Some people don't customize emacs. If you are one of them, there's no need to read further. However, the more packages you use, and the more you want to optimize, the more customization you require. Furthermore, the more customization you need, the more valuable that customization is, and the more you want to keep it around. With Emacs 24 and ELPA, getting and using packages is incredibly easy, so I anticipate that customization is going to be more important than ever.

I'm planning to write a series of posts on customizing Emacs, sharing tips and developing elisp to make the job easier. This is an introductory post to this series.

My first tip is to store your setup on github. I've done this with my emacs-setup project. I'll be updating this repository as I develop new elisp. Having your setup on github means you can put it on any computer you use, and other people can see and refer to your config. Stealing bits of elisp from other people's setup is a long-held emacs tradition, and github makes this easy.

My second tip is to store your configuration in ~/.emacs.d/init.el, not ~/.emacs. The .emacs.d directory is where all the action happens these days. Configuration files are stored there, as well as ELPA packages (in the elpa subdirectory). So if you are just starting your configuration, put it in ~/.emacs.d/init.el, or else move your existing configuration there.

Finally, all the tips I'll be giving assume Emacs 24. If you haven't upgrade, please consider doing so.

Stay tuned for more tips!