From 268a2d10fc9c6578db23d54f7d790ec591cf211c Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Eli Zaretskii Date: Fri, 26 Jul 2024 09:14:43 +0300 Subject: [PATCH] Improve documentation of '--init-directory' command-line option. * doc/emacs/custom.texi (Find Init): * doc/emacs/cmdargs.texi (Initial Options): More accurate and detailed description of what '--init-directory' does and how it affects the Emacs session. Add index entries and cross-references as needed. (Bug#72294) --- doc/emacs/cmdargs.texi | 10 ++++++++++ doc/emacs/custom.texi | 8 +++++++- 2 files changed, 17 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/doc/emacs/cmdargs.texi b/doc/emacs/cmdargs.texi index 49810ee7693..cd7d2be6d2f 100644 --- a/doc/emacs/cmdargs.texi +++ b/doc/emacs/cmdargs.texi @@ -351,6 +351,16 @@ Do not include the @file{site-lisp} directories in @code{load-path} @item --init-directory @opindex --init-directory Specify the directory to use when looking for the Emacs init files. +Note that this merely overrides the value of +@file{user-emacs-directory}, the directory which Emacs usually +determines as side effect of searching for your init file (@pxref{Find +Init}), but does not change the search for the init file. In +particular, if there's no init file in the directory named by this +option, Emacs will find and use the init file it would have used without +this option (but will search for your other per-user Emacs files in the +directory specified by this option). If you want to force Emacs to use +the init file in this directory, make sure it exists there before +starting Emacs with this option. @item --no-splash @opindex --no-splash diff --git a/doc/emacs/custom.texi b/doc/emacs/custom.texi index 1527e42bbfe..4b16410eeec 100644 --- a/doc/emacs/custom.texi +++ b/doc/emacs/custom.texi @@ -2958,8 +2958,14 @@ Note also that if neither the XDG location nor @file{~/.emacs.d} exist, then Emacs will create @file{~/.emacs.d} (and therefore use it during subsequent invocations). +@vindex user-emacs-directory Emacs will set @code{user-emacs-directory} to the directory it decides -to use. +to use. This directory is subsequently used to look for your other +user-specific Emacs files, such as @code{custom-file} (@pxref{Saving +Customizations}), the saved desktop (@pxref{Saving Emacs Sessions}) and +others. The @code{--init-directory} command-line option (@pxref{Initial +Options}) overrides the value of @code{user-emacs-directory} determined +as side effect of the search for your user init file described above. Although this is backward-compatible with older Emacs versions, modern POSIX platforms prefer putting your initialization files under