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I would like to use a standard desktop save file when using Emacs as a server (with Emacsclient) and use no desktop save file (or optionally, another desktop save file) when running a regular Emacs instance (no server-start command).

Is it possible to use a fixed desktop save directory name with desktop-save-mode?

If I use:

(desktop-save-mode 1)

I have no direct control over where the desktop is saved (though, I think it is saved in ~/.emacs.d/.emacs.desktop).

I tried to add the following to my Emacs init file:

(require 'desktop)
(defvar my-desktop-dir "~/emacs-server")
(when (file-exists-p (desktop-full-file-name my-desktop-dir))
  (desktop-read my-desktop-dir))
(add-hook 'kill-emacs-hook (lambda () (desktop-save my-desktop-dir))))

while this seems to work, I am not sure if desktop auto save will be enabled.. From the manual :

When desktop-save-mode is active and the desktop file exists, Emacs auto-saves it every desktop-auto-save-timeout seconds, if that is non-nil and non-zero.

so in order to make desktop-save-mode active, I have to run (desktop-save-mode 1) in my init file. The problem is that this command then will revert to the desktop stored in ~/.emacs.d, which is not desired.

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2 Answers 2

Reset to default
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Using (setq desktop-path (list my-desktop-dir)) before calling (desktop-save-mode 1) seems to solve the issue:

(require 'desktop)
(setq desktop-path (list "~/emacs-server"))
(desktop-save-mode 1)

Note: You will now get a question Save desktop? (y or n) when killing Emacs server and this is the first time you save the desktop..

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  • emac 27. This isn't working.
    – RichieHH
    Dec 30, 2020 at 9:16
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You should use desktop-change-dir to instruct emacs to load the desktop file at a given location, and remember it for auto-save later.

(desktop-change-dir "~/emacs-server")
(desktop-save-mode 1)
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8
  • Thanks @Francesco. But for some reason, this leaves me with a lock in directory "~/emacs-server" after I exit Emacs, such that the next time I run Emacs as a server, I get a warning: desktop file appears to be in use. Using it may cause conflicts. Use it anyway? (y or n)
    – Håkon Hægland
    Feb 9, 2015 at 10:31
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    It seems like using (setq desktop-path (list "~/emacs-server")) instead of (desktop-change-dir "~/emacs-server") solves the issue..
    – Håkon Hægland
    Feb 9, 2015 at 10:33
  • If you could incorporate my last comment somehow in your answer, I will accept it.
    – Håkon Hægland
    Feb 9, 2015 at 11:34
  • Yep, desktop-path is the way to go.
    – Kaushal Modi
    Feb 9, 2015 at 12:21
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    I could of course incorporate your comment about desktop-path in my answer, but it looks to me like it is a different solution. It would probably be clearer if you put it in an answer of your own, don't you think?
    – François Févotte
    Feb 9, 2015 at 12:32

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