xdefaults for settings before it
executes; the file had to be on the same filesystem, in the
user's HOME.

The new or half-new solution is: Whenever an X application is
started, it looks for settings in RESOURCE_MANAGER
(XA_RESOURCE_MANAGER) in the root window of screen 0.
Settings are there only if xrdb(1) has been executed since the
start of X. If not, the _fallback_ is to look for settings in
~/Xdefaults (every time and for every application, i.e.
the same as the old solution).

xrdb doesn't necessarily read ~/.Xresources, that's
a convention. In face xrdb can read many and any file, even
~/.Xdefaults. xrdb has to be used even for

With Xresources any user can use, or not use, xrdb to
load settings.

Xresources are mobile; compare to ~/.Xdefaults which hs to be
in $HOME.

To test the enhanced mobility, after reading resources with
xrdb, do the following:

1. In X, a WM (e.g. openbsd-cwm) a terminal emulator (xterm),
   ssh to some system with the -Y option. There, start xterm,
   or any other application that you have configured on your
   local system but not on the system to which you ssh'd.
   Then, do the same on you local system, start xterm.
   They look the same!

2. Now, on your local system, run 'xrdb -remove'. Again, start
   xterm on both the remote and the local system - again, they
   look the same, only now, they aren't configured.

3. Last, to demonstrate the limited scope of Xdefaults,
   without using xrdb since step 2, on you local system, run
   'cp ~/.Xresources ~/.Xdefaults' (after salvaging anything
   of value from Xdefaults), then run xterm on both remote and
   local system. The remote xterm is unconfigured, but the
   local xterm is - only this time from Xdefaults.

Notes:

  The #1 Google hit on this issue recommends making ~/.xinitrc
  an executable, with 'chmod +x' - this is not needed.

  Also, the same article exemplifies the use of xrdb in
  .xinitrc with a trailing '&', making xrdb a background
  process. This isn't right, as the next program run from
  .xinitrc may use the very same settings, that xrdb is in the
  process of setting up, and that must be completed before any
  application that depends on it can be run. The cure is,
  remove the '&'.

Some xterm settings useful for testing:

xterm*autoWrap:        true
xterm*pointerMode:     2
xterm*geometry:        77x28
xterm*background:      black
xterm*foreground:      green4
xterm*faceName:        default
xterm*metaSendsEscape: true

-- 
underground experts united
https://dataswamp.org/~incal