Gamoto writes

> I need an .emacs file because my goal is to use emacs WITH erlang !

You can still use a .emacs file.  Just put it in a location where Emacs
looks for it automatically and do not attempt to force it using HOME.  Since
Emacs uses "C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Application Data" as the
HOME directory when you do not have a .emacs file or set the HOME
environment variable (which you can demonstrate by removing your .emacs file
temporarily, remove the HOME environment variable, then open ~/ using C-x
X-f, 'C:/Documents and Settings/Administrator/Application Data' will be
displayed in the top line of the dired buffer) simply place your .emacs file
there.  If you do that and then adjust the directory permissions as I
outlined in my earlier Email, it will work.  Like I said, I actually have a
Windows Server 2003 computer here which I used to test the steps I sent to
you.


Eli Zaretskii writes:

> The procedure you used is one of those cited in
> the discussions I pointed to at the beginning of this
> thread.

My guess is that the reason it did not work is that Gamoto was attempting to
use a directory other than "C:\Documents and
Settings\Administrator\Application Data" as his home directory.  Windows
uses special security settings for the Application Data directory that are
intended to ensure only the user the Application Data directory is for has
access to it that it does not use for directories elsewhere. If I set HOME
to "c:\" and start Emacs, and then call server-start, the server directory
is created in "c:\.emacs.d\server" and I get the server unsafe message.  If
I then look at the security settings of this directory it is a lot different
than the server directory created in "C:\Documents and
Settings\Administrator\Application Data\.emacs.d."  The largest differences
is in the "Group or user names" list.  When the server directory is created
in "C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Application
Data\.emacs.d\server" only Administrator, Administrators, and SYSTEM appear
in the "Group or user names" list. When the server directory is
created in "c:\.emacs.d\server"
the items Administrators, CREATOR OWNER, SYSTEM, and Users appear in the "Group
or user names" list. Note Administrator does not even appear in this list.
I think it is these subtle differences in permissions that caused Gamot's
earlier attempts to fail because he was attempting to use some other
directory as his HOME directory.

Eli Zaretskii writes:

> Of course you need .emacs!  No one suggested you
> get rid of it.  Emacs with a .emacs file is heresy.

I agree.  In my earlier message I was not suggesting that Gamot get rid of
his .emacs file but that he quit attempting to force Emacs to use a specific
directory for his HOME directory by using the one Emacs would want to use if
he did not set the HOME environment variable or place a .emacs file in one
of the alternate locations Emacs searches for it (thus causing Emacs to use
that directory as HOME).  I apologize if it sounded like I was suggesting he
eliminate his .emacs file (now that I read through my message again I
realize that it may have come across that way).

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