dotfiles/emacs_config.org

Installation info

Make sure to add the below to your ​~~/.emacs~ file (or equivalent) - then tangle this file. It will be stored in .config for XDG compliance.

Package Repos

MELPA package repo

Add the MELPA package repo into the sources for emacs Do this early in the config to make sure everything that follows can be loaded

(require 'package)
(add-to-list 'package-archives '("melpa" . "https://melpa.org/packages/"))
(package-initialize)

Keybinds

Resizing windows

Use Shift+Ctrl with direction keys to resize windows

(global-set-key (kbd "S-C-<left>") 'shrink-window-horizontally)
(global-set-key (kbd "S-C-<right>") 'enlarge-window-horizontally)
(global-set-key (kbd "S-C-<down>") 'shrink-window)
(global-set-key (kbd "S-C-<up>") 'enlarge-window)

Auto-completion

Use M-TAB to apply smart autocompletion

(global-set-key (kbd "M-TAB") 'pcomplete)

Disable C-z suspend-frame

Prevent C-z from suspending frame, very annoying habit.

(put 'suspend-frame 'disabled t)

Start use-package

use-package helps setup variables for other packages...

(require 'use-package)

File Management

Reload file changes

Automatically reload any buffers that have changed on disk, as long as there are no unsaved changes. This is useful for keeping org-files synced via syncthing, so my Agenda should always match across devices.

(global-auto-revert-mode t)

TRAMP remote file editing

"Transparent Remote Access, Multiple Protocols" is for editing files on remote machines, to avoid dropping to a terminal/ssh/nano to make any changes to files.

(use-package tramp
  :ensure t
  :init
  (setq tramp-default-method "ssh"))

Display options

Line numbers

Display line numbers in all modes by default

(global-linum-mode t)

Word wrap

Use the word-wrap variable as opposed to visual-line-mode. Pros are:-
• C-x k kills the whole line, not just the visible part
• A wrap indicator is shown on the ends
• And really, I just prefer it

(setq-default word-wrap t)
(setq truncate-lines nil)

Org-Mode Wrapping

Despite my best efforts, this has to happen later in the config so it can be found at the below link, directly after an org-reload command

Text Wrapping

which-key shortcut cheat-sheet

Display helper buffer for available keybinds in each mode. For example, input C-x then wiat a few seconds, a list of legitimate keys to follow will be displayed.

Does not help with M-x, but tab-completion is your friend there :)

(use-package which-key
  :ensure t
  :init
  (which-key-mode)
  (which-key-setup-side-window-right-bottom))

Disable menu bar

Hide the menu bar by default

(menu-bar-mode -1)

Helm Auto-Completion

Use package helm to add improved fuzzy completion to file search, M-x function, buffer list and more

(use-package helm
  :ensure t
  :init
  (helm-mode 1)
  :bind
  (("M-x"     . helm-M-x)
   ("C-x C-f" . helm-find-files)
   ("C-x C-b" . helm-buffers-list)
   :map helm-map
   ("TAB"     . helm-execute-persistent-action)
   ("<tab>"   . helm-execute-persistent-action)
   ("C-z"     . helm-select-action)))
  #+END_SRC

Also a few rebindings on helm map, to make tab key work as expected when making helm selections.
C-z brings up the helm actions menu that was previously on tab.


* Development Options

** Python

*** elpy
Enable the elpy environment

#+BEGIN_SRC emacs-lisp
(use-package elpy
  :ensure t
  :init
  (elpy-enable)
  (setq elpy-rpc-virtualenv-path 'current)
  (setq elpy-rpc-python-command "python3"))

live-py-mode

Enable the option for python live programming

(use-package live-py-mode
  :ensure t
  :init
  (add-hook 'live-py-mode-hook '(live-py-set-version))

Org-Mode

org-babel supported languages

Ensure org-babel can evaluate source blocks in the languages I use

(org-babel-do-load-languages
  'org-babel-load-languages
  '((emacs-lisp . t)
    (shell . t)
    (python . t)))

Preserve indentation

Let org-src editor preserve my personal indentations when using the C-c ' source block editor

(setq org-src-preserve-indentation t)

Highlight Parentheses

Use the package highlight-parentheses to make depth within brackets clearer, with custom colourings for 6 layers of depth. Hook added for lisp & emacs-lisp modes

(use-package highlight-parentheses
  :ensure t
  :init
  (setq highlight-parentheses-colors '("white" "black" "black" "black" "black" "black"))
  (setq highlight-parentheses-background-colors '("red" "orange" "yellow" "green" "cyan" "magenta"))
  (add-hook 'emacs-lisp-mode-hook #'highlight-parentheses-mode)
  (add-hook 'lisp-mode-hook #'highlight-parentheses-mode)))

Applications

elfeed RSS reader

Basic package

Settings for the main RSS reader package

(use-package elfeed
  :ensure t
  :config
  (setq elfeed-sort-order 'ascending)
  (setq elfeed-db-directory "~/org/.elfeed")
  (elfeed-update))

elfeed-org

Package to load RSS feeds from an org-file - in my case, "~/org/RSSFeeds.org" Multiple org-files can be added to the list, to segregate feeds better.

(use-package elfeed-org
  :ensure t
  :config
  (elfeed-org)
  (setq rmh-elfeed-org-files (list "~/org/RSSFeeds.org")))

ERC

ERC is the built-in IRC chat client. This sets up my default username and server info.

(use-package erc
  :ensure t
  :config
  (setq erc-nick "Category")
  (setq erc-nick-uniquifier "^")
  (setq erc-server "irc.libera.chat")
  (setq erc-port "6667"))

Org-Mode Settings

Keybinds

Basic settings/keybinds for org-mode details

(require 'org)
(define-key global-map "\C-cl" 'org-store-link)   ;; Copy a link to the current heading
(define-key global-map "\C-ca" 'org-agenda)   ;; Open sub-menu for agenda
(setq org-log-done t)   ;; Show when todo items are closed

Hide formatting marks

Don't display the symbols surround italics/bold/etc text

(setq org-hide-emphasis-markers t)

Indent headings/hide asterisks

Use org-indent mode to hide the leading stars and auto indent text Make this the default by hooking org-indent-mode when org-mode begins

(add-hook 'org-mode-hook 'org-indent-mode)

Agenda settings

Set ~/org/agenda as folder to auto-scan for the org-mode agenda. All files in this folder will be automatically added to schedule/TODO list etc.

(setq org-agenda-files (list "~/org/agenda"))

Reload org after errors

Following errors, running M-X org-reload will force an update/refresh and normally get the agenda/todo klist funtioning as expected again.

Run this every load to make sure we start error-free

(org-reload)

Text Wrapping

Make org startup without truncating lines, for a nice soft wrap. Trying to run this before the reload seems to get forgotten...

(setq org-startup-truncated nil)

Org mode code handling

Remove confirmation from babel-executions

Skip asking for yes/no confirmation when requesting to evaluate source blocks in org documents

(setq org-confirm-babel-evaluate nil)

Org-Roam

Org-Roam is a knowledge-base system based on org-mode syntax

Ensure package is loaded after init and set initial variables

(use-package org-roam
  :ensure t
  :init
  (setq org-roam-v2-ack t)
  ;; Keymap primer
  (define-prefix-command 'org-roam-map)
  (define-key mode-specific-map (kbd "r") 'org-roam-map)
  :custom
  (org-roam-directory (file-truename "~/org/roam"))
  (org-roam-completion-everywhere t)
  (org-roam-graph-max-title-length 30)
  (org-roam-graph-shorten-titles "truncate")
  (org-roam-dailies-capture-templates
   '(("d" "default" plain
      "* %?"
      :if-new (file+head "%<%Y-%m-%d>.org" "#+title: %<%Y-%m-%d>\n#+filetags: :journal:"))))
  (org-roam-capture-templates
   '(("d" "Default" plain
      "%?"
      :if-new (file+head "%<%Y%m%d%H%M%S>-${slug}.org" "#+title: ${title}\n")
      :unnarrowed t)
     ("c" "Ham Contacts" plain
      "Ham Contact\n\n* Details\n\n#+Name: %? \n#+Location: \n#+Station Grid Locator:\n\n* Info\n\n~About the station/operator~\n\n* Contacts\n\n** Timestamp\n~QSO info~"
      :if-new (file+head "%<%Y%m%d%H%M%S>-${slug}.org" "#+title: ${title}\n#+filetags: :callsign:ham:")
      :unnarrowed t)
     ("r" "Ham Repeater" plain
      "Repeater\n\n#+Location: %? \n#+Station Grid Locator: \n#+Input Frequency: \n#+Output Frequency: \n#+CTCSS Tone: \n\n"
      :if-new (file+head "%<%Y%m%d%H%M%S>-${slug}.org" "#+title: ${title}\n#+filetags: :repeater:ham:")
      :unnarrowed t)
     ("s" "Software" plain
      "Software\n\n#+Name: %?\nWebsite: \nSource Repo: \n\n* Description\n\n\n\n* Usage Information\n\n\n\n* Config Details\n\n"
      :if-new (file+head "%<%Y%m%d%H%M%S>-${slug}.org" "#+title: ${title}\n#+filetags: :software:")
      :unnarrowed t)
     ("e" "Emacs Lisp" plain
      "Emacs Lisp Function\n\n#+Function: %?\n\n* Description:-\n\n\n* Example:-\n\n\n* Usage:-\n\n"
      :if-new (file+head "%<%Y%m%d%H%M%S>-${slug}.org" "#+title: ${title}\n#+filetags: :emacs:lisp:coding:")
      :unnarrowed t)))
  :bind
  (:map org-roam-map
   ("f" . org-roam-node-find)
   ("g" . org-roam-graph)
   ("i" . org-roam-node-insert)
   ("c" . org-roam-capture)
   ("o" . org-open-at-point)
   ("t" . org-roam-tag-add)
   ;; Dailies
   ("j" . org-roam-dailies-capture-today)
   ("l" . org-roam-buffer-toggle))
  :config
  (org-roam-db-autosync-mode)
  (org-roam-setup)
  ;; If using org-roam-protocol
  (require 'org-roam-protocol))

Tag search in org-roam-node-find

This little tweak to the org-roam-node-find display will also include the file-tags, to help narrow results to certain areas. This was standard behaviour with org-roam v1, and I greatly missed it when upgrading to v2 (even with my very modest collection of nodes).

(setq org-roam-node-display-template
      (concat "${title:*} "
	      (propertize "${tags:40}" 'face 'org-tag)))

A little bit of fun!

Chess

Make sure that chess is available, and at a reasonable size to view

(use-package chess
  :ensure t
  :init
  (setq chess-images-default-size 84))

Wordel

An emacs implementation of "Wordle", for a bit of text based distraction

(use-package wordel
  :ensure t)