Re: Interactive guide for new users (was: Re: Gather a list of confusions beginner tend to have)

[Gregory Heytings]

> > I think there are a few configurations that a beginner would want to 
> > change right after he starts Emacs, usually very basic settings. If you 
> > think it’s a good idea, I can go to reddit and ask what people missed 
> > when then started using Emacs for the first few minutes.
> >
> > FWIW, here is a demo of the guide: https://youtu.be/0qMskTAR2aw
> >
> > The demo inserts some configurations into ~/.emacs.d/init.el after 
> > completion.
>
> Such a beginners guide (wizard) is an excellent idea.  And it is great 
> that you actually have code.  Let's see what others think, but I will 
> optimistically add my comments below.

It's great indeed, and not very far from what I had in mind.

In screen 1, it would be great (but I don't know if it is possible) to 
allow the user to select a font (among a short set).

In screen 2, I would add evil-mode in the options.  I would add the "C-o = 
find-file" binding to "cua-mode".  I don't think "s (super)" is useful. 
And I would not write "We encourage you to learn the default binding, 
because...", but "We encourage you to reconsider this choice after some 
time, because...".

In screen 3, I would add hl-line, show-paren-mode, which-key, 
column-number-mode, save-place-mode + desktop-save-mode (both with a 
single choice).  I would also add an option to have "(setq 
uniquify-buffer-name-style 'forward) (setq uniquify-min-dir-content 
1024)".  And an option to bind C-x C-b (and another shorter but less 
useful binding, say C-b) to ibuffer.

I would move screen 4 after screen 2.

And I still think that a short "guided tour" would be useful at the end: 
what/where is the minibuffer and what is its purpose, what does the 
mode-line contain, how to find help (here I would list C-h m, C-h p, C-h k 
/ C-h w / C-h a, C-h l, C-h ?), ...