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| layout | title | date | categories |
|---|---|---|---|
| post-plain | On Aquamacs | 2020-10-22 10:00 +0800 | design |
{% asset "Aquamacs_AltLogo_201021_v01-01.png" @optim srcset:width=900 srcset:width=500 srcset:width=300 %} Emacs is great. After using the MacOS carbon version of Emacs for about a year, I've come to depend on Org-mode as a second brain. It's become the place where I store notes, plan work and track my progress toward personal goals. Why would I use a code editor as an organizer? I'm by no means a coder - my work as a digital designer requires me to vaguely understand what's going on underneath, but to leave the coding to the codemonkeys. I do however, tinker, test and take things apart without intending to put them back together, so an agnostic editor that doesn't feel like it's pushing me toward publishing code keeps coding playful.
It's well known that the text-editor Emacs can do everything but edit text. This felt painfully true after coming from vim. But, as with vim, once you learn the keys it's quite natural, and I was surprised to find that emacs editing keys are usable in most regular text editing in MacOS. After figuring out the ctrl-A's and ctrl-K's the speed of all my text editing increased, not just when working in Emacs.
Aquamacs is building the bridge from the other side of the river. It offers better integration with MacOS's finder and is somewhat more sane in its initial installed state. Though there is one major issue - it is an ugly mofo. Emacs isn't pretty at the best of times, but simple un-highlighted code does have some aesthetic value. I admit part of the reason I play with code is that zen state you fall into when you hit compile and watch results (sans amygdala-hijacking error messages) flow sliently down the monochromatic display. Nothing about the base install of Aquamacs evokes this. The garish toolbar and tabs can be easily hidden with (tool-bar-mode 0) and (tabbar-mode 0) in the config file, and I hastily installed the sanityinc-tomorrow themes to sooth my burning eyes, but It's goofy gnu icon still stared into me with it's sad black eyes whenever I hit ⌘-Tab.
{% asset "Aquamacs_Dock_02_201022.png" %}
I had a few free minutes the next morning to mock up an alternative icon which sits a bit nicer next to its friends:
{% asset "Aquamacs_Dock_01_201022.png" %}
I originally planned to recreate the 'Gnu in water' icon in a cleaner style but it was easier to follow Andrew Zhilin's stylized Gnu horns. The icon is available as a .png here. How to change an application icon on mac is explained here.
If you're a townie or other tilde user who wants some small graphics for a project, or you want to collaborate, send me a message on irc or tilde.town email.