Re: line numbers

[Bob Proulx]

Andrew Michael Levin wrote:
> Mark Skilbeck wrote:
> > Adding to the previous reply suggesting line-number-mode, there are
> > also packages that show line-numbers *in the buffer* to which people
> > coming from outside Emacs are familiar. Depending on your Emacs
> > version, you may have the Linum package already installed. If so, M-x
> > linum-mode will interest you. Otherwise, you can find it on the
> > internet[1].
>
> So, what does
> 
> (line-number-mode t) ; show line numbers
> 
> do exactly? I added this to my .emacs and I don't see any change even
> after I opened a new emacs session in a new terminal.

You were asking for line numbers in the buffer so confusingly for you
line-number-mode is not what you want.  Mark suggested linum-mode not
line-number-mode.

  line-number-mode != linum-mode

line-number-mode turns on and off display of the line number in the
mode line bar at the bottom of screen.  The linum-mode package is
something different.  If you don't have it available you can load it
like this:

  $ wget http://web.student.tuwien.ac.at/~e0225855/linum/linum.el

Then load it into emacs:

  M-x load-file
  linum.el

Then activate it:

  M-x linum-mode

> > That said, I personally find the line-numbers along the left of a
> > buffer somewhat intrusive and unnecessary. The line-number shown in
> > the status area suffices and doesn't take up my precious screen space!

Agreed.  Since emacs doesn't rely upon line numbers the same way that
vi/ed did there isn't much attraction to have them visible all of the
time.  I find them distracting.  The line number in the mode line is
good for me.

Bob