Semantics. Some of the packages are included, all of them have to be turned on and configured, and hopefully the user already knows about use package and understands the syntax for customizations and keybindings. Of course, if they try to Google how to use these packages they'll realize that Eglot doesn't work with DAP, so if you want to debug anything you'll need to go download the third party lsp-mode and dap-mode, configure them, then realize everyone uses swiper, consul, etc. which you'll need to download and configure as well.
> but really the defaults are fine -- just old.
I assume this is just Stockholm syndrome. Every Emacs config starts by turning on the same minor modes hooked to prog major modes for simple stuff like bracket matching and line numbers. Every config sets the same early-init.el params to stop emacs from being slow. If the defaults were sane, everyone wouldn't be disabling and enabling the same stuff in their config. The defaults are not sane precisely because people complain that changing any of the defaults for a 30 year old editor in 2024 is tantamount to open source treason.
> Some of the packages are included, all of them have to be turned on and configured
I see where you're coming from, but I think this is a bit exaggerated as well.
For some concrete examples:
- Git: Emacs does have a built-in `vc-mode`, which can be used without any prior configuration by pressing `C-x v`. Or you can go to `Tools > Version Control` in the menu bar (if you haven't disabled it). Many people prefer to install Magit, but the built-in package is actually quite decent (the UX is a bit similar).
- You brought up LSP. Emacs now has a built-in `eglot` mode which connects to LSP servers, and is pre-configured to work with many of the open-source ones. You can turn it on by pressing `M-x eglot`, or go to `Tools > Language Server Support (Eglot)` in the menu bar. Many people prefer to install LSP-mode, but I think many people have also migrated to Eglot after it landed officially in Emacs.
> Every Emacs config starts by turning on the same minor modes hooked to prog major modes for simple stuff like bracket matching and line numbers. Every config sets the same early-init.el params to stop emacs from being slow.
I agree with you that the defaults should be modernized. For example, I think most people would appreciate if the defaults were updated to e.g. use one of the `modus` themes, automatically switch to a dark theme if the OS has it enabled, and enable a fuzzy-finder like fido-vertical-mode without configuration. All of these capabilities are already bundled with Emacs, just not turned on by default. I'd also advocate for disabling the blinking cursor and the bell - who wants that?
Just as a counter-example though, I don't have any of the specific settings you mentioned enabled:
- I dislike line numbers (they look weird if you work with soft-wrapped prose and they take up space)
- I don't like bracket matching (they don't work well with modal editing).
- I don't use the early-init garbage collector optimizations (Emacs anyway starts in a second as I use few packages, and leave it open all day so it doesn't matter).
> but really the defaults are fine -- just old.
I assume this is just Stockholm syndrome. Every Emacs config starts by turning on the same minor modes hooked to prog major modes for simple stuff like bracket matching and line numbers. Every config sets the same early-init.el params to stop emacs from being slow. If the defaults were sane, everyone wouldn't be disabling and enabling the same stuff in their config. The defaults are not sane precisely because people complain that changing any of the defaults for a 30 year old editor in 2024 is tantamount to open source treason.