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[2023-07-29 14:06]
The Emacs configuration generator is a great way to get an Emacs configuration setup without wading through a bewildering set of options which have to be researched individually. pkal's post talks about the experiment that spawned the tool. The section about forward ideas also appears to being inclined towards retaining user options to use different package or approaches.
It lies somewhere between a starter-kit and the full-fledged customize option that is available within Emacs itself, which by itself seems to make it niche. There are varying schools of thought about starter kits. My own experience is that one follows a certain journey and gravitates to the best option by needs. I started with vanilla Emacs, moved to Scimax for a spell, and then hand-rolled my own borrowing a number of functions from Scimax that I had come to use. I think that inevitably, most users will come across something in a starter-kit that does not appeal to their tastes or needs. This is probably a larger issue with trying to create software that caters to too many needs.
It is also probably worth noting that I use a literate configuration. I have also used a non-literate configuration, and will admit there are benefits in natively editing an elisp file as opposed to the indirection necessary with Org-mode documents. Even so, I've still found it rather comfortable to organise my configuration in a single giant Org file, and believe the reason is probably mostly due to my extensive use of Org-mode for my note and task management. In retrospective, Org-mode was the reason I started using Emacs. This being said, I think ultimately, and eventually, my goal would be to use native elisp based configuration to leverage the power of Emacs.
The Emacs config generator tool has a nice bunch of explanations with each option and the choice to enable it or not. By varying the configurations, one can get a sense of the settings, and thus packages that go into providing a comfortable Emacs experience. The great thing about this approach is the ability to retain a sense of freedom, with direction, and the ability to generate a working configuration - with a base set of features, at any time, quickly.
I think such a tool is invaluable in a beginner's toolkit in getting to know about Emacs in a loosely guided manner from a configuration perspective. In many respects, this seems more sensible than plunging into a depths of a starter-kit, but on the other hand, it is worth keeping in mind that one can potentially catch a glimpse of the possibilties out of the box using a starter kit, and steal what is needed from those configurations. Reaching a stage to be able to do so is also a part of the Emacs journey.
In the current state, the Emacs configuration tool may provide too few options to those who have detailed configuration already, but that is to be expected since it is an experiment, and one that I hope will grow.
What if the Emacs configuration generator extended out to being able to provide the bones to build a modular Emacs configuration instead of a single init file, while staying true to the idea of being a customisable 'template' rather than a kit. Would there be value in that? I would find it interesting, as a tool to help with moving to a non-literate configuration. Then again, I could just start with a tangled version of my current configuration file.
Though I liked the ideas section in pkal' post - I worry if the scope envisioned is too large to be effective - in the sense - the template has to hit some kind of 'sweet spot' to continue maintaining it's position as something approachable.
I was also reflecting that Emacs - and tinkering with Emacs is a journey. There are those who will enjoy this and do so in varying degrees, and there will be a significantly larger group who will not dip a pinky in to the Emacs pond. Would a template, or any kind of system make a real difference? I doubt it will, but that does not negate my earlier statements.