In step 23 of the startup sequence emacs inserts initial-scratch-message into the *scratch* buffer.
That step is after loading the init file, after running after-init-hook, and before emacs-startup-hook.
Ergoemacs uses its own themes defined with ergoemacs-theme.
The standard theme is defined in library ergoemacs-themes.el.
The value of initial-scratch-message is overwritten in the ergoemacs theme standard.
You find that at the definition of the ergomacs-component standard-vars in file ergoemacs-themes.el and standard-vars is a component of theme standard.
The themes are loaded by ergoemacs-component-struct--apply-inits when ergoemacs-mode is started as part of emacs-startup-hook. That is too late for the initial-scratch-message in the initial *scratch* buffer. So you need to set initial-scratch-message for the initial scratch buffer separately from that one for later generated scratch buffers.
The most simple way to override the initial-scratch-message is to copy the following lisp snippet to your init file and adapt it for your purposes:
(package-initialize) ;; if not already done in your init file
(defun my-scratch-message ()
"Set `initial-scratch-message' to what I want!"
(setq initial-scratch-message ";; my scratch message"))
(add-hook 'after-init-hook #'my-scratch-message t) ;; for the message in the first *scratch* buffer
;; `initial-scratch-message' is modified by ergoemacs at the beginning of `emacs-startup-hook'
(add-hook 'emacs-startup-hook #'my-scratch-message t) ;; overriding the ergomacs settings for the message in future *scratch* buffers
At first, I also thought that defining a new ergoemacs theme my-theme overriding the initial-scratch-message setting would be the simplest way. But that proved wrong (that is also the reason why I deleted my first answer).
One cannot use :based-on standard in the definition of my-theme as in the following elisp code segment.
(ergoemacs-theme my-theme ()
"My theme."
:based-on standard
(setq initial-scratch-message ";; My initial scratch message."))
Ergoemacs evaluates the body of my-theme before the standard theme.
So the standard theme overrides the settings of the derived theme.
I consider that a bug in ergomacs and a bug-report would be in order.
The only way employing ergoemacs themes for the settings would be to define a theme from scratch replacing the component standard-vars
by an own component my-vars where initial-scratch-message is set to the wanted value.
If one really wants to enforce that one ends up witht he following elisp snippet for the init file.
Most of the text for my-vars and my-theme is copied from standard-vars and theme standard in ergomacs-themes.el.
I indicated my changes there by the string Tobias.
(require 'find-func)
(package-initialize) ;; if not already done in your init file
(require 'ergoemacs-mode)
(require 'ergoemacs-lib)
(require 'ergoemacs-map)
(defvar my-initial-scratch-message ";; My initial scratch message."
"My setting of `initial-scratch-message'.")
(setq initial-scratch-message (substitute-command-keys my-initial-scratch-message))
(ergoemacs-component my-vars ()
"Enabled/changed variables/modes"
(setq org-CUA-compatible t
org-support-shift-select t
set-mark-command-repeat-pop t
org-special-ctrl-a/e t
ido-vertical-define-keys 'C-n-C-p-up-down-left-right
scroll-error-top-bottom t
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
;; Tobias: Modification of initial-scratch-message:
initial-scratch-message (substitute-command-keys my-initial-scratch-message)
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
;; Remove tutorial and guided tour, since the keys don't apply...
fancy-startup-text
`((:face (variable-pitch font-lock-comment-face)
"Welcome to "
:link ("GNU Emacs"
,(lambda (_button) (browse-url "http://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/"))
"Browse http://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/")
", one component of the "
:link
,(lambda ()
(if (eq system-type 'gnu/linux)
`("GNU/Linux"
,(lambda (_button) (browse-url "http://www.gnu.org/gnu/linux-and-gnu.html"))
"Browse http://www.gnu.org/gnu/linux-and-gnu.html")
`("GNU" ,(lambda (_button) (describe-gnu-project))
"Display info on the GNU project")))
" operating system.\n\n"
"\n"
;; :link ("Emacs Guided Tour"
;; ,(lambda (_button)
;; (browse-url "http://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/tour/"))
;; "Browse http://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/tour/")
;; "\tOverview of Emacs features at gnu.org\n"
:link ("View Emacs Manual" ,(lambda (_button) (info-emacs-manual)))
"\tView the Emacs manual using Info\n"
:link ("Absence of Warranty" ,(lambda (_button) (describe-no-warranty)))
"\tGNU Emacs comes with "
:face (variable-pitch (:slant oblique))
"ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY\n"
:face variable-pitch
:link ("Copying Conditions" ,(lambda (_button) (describe-copying)))
"\tConditions for redistributing and changing Emacs\n"
:link ("Ordering Manuals" ,(lambda (_button) (view-order-manuals)))
"\tPurchasing printed copies of manuals\n"
"\n"))
;;
fancy-about-text
`((:face (variable-pitch font-lock-comment-face)
"This is "
:link ("GNU Emacs"
,(lambda (_button) (browse-url "http://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/"))
"Browse http://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/")
", one component of the "
:link
,(lambda ()
(if (eq system-type 'gnu/linux)
`("GNU/Linux"
,(lambda (_button)
(browse-url "http://www.gnu.org/gnu/linux-and-gnu.html"))
"Browse http://www.gnu.org/gnu/linux-and-gnu.html")
`("GNU" ,(lambda (_button) (describe-gnu-project))
"Display info on the GNU project.")))
" operating system.\n"
:face (variable-pitch font-lock-builtin-face)
"\n"
,(lambda () (emacs-version))
"\n"
:face (variable-pitch (:height 0.8))
,(lambda () emacs-copyright)
"\n\n"
:face variable-pitch
:link ("Authors"
,(lambda (_button)
(view-file (expand-file-name "AUTHORS" data-directory))
(goto-char (point-min))))
"\tMany people have contributed code included in GNU Emacs\n"
:link ("Contributing"
,(lambda (_button)
(view-file (expand-file-name "CONTRIBUTE" data-directory))
(goto-char (point-min))))
"\tHow to contribute improvements to Emacs\n"
"\n"
:link ("GNU and Freedom" ,(lambda (_button) (describe-gnu-project)))
"\tWhy we developed GNU Emacs, and the GNU operating system\n"
:link ("Absence of Warranty" ,(lambda (_button) (describe-no-warranty)))
"\tGNU Emacs comes with "
:face (variable-pitch (:slant oblique))
"ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY\n"
:face variable-pitch
:link ("Copying Conditions" ,(lambda (_button) (describe-copying)))
"\tConditions for redistributing and changing Emacs\n"
:link ("Getting New Versions" ,(lambda (_button) (describe-distribution)))
"\tHow to obtain the latest version of Emacs\n"
:link ("Ordering Manuals" ,(lambda (_button) (view-order-manuals)))
"\tBuying printed manuals from the FSF\n"
"\n"
;; :link ("Emacs Guided Tour"
;; ,(lambda (_button)
;; (browse-url "http://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/tour/"))
;; "Browse http://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/tour/")
;; "\tSee an overview of Emacs features at gnu.org"
)))
(add-hook 'dirtrack-directory-change-hook 'ergoemacs-shell-here-directory-change-hook)
(add-hook 'kill-buffer-hook 'ergoemacs-save-buffer-to-recently-closed)
(add-hook 'shell-mode-hook 'ergoemacs-shell-here-hook)
(add-hook 'eshell-post-command-hook 'ergoemacs-shell-here-directory-change-hook)
;; (dolist (hook '(dired-after-readin-hook after-change-major-mode-hook))
;; (add-hook hook 'ergoemacs-setup-local-prefixes))
(shift-select-mode t)
(delete-selection-mode 1)
(setq recentf-menu-before "Close"
recentf-menu-items-for-commands
(list
["Open Last Closed"
ergoemacs-open-last-closed
:help "Remove duplicates, and obsoletes files from the recent list"
:active t]
["Cleanup list"
recentf-cleanup
:help "Remove duplicates, and obsoletes files from the recent list"
:active t]
["Edit list..."
recentf-edit-list
:help "Manually remove files from the recent list"
:active t]
["Save list now"
recentf-save-list
:help "Save the list of recently opened files now"
:active t]
["Options..."
(customize-group "recentf")
:help "Customize recently opened files menu and options"
:active t]))
(recentf-mode (if noninteractive -1 1)))
(ergoemacs-theme my-theme ()
"My Ergoemacs Theme"
:components '(copy
dired-tab
dired-to-wdired
execute
fixed-newline
help
kill-line
misc
move-bracket
move-buffer
move-char
move-line
move-page
move-paragraph
move-word
search
select-items
switch
text-transform
ergoemacs-remaps
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
;; Tobias: standard-vars replaced by my-vars:
my-vars
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
)
:optional-on '(apps-punctuation
tab-indents-region
icy-reclaim
apps-apps
apps-toggle
apps
backspace-del-seq
backspace-is-back
fn-keys
f2-edit
fixed-bold-italic
standard-fixed
ido-remaps
helm-remaps
helm-find-files
multiple-cursors-remaps
quit
apps-swap
;;save-options-on-exit
;; Reverse menu-bar order
menu-bar-help
menu-bar-languages
menu-bar-view
menu-bar-search
menu-bar-edit
menu-bar-file
mode-line-major-mode-switch
)
:optional-off '(guru
alt-backspace-is-undo
search-reg
no-backspace
helm-switch-sources
ergoemacs-banish-shift
move-and-transpose-lines
move-sexp
ido-prev-next-instead-of-left-right
join-line
save-options-on-exit
isearch-arrows
ergoemacs-swiper)
:options-menu '(("Menu/Apps Key" (apps apps-apps apps-punctuation apps-toggle))
("Function Keys" (fn-keys f2-edit))
("Helm Options" (helm-switch-sources helm-find-files))
("Remaps" (ido-remaps helm-remaps multiple-cursors-remaps icy-reclaim ergoemacs-swiper))
("Extreme ErgoEmacs" (guru no-backspace ergoemacs-banish-shift))
("Standard Keys" (standard-fixed fixed-bold-italic quit move-and-transpose-lines alt-backspace-is-undo))
("Keys during Key Sequence" (f2-edit apps-swap backspace-del-seq))
("Disputed Keys" (ido-prev-next-instead-of-left-right move-sexp))
("Extra Functionality" (join-line isearch-arrows))
("Packages" (avy multiple-cursors expand-region))
("Mode Line" (mode-line-major-mode-switch))
("Ergoemacs global menus" (menu-bar-file menu-bar-edit menu-bar-search menu-bar-view menu-bar-languages menu-bar-help))))
(ergoemacs-set-default 'ergoemacs-theme 'my-theme)
*scratch*buffer, after Emacs starts up?(setq ergoemacs-theme-options (quote ((save-options-on-exit off))))line to your ergoemacs configuration/init.elinitial-scratch-messageis overwritten in the ergoemacs themestandard. You find that at the definition of theergomacs-componentstandard-varsin fileergoemacs-themes.elandstandard-varsis part of themestandard. Pityingly I had to delete my answer since it solved your problem only partially.initial-scratch-messagewas reset after start-up but I was able to define an ergoemacs-theme overridingstandardstably settinginitial-scratch-message