-*- buffer-read-only: t -*- #+title: Emacs Configuration #+startup: overview #+DATE: 2026-03-24T10:00:00+11:00 #+DRAFT: false #+PROPERTY: header-args:emacs-lisp :results silent :tangle init.el * Early startup These settings have to exist before the first GUI frame is created, so they tangle into =early-init.el=. #+begin_src emacs-lisp :tangle early-init.el ;;; early-init.el --- generated from config.org -*- lexical-binding: t; -*- ;;; Commentary: ;; This file is generated from config.org. Do not edit it directly. ;;; Code: (dolist (parameter '((width . 140) (height . 42))) (add-to-list 'default-frame-alist parameter) (add-to-list 'initial-frame-alist parameter)) #+end_src * Bootstrapping This is the start of the main runtime entry point, which tangles into =init.el=. #+begin_src emacs-lisp ;;; init.el --- generated from config.org -*- lexical-binding: t; -*- ;;; Commentary: ;; This file is generated from config.org. Do not edit it directly. ;;; Code: (let ((minver "27.1")) (when (version< emacs-version minver) (error "Your Emacs is too old -- this config requires v%s or higher" minver))) (when (version< emacs-version "28.1") (message (concat "Your Emacs is old, and some functionality in this config will be " "disabled. Please upgrade if possible."))) #+end_src * Shared paths and system identity These definitions set up the shared paths used by the rest of the configuration, including the Org directory under =~/org/=. #+begin_src emacs-lisp (defconst *spell-check-support-enabled* nil) (defconst *is-a-windows* (memq system-type '(windows-nt ms-dos cygwin))) (defconst *is-a-linux* (eq system-type 'gnu/linux)) (defconst *is-a-mac* (eq system-type 'darwin)) (provide 'init-paths) ;; Keep custom-set-variables out of the main config. (setq custom-file (expand-file-name "custom.el" user-emacs-directory)) #+end_src * Package setup This section bootstraps packages and defines the archives the rest of the configuration relies on. #+begin_src emacs-lisp (require 'package) (setq package-archives (append '(("melpa" . "https://melpa.org/packages/")) package-archives) package-archive-priorities '(("gnu" . 10) ("nongnu" . 8) ("melpa" . 5)) package-install-upgrade-built-in t use-package-always-ensure nil) (package-initialize) (require 'use-package) #+end_src * Interface defaults This section sets the visual defaults: theme, fonts, and frame behavior. #+begin_src emacs-lisp (when (display-graphic-p) (set-frame-size (selected-frame) 140 42) (menu-bar-mode -1) (tool-bar-mode -1) (scroll-bar-mode -1) (tooltip-mode -1) (set-face-attribute 'default nil :family "JetBrains Mono" :height 140 :weight 'medium) (set-face-attribute 'fixed-pitch nil :family "JetBrains Mono" :weight 'medium) (set-face-attribute 'fixed-pitch-serif nil :family "JetBrains Mono" :weight 'medium)) (unless (display-graphic-p) (add-hook 'emacs-startup-hook (lambda () (menu-bar-mode -1)))) (setq inhibit-startup-message t inhibit-startup-screen t ring-bell-function 'ignore) (use-package modus-themes :ensure nil :no-require t :config (load-theme 'modus-vivendi t)) (line-number-mode 1) (column-number-mode 1) (show-paren-mode 1) ;; Disable all fringe indicators (setq-default indicate-empty-lines nil) (setq-default indicate-buffer-boundaries nil) (setq-default fringe-indicator-alist nil) #+end_src * Modeline #+begin_src emacs-lisp (use-package time :ensure nil :config ;; Enable 24-hour time display without load average. (setq display-time-24hr-format t display-time-day-and-date t display-time-default-load-average nil) (display-time-mode 1)) ;; Keep the theme's faces, but make the right edge alignment dynamic. (setq-default mode-line-format (list ;; Left padding " " "%e" mode-line-front-space mode-line-mule-info mode-line-client mode-line-modified mode-line-remote mode-line-frame-identification mode-line-buffer-identification " " mode-line-position '(vc-mode vc-mode) " " mode-line-modes ;; Right-align from here '(:eval (propertize " " 'display `((space :align-to (- right ,(+ 2 (string-width (format-mode-line mode-line-misc-info)))))))) mode-line-misc-info ;; Right padding " " mode-line-end-spaces)) #+end_src * Editing defaults This section covers global editing behavior and a few startup-time tuning choices. #+begin_src emacs-lisp (require 'abbrev) (set-language-environment "UTF-8") (set-default-coding-systems 'utf-8) (prefer-coding-system 'utf-8) (setq abbrev-file-name (expand-file-name "abbrev_defs" user-emacs-directory) save-abbrevs 'silently) (when (file-exists-p abbrev-file-name) (quietly-read-abbrev-file abbrev-file-name)) (defun ss/enable-prose-abbrev-mode () "Enable abbrev mode in prose buffers. We keep this mode-local so code buffers stay on their own completion rules." (abbrev-mode 1)) (dolist (hook '(text-mode-hook org-mode-hook)) (add-hook hook #'ss/enable-prose-abbrev-mode)) (setq auto-save-default nil backup-inhibited t echo-keystrokes 0.1 compilation-ask-about-save nil mouse-wheel-scroll-amount '(1 ((shift) . 1)) mouse-wheel-progressive-speed nil mouse-wheel-follow-mouse t scroll-step 1 scroll-conservatively 101 enable-recursive-minibuffers t gc-cons-threshold (* 128 1024 1024) read-process-output-max (* 4 1024 1024) process-adaptive-read-buffering nil) (fset 'yes-or-no-p 'y-or-n-p) (global-auto-revert-mode 1) (delete-selection-mode 1) (setq-default indent-tabs-mode nil fill-column 80 tab-width 2 indicate-empty-lines t sentence-end-double-space nil) #+end_src * Dired On macOS, the system =ls= does not support GNU's =--dired= flag. Keeping Dired on its built-in path avoids noisy directory listing errors when opening folders from note helpers. #+begin_src emacs-lisp (use-package dired :ensure nil :custom (dired-use-ls-dired nil)) #+end_src * Minibuffer completion Completion stays close to standard Emacs behaviour while improving the minibuffer prompts used throughout the notes workflow. Vertico provides the UI, Orderless handles flexible matching, and Marginalia adds lightweight annotations. #+begin_src emacs-lisp (use-package vertico :ensure t :pin melpa :init (vertico-mode 1)) (use-package orderless :ensure t :pin melpa :custom (completion-styles '(orderless basic)) (completion-category-defaults nil) (completion-category-overrides '((file (styles basic partial-completion))))) (use-package marginalia :ensure t :pin melpa :after vertico :init (marginalia-mode 1)) (use-package corfu :ensure t :pin gnu :init ;; Enable Corfu globally so text and Org buffers get in-buffer completion ;; popups when a CAPF provides candidates. (global-corfu-mode 1)) #+end_src * Name shortcuts The name workflow uses one repository file for both abbrev triggers and CAPF candidates. Abbrev handles deterministic one-shot expansions, while Corfu-backed CAPF completion offers explicit choice among name variants. The two mechanisms stay separate: abbrev mutates the buffer immediately, CAPF only proposes candidates. #+begin_src emacs-lisp (defconst ss/name-dictionary-file (expand-file-name "name-dictionary.el" user-emacs-directory) "Persistent source of truth for name abbrevs and CAPF candidates.") (defvar ss/name-dictionary-entries nil "Persistent name entries used by abbrev and CAPF.") (when (file-exists-p ss/name-dictionary-file) (load ss/name-dictionary-file nil t)) (require 'seq) (require 'subr-x) (defun ss/name-dictionary--entry-name (entry) "Return the canonical name in ENTRY." (plist-get entry :name)) (defun ss/name-dictionary--entry-abbrev (entry) "Return the abbrev trigger in ENTRY." (plist-get entry :abbrev)) (defun ss/name-dictionary--entry-aliases (entry) "Return alias candidates in ENTRY." (plist-get entry :aliases)) (defun ss/name-dictionary-default-abbrev (name) "Suggest a short trigger for NAME." (let* ((parts (split-string (string-trim name) "[[:space:]]+" t)) (first (downcase (substring (car parts) 0 (min 2 (length (car parts)))))) (last (downcase (substring (car (last parts)) 0 1)))) (if (> (length parts) 1) (concat first last) first))) (defun ss/name-dictionary-read-aliases (prompt) "Read PROMPT and return a cleaned alias list." (let ((aliases (mapcar #'string-trim (split-string (read-string prompt) "," t)))) (seq-filter (lambda (string) (not (string-empty-p string))) aliases))) (defun ss/name-dictionary-canonical-names () "Return the canonical names from the dictionary." (mapcar #'ss/name-dictionary--entry-name ss/name-dictionary-entries)) (defun ss/name-dictionary-candidates () "Return all CAPF candidates from the dictionary." (delete-dups (apply #'append (mapcar (lambda (entry) (cons (ss/name-dictionary--entry-name entry) (ss/name-dictionary--entry-aliases entry))) ss/name-dictionary-entries)))) (defun ss/name-dictionary-install-abbrevs () "Install name abbrevs into the current buffer." (setq-local local-abbrev-table (copy-abbrev-table local-abbrev-table)) (dolist (entry ss/name-dictionary-entries) (when-let ((name (ss/name-dictionary--entry-name entry)) (abbrev (ss/name-dictionary--entry-abbrev entry))) (define-abbrev local-abbrev-table abbrev name)))) (defun ss/name-dictionary-refresh-buffers () "Refresh name abbrevs in every prose buffer." (dolist (buffer (buffer-list)) (with-current-buffer buffer (when (and (bound-and-true-p abbrev-mode) (derived-mode-p 'text-mode 'org-mode)) (ss/name-dictionary-install-abbrevs))))) (defun ss/name-dictionary-save () "Write the name dictionary file." (let ((print-length nil) (print-level nil)) (with-temp-file ss/name-dictionary-file (insert ";; -*- lexical-binding: t; -*-\n") (insert ";; Persistent name entries used by abbrev and CAPF.\n\n") (insert "(setq ss/name-dictionary-entries\n '") (insert (pp-to-string ss/name-dictionary-entries)) (insert ")\n")))) (defun ss/name-dictionary-reload () "Reload the name dictionary file and refresh prose buffers." (interactive) (when (file-exists-p ss/name-dictionary-file) (load ss/name-dictionary-file nil t)) (ss/name-dictionary-refresh-buffers) (message "Reloaded name dictionary")) (defun ss/name-dictionary--upsert (entry) "Insert or replace ENTRY in `ss/name-dictionary-entries'." (setq ss/name-dictionary-entries (sort (cons entry (seq-remove (lambda (existing) (or (string= (ss/name-dictionary--entry-name existing) (ss/name-dictionary--entry-name entry)) (string= (ss/name-dictionary--entry-abbrev existing) (ss/name-dictionary--entry-abbrev entry)))) ss/name-dictionary-entries)) (lambda (left right) (string< (ss/name-dictionary--entry-name left) (ss/name-dictionary--entry-name right)))))) (defun ss/name-dictionary--remove (name) "Remove NAME from `ss/name-dictionary-entries'." (setq ss/name-dictionary-entries (seq-remove (lambda (entry) (string= (ss/name-dictionary--entry-name entry) name)) ss/name-dictionary-entries))) (defun ss/name-dictionary--save-entry (name abbrev aliases) "Persist a name entry and refresh prose buffers." (let ((entry (list :name name :abbrev abbrev))) (when aliases (setq entry (append entry (list :aliases aliases)))) (ss/name-dictionary--upsert entry) (ss/name-dictionary-save) (ss/name-dictionary-refresh-buffers) (message "Added name: %s" name))) (defun ss/name-dictionary-add-name (name abbrev aliases) "Add a canonical NAME, ABBREV trigger, and optional ALIASES." (interactive (let* ((name (read-string "Full name: ")) (abbrev (string-trim (read-string "Abbrev trigger: " (ss/name-dictionary-default-abbrev name)))) (aliases (ss/name-dictionary-read-aliases "Aliases (comma-separated, optional): "))) (list name abbrev aliases))) (when (string-empty-p abbrev) (setq abbrev (ss/name-dictionary-default-abbrev name))) (ss/name-dictionary--save-entry name abbrev aliases)) (defun ss/name-dictionary-add-name-from-region (beg end abbrev aliases) "Add the active region as a name entry." (interactive (if (use-region-p) (let* ((name (string-trim (buffer-substring-no-properties (region-beginning) (region-end)))) (abbrev (string-trim (read-string "Abbrev trigger: " (ss/name-dictionary-default-abbrev name)))) (aliases (ss/name-dictionary-read-aliases "Aliases (comma-separated, optional): "))) (list (region-beginning) (region-end) abbrev aliases)) (user-error "Select a name first"))) (let ((name (string-trim (buffer-substring-no-properties beg end)))) (when (string-empty-p abbrev) (setq abbrev (ss/name-dictionary-default-abbrev name))) (ss/name-dictionary--save-entry name abbrev aliases))) (defun ss/name-dictionary-remove-name (name) "Remove NAME from the persistent dictionary." (interactive (list (completing-read "Remove name: " (ss/name-dictionary-canonical-names) nil t))) (ss/name-dictionary--remove name) (ss/name-dictionary-save) (ss/name-dictionary-refresh-buffers) (message "Removed name: %s" name)) (defun ss/name-dictionary-open () "Open the persistent name dictionary." (interactive) (find-file ss/name-dictionary-file)) (defun ss/name-capf () "Return a name completion candidate set at a word boundary." (let ((end (point))) (save-excursion (skip-syntax-backward "w_") (let ((beg (point)) (candidates (ss/name-dictionary-candidates))) (when (and (< beg end) candidates) (list beg end candidates :exclusive 'no)))))) (defun ss/enable-name-capf () "Add `ss/name-capf' once in prose buffers." (unless (memq #'ss/name-capf completion-at-point-functions) (add-hook 'completion-at-point-functions #'ss/name-capf nil t))) (dolist (hook '(text-mode-hook org-mode-hook)) (add-hook hook #'ss/enable-name-capf)) #+end_src * Notes workflow The note-taking system remains deliberately small. Daily notes stay as plain Org files in =~/org/daily/=, while longer-lived notes use Denote inside the same root directory and rely on links for relationships. ** Org foundations The Org setup establishes the shared directories, ensures the PARA structure is present at startup, and provides a small helper for opening today's daily note with the standard section layout already in place. Agenda views stay focused on PARA notes, so project, area, and resource files can surface TODOs without pulling in daily or archived notes. A small directory helper keeps PARA subdirectories easy to create from the minibuffer before capturing into them. A curated =moc.org= in the Org root acts as the startup landing page and quick navigation surface. The config assumes that file already exists and opens it directly during startup rather than creating it on demand. #+begin_src emacs-lisp (use-package org :ensure nil :functions (denote-keywords-prompt) :defines (denote-directory denote-use-directory denote-use-keywords) :preface (defconst ss/org-directory (expand-file-name "~/org/") "Root directory for Org files.") (defconst ss/org-daily-directory (expand-file-name "daily/" ss/org-directory) "Directory for plain daily Org notes.") (defconst ss/org-projects-directory (expand-file-name "projects/" ss/org-directory) "Directory for project notes.") (defconst ss/org-areas-directory (expand-file-name "areas/" ss/org-directory) "Directory for area notes.") (defconst ss/org-people-directory (expand-file-name "areas/people/" ss/org-directory) "Directory for people notes.") (defconst ss/org-resources-directory (expand-file-name "resources/" ss/org-directory) "Directory for resource notes.") (defconst ss/org-archives-directory (expand-file-name "archives/" ss/org-directory) "Directory for archived notes.") (defconst ss/moc-file (expand-file-name "moc.org" ss/org-directory) "Central MOC note.") (defconst ss/org-note-directories (list ss/org-directory ss/org-daily-directory ss/org-projects-directory ss/org-areas-directory ss/org-people-directory ss/org-resources-directory ss/org-archives-directory) "Directories that make up the note-taking workflow.") (defconst ss/org-agenda-directories (list ss/org-projects-directory ss/org-areas-directory) "Directories whose Org files feed the agenda.") (defconst ss/org-subdirectory-roots `(("projects" . ,ss/org-projects-directory) ("areas" . ,ss/org-areas-directory) ("people" . ,ss/org-people-directory) ("resources" . ,ss/org-resources-directory)) "Capture roots offered when creating note subdirectories.") (defun ss/denote-capture-in-directory (directory &optional keywords &rest prompts) "Start a Denote Org capture in DIRECTORY with KEYWORDS and PROMPTS. If PROMPTS is empty, rely on `denote-prompts'." (let* ((prompt-for-keywords (memq :keywords prompts)) (denote-directory directory) (denote-use-directory (unless (memq :subdirectory prompts) directory)) (denote-use-keywords (if prompt-for-keywords (delete-dups (append keywords (denote-keywords-prompt))) keywords))) (if prompts (denote-org-capture-with-prompts (memq :title prompts) nil (memq :subdirectory prompts) (memq :date prompts) (memq :template prompts)) (denote-org-capture)))) (defun ss/create-note-subdirectory () "Create a PARA subdirectory using minibuffer completion." (interactive) (let* ((root-name (completing-read "Capture root: " (mapcar #'car ss/org-subdirectory-roots) nil t)) (root (alist-get root-name ss/org-subdirectory-roots nil nil #'string=)) (completion-extra-properties '(:category file)) (candidates (sort (delete-dups (mapcar (lambda (path) (directory-file-name (file-relative-name path root))) (seq-filter #'file-directory-p (directory-files-recursively root directory-files-no-dot-files-regexp t t)))) #'string<)) (subdirectory (completing-read (format "Subdirectory in %s: " root-name) candidates nil nil)) (target (expand-file-name subdirectory root)) (existing (file-directory-p target))) (make-directory target t) (ss/refresh-org-agenda-files) (message "%s note directory: %s" (if existing "Using existing" "Created") target))) (defun ss/refresh-org-agenda-files (&rest _) "Refresh `org-agenda-files' from the current PARA directories. Ignore any arguments passed by advice wrappers." (require 'org-agenda) (setq org-agenda-files (delete-dups (apply #'append (mapcar (lambda (directory) (if (file-directory-p directory) (directory-files-recursively directory org-agenda-file-regexp) nil)) ss/org-agenda-directories))))) (defun ss/ensure-daily-note (&optional time) "Create the daily note for TIME when it does not exist. Return the path to the note." (let* ((date (or time (current-time))) (file (expand-file-name (format-time-string "%Y-%m-%d.org" date) ss/org-daily-directory))) (unless (file-exists-p file) (make-directory (file-name-directory file) t) (with-temp-file file (insert (format "#+title: %s\n\n* Tasks\n\n* Notes\n\n* Open Loops\n" (format-time-string "%Y-%m-%d" date))))) file)) (defun ss/open-todays-note () "Open today's daily Org note." (interactive) (find-file (ss/ensure-daily-note))) (defun ss/open-moc () "Open the central MOC note." (interactive) (find-file ss/moc-file)) (defun ss/open-agenda () "Refresh agenda files and invoke `org-agenda'." (interactive) (call-interactively #'org-agenda)) :init (add-hook 'emacs-startup-hook (lambda () (find-file ss/moc-file))) :bind (("C-c a" . ss/open-agenda) ("C-c c" . org-capture) ("C-c n M" . ss/open-moc) ("C-c n m" . ss/create-note-subdirectory) ("C-c n d" . ss/open-todays-note)) :config (setq org-directory ss/org-directory org-hide-emphasis-markers t) (add-hook 'org-mode-hook (lambda () (setq-local org-hide-emphasis-markers t) (font-lock-flush) (font-lock-ensure))) (ss/refresh-org-agenda-files) (advice-add 'org-agenda :before #'ss/refresh-org-agenda-files) (mapc (lambda (directory) (make-directory directory t)) ss/org-note-directories)) #+end_src ** Capture entry points Daily capture goes to today's plain Org file. Tasks land under =Tasks= while notes and meetings land under =Notes=. Denote capture uses Denote's own Org integration so note identity, metadata, and directories stay under Denote's control rather than custom code. The convenience templates keep the familiar entry points, but only project capture injects a structural keyword by default. #+begin_src emacs-lisp (use-package org-capture :ensure nil :after (org denote) :config (setq org-capture-templates `(("d" "Daily") ("dt" "Task" entry (file+headline ,#'ss/ensure-daily-note "Tasks") "* TODO %?") ("dn" "Note" entry (file+headline ,#'ss/ensure-daily-note "Notes") "* %?") ("dm" "Meeting" entry (file+headline ,#'ss/ensure-daily-note "Notes") "* %<%H:%M> meeting %?") ("n" "Denote") ("nn" "Generic" plain (file denote-last-path) (function (lambda () (denote-org-capture-with-prompts :title :keywords :subdirectory))) :no-save t :immediate-finish nil :kill-buffer t :jump-to-captured t) ("np" "Project" plain (file denote-last-path) (function (lambda () (ss/denote-capture-in-directory ss/org-projects-directory '("project") :title :keywords :subdirectory))) :no-save t :immediate-finish nil :kill-buffer t :jump-to-captured t) ("na" "Area" plain (file denote-last-path) (function (lambda () (ss/denote-capture-in-directory ss/org-areas-directory nil :title :keywords :subdirectory))) :no-save t :immediate-finish nil :kill-buffer t :jump-to-captured t) ("nP" "Person" plain (file denote-last-path) (function (lambda () (ss/denote-capture-in-directory ss/org-people-directory nil :title :keywords :subdirectory))) :no-save t :immediate-finish nil :kill-buffer t :jump-to-captured t) ("nr" "Resource" plain (file denote-last-path) (function (lambda () (ss/denote-capture-in-directory ss/org-resources-directory nil :title :keywords :subdirectory))) :no-save t :immediate-finish nil :kill-buffer t :jump-to-captured t)))) #+end_src ** Denote Denote manages the durable notes. Folder placement carries most of the structural meaning, while Denote handles naming, metadata, linking, and retrieval. Built-in keywords stay intentionally sparse, with =project= retained because project note titles are often ambiguous outside their folder. #+begin_src emacs-lisp (use-package denote :ensure t :after org :bind (("C-c n n" . denote-open-or-create) ("C-c n l" . denote-link)) :config (setq denote-directory ss/org-directory denote-known-keywords '("project") denote-prompts '(title keywords) denote-org-capture-specifiers "%?") (denote-rename-buffer-mode 1)) #+end_src ** Automatic git commits The notes tree can enable =git-auto-commit-mode= through a =.dir-locals.el= at =~/org/=. The Emacs config keeps the package available and sets the machine-specific shell command chaining based on the active shell, while the repo-local behavior lives with the notes tree. #+begin_src emacs-lisp (use-package git-auto-commit-mode :ensure t :pin melpa :commands (git-auto-commit-mode) :init (setq gac-shell-and (if (string-match-p "fish\\'" shell-file-name) " ; and " " && "))) #+end_src * Gptel workflow LLM chat remains a small workflow tool inside Emacs. GitHub Copilot authentication is handled on demand by gptel, so there is no token plumbing in this file. #+begin_src emacs-lisp (use-package gptel :ensure t :init (setq gptel-default-mode 'org-mode gptel-model 'gpt-4o gptel-backend (gptel-make-gh-copilot "Copilot")) :bind (("C-c n g" . gptel) ("C-c n s" . gptel-send) ("C-c n r" . gptel-rewrite) ("C-c n a" . gptel-add))) #+end_src * Generated file footers The closing blocks just finish the generated startup files cleanly. #+begin_src emacs-lisp (when (file-exists-p custom-file) (load custom-file nil 'nomessage)) ;;; init.el ends here #+end_src #+begin_src emacs-lisp :tangle early-init.el ;;; early-init.el ends here #+end_src