Why Run Shell in Emacs

By Xah Lee. Date: . Last updated: .

Advantage of Running Shell in Emacs

Disadvantage of Running Shell in Emacs

Some of the interactive software problems above can be solved by Alt+x term. But i don't recommend it because that introduces other complexities. For one thing, your normal emacs keys don't work anymore.

I run common daily unix commands in emacs shell. But for installing something new (e.g. ruby/python/js package manager), or some new 3rd party unix command i've never used before, i goto a dedicated terminal app to avoid complexity/confusion.

💡 TIP: Use Dired for Basic Shell Tasks

For common commands, such as copy, move, find, search file, you should do them all in dired .

Shell in Emacs

Emacs in Terminal