Emacs Minimum Configuration for 2024

It is a good practice to install the latest version of emacs. Currently the latest available in apt is v27 but in snap, its v29. So we will install from snap.

sudo snap install emacs --classic

Then simply put the contents of init.el in emacs.d. You can find the content of init.el at the bottom of the page.

Now set up the /usr/share/xsessions/exwm.desktop with the contents from here and also add the start-exwm.sh from here as well. Now you have setup your desktop environment! And tada, you are now good to go. Also install the following packages.

sudo apt install feh mpv compton xss-lock cmake

After opening EXWM, vlc-obs-brave browser etc. application will open but firefox may not open. In that case, simply execute the following command to update the dbus.

export DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS="unix:path=$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/bus"

sudo apt purge libatk-adaptor
sudo reboot

Also, note that, for installing vterm, follow their github guideline precisely since their changes are often breaking. For now,

sudo apt install libtool-bin libvterm-dev

  ;; Set up package.el to work with MELPA
(require 'package)
(add-to-list 'package-archives
             '("melpa" . "https://melpa.org/packages/"))
(package-initialize)
(package-refresh-contents)

;; Download Evil
(unless (package-installed-p 'evil)
  (package-install 'evil))

;; Enable Evil
(require 'evil)
(evil-mode 1)


;; EXWM Installation
(require 'exwm)
(require 'exwm-config)
(exwm-config-example)

(load-theme 'deeper-blue)


(unless (package-installed-p 'company)
  (package-install 'company))

;; Enable Company mode globally
(add-hook 'after-init-hook 'global-company-mode)


(require 'org)
(add-hook 'org-mode-hook
          (lambda ()
            (local-set-key (kbd "<tab>") 'org-cycle)))
(global-visual-line-mode t)

(defun my-org-collapse-all ()
  "Collapse all headings in the current Org buffer."
  (interactive)
  (org-shifttab t))

(add-hook 'org-mode-hook 'my-org-collapse-all)

;; Centering text
(unless (package-installed-p 'visual-fill-column)
  (package-install 'visual-fill-column))
(require 'visual-fill-column)
(visual-line-mode t)
(global-visual-fill-column-mode t)

(unless (package-installed-p 'ivy)
  (package-install 'ivy))
(ivy-mode 1) ; Enable Ivy globally

;; Installing swiper
(unless (package-installed-p 'swiper)
  (package-install 'swiper))

;; Optionally, you can customize the keybindings.
(global-set-key (kbd "C-s") 'swiper) ; Bind swiper to Ctrl + s
(global-set-key (kbd "C-r") 'swiper) ; Use Ctrl + r for reverse searching

(show-paren-mode t)

;; USE PACKAGE STARTS HERE
(use-package org-roam
  :ensure t
  :init
  (setq org-roam-v2-ack t)
  :custom
  (org-roam-directory "~/Org-Roam-Files/")
  :bind (("C-c n l" . org-roam-buffer-toggle)
         ("C-c n f" . org-roam-node-find)
         ("C-c n i" . org-roam-node-insert))
  :config
  (org-roam-setup))

(use-package vterm
    :ensure t)

(use-package multi-vterm :ensure t)

(setq display-time-12hr-format nil)
(setq display-time-format "%H:%M - %d %B %Y")
(display-time-mode 1)
;; Retain history
(use-package smex
  :ensure t)
(smex-initialize)

; Transparency
(set-frame-parameter (selected-frame) 'alpha `(90,90))
(add-to-list 'default-frame-alist `(alpha . (90, 90)))
(set-frame-parameter (selected-frame) 'fullscreen 'maximized)
(add-to-list 'default-frame-alist '(fullscreen . maximized))


;; Wallpaper
(defun efs/set-wallpaper ()
    (interactive)
    ;; NOTE: You will need to update this to a valid background path!
    (start-process-shell-command
        "feh" nil  "feh --bg-scale /usr/share/backgrounds/derrick-cooper-L505cPnmIds-unsplash.jpg"))

(efs/set-wallpaper)

Screenshots

To enable screenshto feature in EXWM, i have written a simple python script. Place this script in any file. Also, do create the inbox/screenshots folder for maim to work.

import subprocess
import argparse

my_parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="Take Screenshot of a selected area.")
my_parser.add_argument("ImageName",metavar="image_name", type=str, help="The name of the screenshot.")
#my_parser.add_argument("ImagePath",metavar="image_path", type=str, help="Path to the directory where the image will be saved")
args = my_parser.parse_args()

image_name = args.ImageName
#image_dir=args.ImagePath+"/"
#ps_image_dir = subprocess.run("pwd", stdout=subprocess.PIPE,text=True)
#image_dir=ps_image_dir.stdout.rstrip()+"/"
image_dir = "/home/abhijit/inbox/screenshots/"
subprocess.run(["maim","-s",image_dir+image_name])

#subprocess.run(["google-chrome", image_dir+image_name])
print("Screenshor saved in "+image_dir)

defun abj/take-ss()
  (interactive)
  (setq screenshot-command (format "python3 /home/abhijit/manual-installation/take-ss.py rename-image.png"))
  (shell-command screenshot-command)
)

(defun abj/rename-ss()
  (interactive)
  (setq screenshot-image-name (read-string "Enter file name: "))
  (shell-command (format"mv /home/abhijit/inbox/screenshots/rename-image.png %s" screenshot-image-name))
)

(global-set-key (kbd "C-c s s") 'abj/take-ss)
(global-set-key (kbd "C-c s r") 'abj/rename-ss)

First, press s-r to go to char-mode if you are on a x-app buffer. Then use the set keybindings to first take ss and rename it. It works fabulously.