Syntax
Customization
Quitting
~/.emacs'
When Emacs is started, it normally loads a Lisp program from the file
`.emacs' or `.emacs.el' in your home directory. We call this
file your init file because it specifies how to initialize Emacs
for you. You can use the command line switch `-q' to prevent
loading your init file, and `-u' (or `--user') to specify a
different user's init file (see Entering Emacs).
There can also be a default init file, which is the library
named `default.el', found via the standard search path for
libraries. The Emacs distribution contains no such library; your site
may create one for local customizations. If this library exists, it is
loaded whenever you start Emacs (except when you specify `-q').
But your init file, if any, is loaded first; if it sets
inhibit-default-init non-nil, then `default' is not
loaded.
Your site may also have a site startup file; this is named
`site-start.el', if it exists. Emacs loads this library before it
loads your init file. To inhibit loading of this library, use the
option `-no-site-file'.
If you have a large amount of code in your `.emacs' file, you
should rename it to `~/.emacs.el', and byte-compile it. See Byte Compilation,
for more information about compiling Emacs Lisp programs.
If you are going to write actual Emacs Lisp programs that go beyond minor customization, you should read the Emacs Lisp Reference Manual. See Emacs Lisp.
Syntax
Customization
Quitting