The basics

Let's start using emacs. First of all, a word about notation: emacs commands all start with the control key or the alt key. The command Control-X is shown as follows: C-x and the command alt-X is shown as follows: M-x (the M stands for "meta" and goes back to the days before the alt-key). Some commands involve several steps, like the following, which sets the margin to 20 characters: C-u 20 C-x f. So hit control-u, type the number 20, then hit control-x, release, and strike the f key. The status bar at the bottom of the screen shows your progress. If you screw up half way, hit Control-G to cancel the command (you can't edit the command half way, you have to start over). Now that you understand the notation, you'll understand C-x C-c, which means "exit emacs." Use it now if you decide not to go any further.

You'll feel more comfortable exploring emacs once you know how to undo mistakes. The command is C-x u and emacs remembers a long history of your previous commands so it can undo a lot of mistakes. Figure 2 summarizes these basic commands.

Figure 2: The Basics