Learning GNU Emacs, Second Edition

Chapter 8. Emacs as an Internet Toolkit

There are many tools for accessing the Internet. In fact, there are more each day. So why would we suggest that Emacs is a must-have tool for Internet applications such as Telnet, FTP, and the World Wide Web? As we’ve said all along, it is not the prettiest tool. Integration is the magic key that Emacs offers. If you use a graphical browser like Netscape, you won’t give it up, but once you learn to use Emacs to access Internet resources, you’ll definitely add it to your bag of tricks.

You can telnet to another computer, browse the Web, and download or edit files using FTP, all without leaving Emacs. How many times have you read a mail message containing a uniform resource locator (URL) that points to an interesting Internet resource? You could write it down; more efficiently, you could save it in a file. Better yet, you could pay a quick visit to the site then and there and add it to your hotlist if you want to go back again. That’s what Emacs offers you.

This chapter discusses the following Internet tools:

• Telnet mode—for using remote computers

• Ange-ftp mode—for transferring files with the file transfer protocol (FTP)

• W3 mode—for accessing the World Wide Web

Telnet mode and ange-ftp mode are included in Emacs. W3 mode is a LISP package that must be downloaded from the Internet and installed. Someone may have already done this at your site. If not, read on for information about where to get it on the Internet.

This chapter tells you the rudiments ...