I try such distros every two years or so to see if it's gotten any better. Usually it's not worth my time from the start (fun thing is, I used to use Emacs for a year or so in uni, before turning to Vim and never looking back -- until I had to do Java, which meant Eclipse. I got back to Vim, but the last 5 years it's all ST with some sporadic attempts to like VSC).
Let's do this in realtime. I downloaded the latest Spacemacs.
1) Opening. Hmm, it's a zip not a DMG. Already losing me, but I'll stick, I'm not that shallow.
2) Hmm, it's just a bunch of source files? I guess the prominent "Download" link just gives you the configuration, not a bundled editor. I have to get Emacs from somewhere else. Grr... Lemme check their "Quickstart".
3) Yeah... the Quickstart link just gives you some BS that assumes you already know how to install this, and the "Install" button just gives a git command line to clone their repo. Back to square 1.
4) Fuck it, I'll use brew to install Emacs. Spacemacs doesn't even say which version of Emacs it works best with. I'll risk with what brew gives me.
5) Brew installation ends fine, with a caveat: "Please try the Cask for a better-supported Cocoa version". Now you tell me?
6) Anyway, I have an emacs, lemme git clone spacemacs now. OK, comes up, nice logo. Now, I have a huge emacs window -- so why is it asking me "first time" config questions in a tiny space at the bottom? And why doesn't it explain better what the various options (distro flavors) entail?
7) Let it do its install, then play around a bit. Close the window in evil mode (q!). I open emacs again, greeted with this:
Found 1 new package(s) to install...
--> refreshing package archive: gnu... [3/3]
--> installing package: evil-unimpaired@spacemacs-evil... [1/1]
An error occurred while installing evil-unimpaired (error: (wrong-type-
argument package-desc nil))
Oh, and:
Warnings:
- Cannot find any of the specified fonts (Source Code Pro)! Font settings
may not be correct.
8) I open some local source files to check. A buffer window appears on the right side with "warnings":
Error (use-package): helm :config: Symbol’s value as
variable is void: helm-bookmark-map
Yeah, fuck that. Back to ST3.
Let's do this in realtime. I downloaded the latest Spacemacs.
1) Opening. Hmm, it's a zip not a DMG. Already losing me, but I'll stick, I'm not that shallow.
2) Hmm, it's just a bunch of source files? I guess the prominent "Download" link just gives you the configuration, not a bundled editor. I have to get Emacs from somewhere else. Grr... Lemme check their "Quickstart".
3) Yeah... the Quickstart link just gives you some BS that assumes you already know how to install this, and the "Install" button just gives a git command line to clone their repo. Back to square 1.
4) Fuck it, I'll use brew to install Emacs. Spacemacs doesn't even say which version of Emacs it works best with. I'll risk with what brew gives me.
5) Brew installation ends fine, with a caveat: "Please try the Cask for a better-supported Cocoa version". Now you tell me?
6) Anyway, I have an emacs, lemme git clone spacemacs now. OK, comes up, nice logo. Now, I have a huge emacs window -- so why is it asking me "first time" config questions in a tiny space at the bottom? And why doesn't it explain better what the various options (distro flavors) entail?
7) Let it do its install, then play around a bit. Close the window in evil mode (q!). I open emacs again, greeted with this:
Oh, and: 8) I open some local source files to check. A buffer window appears on the right side with "warnings": Yeah, fuck that. Back to ST3.