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GNU Emacs

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GNU Emacs
NameGNU Emacs
DeveloperGNU Project
Released20 March 1985
Programming languageC, Emacs Lisp
Operating systemCross-platform
GenreText editor
LicenseGNU General Public License
Websitehttps://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/

GNU Emacs is a highly extensible, customizable text editor and, by design, a comprehensive computing environment. Developed as part of the GNU Project by Richard Stallman, it is a central component of the free software movement. Its core is written in C and provides an Emacs Lisp interpreter, enabling deep modification and extension of its functionality far beyond basic text editing.

History

The editor's lineage traces directly to the original Emacs created by Richard Stallman and Guy L. Steele Jr. at the MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory in the mid-1970s. In 1984, Stallman began writing a new, independent implementation as the first major program for the nascent GNU Project, aiming to create a complete Unix-like free software operating system. The first widely distributed version was released in 1985, with James Gosling's proprietary Gosling Emacs serving as an initial inspiration for certain features. Its development has been stewarded by maintainers including Richard Stallman and later John Wiegley, with current leadership under Eli Zaretskii and Stefan Monnier.

Features

Beyond core text manipulation, it functions as an integrated application framework. It includes a powerful debugger, a directory editor (Dired), a news client (GNUS), a mail user agent, and a project planner (Org-mode). It supports editing in hundreds of programming languages with features like syntax highlighting, automatic indentation, and integration with external tools via its shell mode. The editor is renowned for its unified buffer model, where everything from files to command outputs is edited in a consistent interface, and its comprehensive online help system accessible via Info.

Customization and extensibility

Virtually every aspect of its behavior can be modified through Emacs Lisp, a dialect of the Lisp family. Users can write small configuration snippets in their init file or install large packages from repositories like GNU ELPA and MELPA. Major community-developed extensions like Org-mode for note-taking and Magit for Git interaction demonstrate this extensibility. The GNU Guix and Nix package manager systems also provide declarative configuration management for the entire environment.

User interface

It originally operated in a command-line interface on text terminals, using a combination of modifier keys and escape sequences for commands. On graphical systems, it provides a native X Window System toolkit interface with menu bars, toolbars, and dialog boxes, while retaining its keyboard-centric design philosophy. The interface is built around modeless editing, keyboard macros, and a minibuffer for command input and feedback, with alternative input methods facilitated by ibus or fcitx.

Development and community

Development is coordinated via the emacs-devel mailing list and the Savannah project hosting platform, with source code managed in a Git repository. The project follows the GNU General Public License, ensuring all derivative works remain free software. Major conferences like the EmacsConf foster community collaboration, while resources such as the Emacs Wiki and platforms like Stack Overflow provide user support. Contributions are overseen by a team of maintainers and the Free Software Foundation.

Variants and derivatives

Several notable forks and alternative implementations exist, including XEmacs, which historically focused on enhanced graphical user interface support. Microsoft Windows users often utilize NTEmacs builds. The Spacemacs and Doom Emacs projects provide curated, pre-configured distributions focusing on modal editing and modern workflows. Other implementations like mg and Zile offer lightweight, Emacs-like editing capabilities, while Aquamacs provides deep integration with macOS conventions.

Category:Free software programmed in C Category:Free software programmed in Lisp Category:GNU Project software Category:Text editors