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As far as I understand libraries can define a default.el file that will be loaded on startup. I would like to run librarie's default.el, but not the init file of the user (e.g. in .emacs/init.el). Is it possible somehow to do that? I tried to start emacs with -q but it will not load the libraries at all. I also tried -u fakeuser and it kind of work except that I get an error about a non existant user fakeuser (of course).

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2 Answers 2

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I believe that emacs -q does this (whereas emacs -Q doesn't load either your init file or default.el or site-lisp.el).

See the Emacs manual, node Initial Options.

Oops, I guess that's not correct. Apparently default.el is not loaded with option -q: see node Init File.

But you might give it a try. File default.el doesn't exist, by default. Someone has to create it. If you have edit access to site-lisp.el then you could maybe do what you had intended for default.el there instead.

Or maybe (hopefully) someone else has a proper answer: how to get both site-lisp.el and default.el, but not your init file, loaded at startup.

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  • Thanks. Oh I thought that each library was free to define its own default.el/site and that emas would charge them all… and in fact there is a single library/file with this name. But I'm using home manager that does create a default file for me (i could certainly put that in site, but then since there is a single site file I guess I will need to edit a file own by root or at least find an elegant way to merge these files and I don't really like that). Acually, can I use maybe -q --eval XX to start the default file? If yet what should I put in XX ?
    – tobiasBora
    Sep 21, 2022 at 22:43
  • Hum I tried to run ` emacs -q --eval '(load-library "default.el")'` and it seems to kind of work. I'm just not sure why it does not starts the splash screen in that case while it does if I start it without -q. Is it supposed to be strictly equivalent?
    – tobiasBora
    Sep 21, 2022 at 22:53
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I tried to do

emacs -q --eval '(load-library "default.el")'

and it seems to work… I am not sure though if it is strictly equivalent (maybe the libraries are loaded before default.el instead of after… if you have more information let me know)

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    Was that different to emacs -q -l default ?
    – phils
    Sep 21, 2022 at 23:02
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    @phils Oh this is quicker indeed and seems to work similarly. If you want you can add your own answer that I can accept.
    – tobiasBora
    Sep 21, 2022 at 23:10

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