#+ TITLE Org mode emacs startup

The reason is not for the pretty files that you see on the web or github but that I was writing a few comments and realised that org mode looks nicer for those (no comment marker ; on lines) and you can deal in text mode for documentation.

I would note that my programming style is to have lots of small functions. With org-mode I can execute code from a block and not from a tangle. Unfortunately for init files use-package wants you to pout all code into one lisp form so making comments away from code, so you have an incentive to use weaving - but then the top level code is not executable you have to tangle first.

However I messed up config.org now uses tangle properties in the heading so the nullman export does not work 100%. The generated code doesseen=m to work but it does not have all the features Also I note nullman has now commented out his code and it had an error. So choice is as org-mode in emacs is new enough the use this. or delete the package section in config so all works again,

init.org contains the minimal amout to load other things so in essence should not need to be edited.

There is now an alternate - which is a way to try other init setups. However I found it easier to keep an emacs open and mv the emacs startup directories.

The only reason to do this rather than init.org is that you don’t need to save the .el as well. But config.org has 156 commits and init.org has 31. Also the separate allows easy choice of alt-init.

Org-mode is complex so needs a separate file to start it - actually two one for tangling etc from Grant Rekke other is all the variables. Then keys as I need mac-key-mode before the other minor modes. (I now have changed this so its key bindings are now in the global map and so could be moved). The all.org which is under full org weaving.

The files directly in init are explicitly loaded. Subdirectories are loaded by iterating over all the files in them, they contain files where the order of loading does not matter - well strictly done by length of file so can add some dependency.

They are all minor modes grouped by some commonality and are loaded from init/behaviours

Re tangling I am happy to end with just org files and generate elisp on the fly as I use GUIs and start emacs and leave it running - even if I use docker that would be via tramp so still the main emacs.

The issues ere

1. automatic generation of .el files can go wrong when you have bad code and a) it is difficult to spot b) org mode versions change the file ids so can differ.
2. If in emacs lisp there are tools for searching etc. Most of the time as this is just a config this does not matter but on complex setups (e.g. ironically, org-mode you have to write mal-formed code
3. init.el still needs to be generated.

But org mode is nice as much more readable then commented elisp. ie variable face font and wrapping to screen.

So this file will have odd random comments taken from the code.

So are you reading or debugging? Doing a course in ml would be better in org-mode

Alternative is can you edit the source buffers - means no weave but can have bad source in the org file but good in the elisp. So try that first and I think an org mode bug - need to set name and not :noweb-ref perhaps latter only works if not light. So use this correctly and stick with org mode. But to work each code block needs a separate name or at least they must be in the file next to each other - which blows up my put all hooks on one ref and all config on another and then group by topic.

Issue I think is how much do you need the IDE features.

Seems that really each tangled bit should be in a separate file that if fails can be ignored. and my init load function does the catch so this is why some bits only failed.

So use smaller files.and only call from upper level ie org-base calling org-all is bad but that is a special case, as that has to work - all othe code tends to be independant or at least the editor runs.

However if you need to debug or search in code semantically then weaving is an issue.

Also it helps to have each src block be valid code. So I would now note use use-package keywords for large code but rather weave.

Methods seem to be

1. use org-mode’s include - which they have not done for babel.
2. else as Emacs starter kit. Which has a special elisp load of then org file. But this does not save .el to disk so issue with debugging
3. Just require the el file - you tangle the org file first. - but need to make them all save

There are also loaders that optionally load - but as I just have one machine just load all. With experience messing stuff up.

You need the .el to edit if crashed.

• State “DONE” from “TODO” [2023-12-09 Sat 16:16]

Eventual is probably based off nullman.net Start by tangle on save if in init dir SO answer and also do a starterkit loader that check date of el and org and regenerates if needed. Eventually the el file is not needed but let’s convert fully first (unless you need fast starts) Done years before date here.

Aquamacs does have one advantage it uses Apple’s spellchecker and that will not be rolled into GNU. - although I found a package that does use this. Aquamacs though is old Aquamacs 3.4 GNU Emacs 25.3.50.1 Emacs is now on 26 and has been for over a year but if we don’t need new packages then version is OK. Now in 2022 some packages need emacs 26.1 and so don’t use Aquamacs.

From aquamacs-get-custom-file-dotemacs-warning ;; %s ;; Warning: After loading this .emacs file, Aquamacs will also load ;; customizations from `custom-file’ (customizations.el). Any settings there ;; will override those made here. ;; Consider moving your startup settings to the Preferences.el file, which ;; is loaded after `custom-file’:

Aquamacs does drop a lot into its directory and makes use-emacs-directory always this even if the config files are elsewhere.

Now text based things don’t like spaces (programmers are lazy) I want a structured text editor. The issue here is when tangling the references to files are encoded to remove spaces so the directory becomes ~/Library/Preferences/Aquamacs%20Emacs so round tripping fails.

On using no-littering - all it does is special case some things but not many so better either do Aquamacs way but use a new directory or deal on case by case basis. The latter might be needed for etc files. However It might act as a template - so no harm in setting it. I will still have to set many.