Dear Help:

 

I have been  trying to follow the instructions in the manual "ESS - Emacs
Speaks Statistics" v 5.14 for setting up ESS on a 64 bit Debian Linux OS (v
6.0.1a, initially but now with updates).

I have installed GNU Emacs 23.2.1 (x86_64-pc-linux-gnu, GTK+ Version
2.20.1).

 

I am having several problems. 1) I am really not familiar enough with the
writing style to know when stand-in names are being used in the manual,
except for the path names; 2) I am using a version of Linux that executes
the installation and updates, so I do not have installation time control;
and 3) the manual may not be specific enough to advise me on whether there
are changes necessary for the 64 bit installation, given my lack of
experience.

 

The installation instructions direct me to add either add 

(require 'ess-site)                                             or

(load "~/ess/ess-VERSION/lisp/ess-site")         for an older version, or
one causing problems

to '~/.emacs' during unpacking,

but I cannot find .emacs, or perhaps just do not know what the ".emacs" is
supposed to denote. I also do not know what the " ' " means before ess-site
in the first suggested command. I do know what the " ~ " stands for, though,
in theory.

 

I have found the files:

/usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/debian-startup.el   and

/usr/share/emacs23/site-lisp/ debian-startup.elc

but do not know how to follow the directions available for what I have
found, or if either is to stand in for ".emacs" from the instructions in the
manual.

 

This has been a very frustrating exercise so far, but one I hope you can
help me work through with some specific advice to help fill in my vast
knowledge gaps. I hope I have given you enough info to help you help me, but
I did not want to go on and on about what I do not know, as there is too
much to say about that for one day.

 

Thanks.

-Nick

 

Nicholas Manganaro

 


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