Emacs Setup: A personal setup

Overview

This project documents my personal Python development configuration built on Emacs 30.2. It represents a complete modernization effort focused on performance, minimalism, and modern Python workflows. The configuration replaces traditional tooling with Rust-based alternatives, achieving measurable performance improvements verified by automated benchmarks.

Complete development environment: code editor, REPL integration, and LSP features

Core Philosophy

“Less Visual Weight, More Engine Power”

This configuration prioritizes:

• Performance: 324ms startup, <16ms Ruff, <90ms Ty checks
• Isolation: Per-project environments with automatic detection
• Minimalism: Essential features only, no decorative UI elements
• Modern tooling: Rust-based tools for speed and reliability

Clean startup interface with recent files and quick actions

Technology Stack

The configuration is built on four layers, each serving a specific purpose:

Key Technologies

Layer	Technology	Purpose
Package Manager	uv (Rust)	10-100x faster than pip, handles environments
Type Checker	Ty (Rust)	~9x faster than Pyright, ~80ms single-file
Linter/Formatter	Ruff (Rust)	10-100x faster than Flake8/Black, ~10ms formatting
LSP Client	Eglot (built-in)	Native Emacs LSP with auto .venv detection
Syntax	Tree-sitter	Fast, accurate parsing for 20+ languages
File Manager	Dired + nerd-icons	Traditional navigation with minimal icons

Key Improvements

The modernization effort focused on four measurable areas:

Rust Tooling

Ruff (Linter/Formatter):

• Lint 1000 LOC in ~16ms, format in ~10ms
• Nearly constant format time regardless of file size

Ty (Type Checker):

• Single-file check in ~80ms (small/medium files)
• Project-wide check in ~112ms

Dired (File Manager):

• 100 files in 6.4ms, scales linearly (~0.031ms per file)
• 3000+ files (/usr/bin) in ~101ms

Package Management:

• pip + virtualenv: Manual setup, slow installs
• uv: One-command setup, 10-100x faster than pip (0.06s vs 4.63s installing Trio’s deps, warm cache)
• Result: Workflow simplification

Quick Start

Prerequisites

# Install Emacs 29.3+ with Tree-sitter support
sudo apt install emacs-snapshot  # Ubuntu/Debian
# OR compile from source with --with-tree-sitter

# Install Rust toolchain (for uv installation)
curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh

Installation

# Clone configuration
git clone https://github.com/JesusF10/emacs-config ~/.emacs.d

# First launch (installs packages automatically)
emacs

Project Setup

# Navigate to project
cd ~/projects/my-python-project

# Initialize environment with uv
uv venv
source .venv/bin/activate

# Install development tools
uv pip install ty ruff ipython pandas numpy

# Open in Emacs (auto-detects .venv)
emacs .

The configuration automatically detects the local .venv and uses project-specific tools for LSP, linting, and REPL.

Documentation Structure

This portfolio is organized into focused sections:

1. Challenges - Four major problems solved during customization
2. Architecture - Layer-by-layer breakdown of the stack
3. Workflows - Python and development workflows
4. Performance - Detailed benchmarks and optimizations

Project Status

Current Version: 2.0 (Initial Customization Complete)
Last Updated: April 1, 2026
Emacs Version: 30.2
Platform: Linux (Arch Linux, kernel 6.19.10)

For the Future

• Enhanced Python Support: Expand Python workflows with more features and optimizations.
• Advanced LSP Features: Implement advanced LSP features like code actions and refactorings.
• Integration with Other Languages: Extend the configuration to support multiple languages and frameworks.
• Improved User Experience: Enhance the user interface and workflow for a smoother experience.
• Security Enhancements: Implement security measures to protect against potential vulnerabilities.
• Coding Assistance: Integrate AI-powered coding assistance for faster development.

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Next: Challenges Solved →