Emacs is a powerful and highly extensible text editor that is popular among programmers and system administrators for its versatility and customization options. In this article, we will discuss how to install and use Emacs in Linux.

Installing Emacs on Linux

Emacs is available in most Linux distributions’ package repositories, so installing it is a straightforward process. You can use your distribution’s package manager to install Emacs. For example, on Debian-based systems like Ubuntu, you can use the following command:

sudo apt-get install emacs

On Red Hat-based systems like Fedora, you can use the following command:

sudo dnf install emacs

Alternatively, you can also download the source code for Emacs from the GNU website and compile it yourself.

Using Emacs

Once Emacs is installed, you can launch it by typing “emacs” in the terminal. Emacs has a command-line interface, but it also has a graphical user interface if you prefer using a mouse.

When you first launch Emacs, you will see a welcome screen with information about Emacs and helpful shortcuts. You can start a new file by pressing “Ctrl + x” followed by “Ctrl + f” and then entering the file name. You can open an existing file by pressing “Ctrl + x” followed by “Ctrl + f” and then navigating to the file location.

Emacs has a steep learning curve due to its extensive features and customization options. Here are some basic commands to get you started:

– Use “Ctrl + x” followed by “Ctrl + s” to save the file.
– Use “Ctrl + x” followed by “Ctrl + c” to quit Emacs.
– Use “Ctrl + k” to delete a line.
– Use “Ctrl + x” followed by “Ctrl + b” to switch to a different buffer.
– Use “Ctrl + x” followed by “1” to close all other buffers except the current one.

Emacs also has a built-in package manager called “package.el” that allows you to install additional packages to extend its functionality. You can use the command “M-x package-install” to install packages from the official package archive.

Conclusion

Emacs is a versatile and powerful text editor that can greatly improve your productivity as a programmer or system administrator. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can easily install and start using Emacs on your Linux system. Remember to explore the various features and customization options available in Emacs to tailor it to your specific needs. Happy coding!