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(elisp)Init File

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The Init File, `.emacs'
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   When you start Emacs, it normally attempts to load your "init file",
a file in your home directory.  Its normal name is `.emacs', but you
can alternatively call it `.emacs.el', which enables you to
byte-compile it (Note: Byte Compilation); then the actual file loaded
will be `.emacs.elc'.

   The command-line switches `-q' and `-u' control whether and where to
find the init file; `-q' says not to load an init file, and `-u USER'
says to load USER's init file instead of yours.  *Note Entering Emacs:
(emacs)Entering Emacs.  If neither option is specified, Emacs uses the
`LOGNAME' environment variable, or the `USER' (most systems) or
`USERNAME' (MS systems) variable, to find your home directory and thus
your init file; this way, even if you have su'd, Emacs still loads your
own init file.  If those environment variables are absent, though,
Emacs uses your user-id to find your home directory.

   A site may have a "default init file", which is the library named
`default.el'.  Emacs finds the `default.el' file through the standard
search path for libraries (Note: How Programs Do Loading).  The Emacs
distribution does not come with this file; sites may provide one for
local customizations.  If the default init file exists, it is loaded
whenever you start Emacs, except in batch mode or if `-q' is specified.
But your own personal init file, if any, is loaded first; if it sets
`inhibit-default-init' to a non-`nil' value, then Emacs does not
subsequently load the `default.el' file.

   Another file for site-customization is `site-start.el'.  Emacs loads
this _before_ the user's init file.  You can inhibit the loading of
this file with the option `-no-site-file'.

 - Variable: site-run-file
     This variable specifies the site-customization file to load before
     the user's init file.  Its normal value is `"site-start"'.  The
     only way you can change it with real effect is to do so before
     dumping Emacs.

   Note: Init File Examples, for examples of
how to make various commonly desired customizations in your `.emacs'
file.

 - User Option: inhibit-default-init
     This variable prevents Emacs from loading the default
     initialization library file for your session of Emacs.  If its
     value is non-`nil', then the default library is not loaded.  The
     default value is `nil'.

 - Variable: before-init-hook
     This normal hook is run, once, just before loading all the init
     files (the user's init file, `default.el', and/or `site-start.el').
     (The only way to change it with real effect is before dumping
     Emacs.)

 - Variable: after-init-hook
     This normal hook is run, once, just after loading all the init
     files (the user's init file, `default.el', and/or `site-start.el'),
     before loading the terminal-specific library and processing the
     command-line arguments.

 - Variable: emacs-startup-hook
     This normal hook is run, once, just after handling the command line
     arguments, just before `term-setup-hook'.

 - Variable: user-init-file
     This variable holds the file name of the user's init file.  If the
     actual init file loaded is a compiled file, such as `.emacs.elc',
     the value refers to the corresponding source file.