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(mh-e)Getting Started

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Getting Started
===============

   Because there are many old versions of mh-e out there, it is
important to know which version you have.  I'll be talking about
Version 5 which is similar to Version 4 and vastly different from
Version 3.

   First, enter `M-x load-library <RET> mh-e <RET>'. (1)  The message,
`Loading mh-e...done', should be displayed in the minibuffer.  If you
get `Cannot open load file: mh-e', then your Emacs is very badly
configured, or mh-e is missing.  You may wish to have your system
administrator install a new Emacs or at least the latest mh-e files.

   Having loaded mh-e successfully, enter `M-x mh-version <RET>'.  The
version of mh-e should be displayed.  Hopefully it says that you're
running Version 5.0.2 which is the latest version as of this printing.
If instead Emacs beeps and says `[No match]', then you're running an
old version of mh-e.

   If these tests reveal a non-existent or old version of mh-e, please
consider obtaining a new version.  You can have your system
administrator upgrade the system-wide version, or you can install your
own personal version.  It's really quite easy; instructions for getting
and installing mh-e are in Note: Getting mh-e.

   Also, older versions of mh-e assumed that you had already set up
your MH environment.  Newer versions set up a new MH environment for
you by running `install-mh' and notifying you of this fact with the
message in a temporary buffer:

     I'm going to create the standard MH path for you.

   Therefore, if you've never run MH before and you're using an old
version of mh-e, you need to run `install-mh' from the shell before you
continue the tour.  If you don't, you'll be greeted with the error
message: `Can't find MH profile'.

   If, during the tour described in this chapter, you see a message
like: `Searching for program: no such file or directory,
/usr/local/bin/mhpath', it means that the MH programs and files are kept
in a nonstandard directory.  In this case, simply add the following to
`~/.emacs' and restart `emacs'.

     (setq mh-progs "/PATH/TO/MH/BINARY/DIRECTORY/")
     (setq mh-lib "/PATH/TO/MH/LIBRARY/DIRECTORY/")

   The `~' notation used by `~/.emacs' above represents your home
directory.  This is used by the `bash' and `csh' shells.  If your shell
does not support this feature, you could use the environment variable
`$HOME' (such as `$HOME/.emacs') or the absolute path (as in
`/home/wohler/.emacs') instead.

   At this point, you should see something like the screen in the
figure in Note: Reading Mail Tour.  We're now ready to move on.

   ---------- Footnotes ----------

   (1) You wouldn't ordinarily do this.