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0 pointsdfinninger5y ago0 comments

I’ll parrot “Spacemacs” along with a few other here, but here are my two main reasons why:

- Spacebar “leader” key. If you’re familiar with Vim, space is your leader key, and many functions lie behind it.

- Layers. Spacemacs has a packaging system called “layers” that are a collection of curated Emacs packages. The great thing about layers is all the wiring the layer author has done. Many packages are condensed down to a one-line config. Just add “python” to the array of installed layers in your config file and it will install a lot of what you have above. There are a few config toggles (e.g., override the language server that is used by default), but they are pretty well documented in the Spacemacs docs.

Also, use the Spacemacs develop branch! I’ve been on it for years. Master has not had many (any?) updates in a long time. If you do this make sure you are reading the docs for the develop branch when perusing layers online!

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7 comments · 2 top-level

bananaface5y ago· 3 in thread

I wouldn't recommend Spacemacs. I use it, it's horrible. Fragile and very bloated, and the primary maintainer doesn't really work on it any more (it hasn't seen a release in something like 3 years).

Doom Emacs is a way better choice now IMO.

lsllc5y ago

I recently switched from Spacemacs (develop branch) to Doom Emacs ... Spacemacs was just too slow (but very nice, better than Doom in some ways especially the layers in Spacemacs).

I might go back and see if I can get the native-code version of Emacs running with Spacemacs, it might speed it up.

vvillena5y ago

Spacemacs has been in rolling-release mode for something like 3 years. Almost everyone using it just tracks the develop branch where features and fixes are merged daily.

bananaface5y ago

Every time you start the develop branch it displays a huge message saying "Version 0.300 is almost out!" (with a description of how stable releases on master branch are the current objective) and it's been displaying that message for 3 years. There is a rolling branch, but the release branch isn't rolling. Spacemacs is usable but the project is calcifying, I wouldn't recommend anyone hitch their cart to it.

Like, I'm jumping ship as I write this. My job for the next few days is converting my config to Doom.

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forty5y ago· 2 in thread

I use Spacemacs develop branch. I agree it's great, but it breaks things often. Once the next release is finally out (0.300 ?) I'll probably switch to master to have a more stable setup.

Oh and if you are a security conscious user, you might not like the fact that Spacemacs downloads tons of code which might or might not have been reviewed by someone you can trust and might or might not have been signed...

mijoharas5y ago

Out of interest, what have you had broken?

I've been on develop for ages, and don't really remember many breakages, I do however only pull sporadically.

forty5y ago

I cannot really say, very often even at launch something fails and initialization is not done properly, so for example projectile (which I use to switch projects) doesn't work. When it happens I simply revert to the previous commit that worked for me and wait a bit before pulling again

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