Frequently Asked Questions

What's the origin of the name Emacs Prelude?

I wanted an Emacs experience that was both as sleek and as powerful as the legendary sports car Honda Prelude. I also wanted a name with el in it. :-)

Why doesn't Prelude use use-package?

While use-package provides a nice way of structuring your configuration (especially if you're into single-file setups), it also adds a layer of complexity as it's just a macro that expands to some "traditional" configuration code. One aspect of use-package that's a bit tricky is where to place cross-package configuration, as it can potentially go to different configuration blocks.

Given how modular the structure of Prelude is, there's relatively little to be gained by adopting use-package everywhere, but end users are free to use use-package for their personal configuration.

Note

I have a stripped-down version of Prelude for personal use, based on use-package in this repo. I guess it might be of interest to some of you.

Update (2023): There are now plans to include use-package in Emacs 29, which will likely increase its prominence. Prelude 1.2 auto-installs use-package and newer Prelude modules might make use of use-package. prelude-vertico is one such example.

Why does Prelude use MELPA instead of MELPA Stable by default?

Mostly because many package authors/maintainers don't have the habit to cut "stable" releases of their projects. It seems that's changing for the better in recent years, so Prelude's defaults might change down the road.

Why is Zenburn the default color theme?

No particular reason other than the fact that I like it a lot and happen to maintain its Emacs port. I believe it's pretty nice improvement over the default Emacs theme, but your perspective might be different.