[h-e-w] Re: init file, where should it be?

[John Paul Wallington]

"Karklins, M" <address@hidden> wrote:

> I am checking to see if the startup file was read by checking the
> value of the fill-column variable.  It remains at 70, the default
> value. 
[...]
> (setq fill-column 80)

Perhaps your test is misleading you: `fill-column' automatically
becomes buffer-local when set with `setq'.  The current buffer when
loading .emacs isn't the *scratch* buffer.  You could use
(setq-default fill-column 80) instead.

You could put (message "my .emacs has loaded!") in your .emacs.  If
the message is overwritten, you could switch to the *Messages* buffer
and find it there.  Or you could put (debug) in your .emacs which
will cause the debugger to pop up, halting loading.

-- 
John Paul Wallington