How do I start using Xiki in Emacs?

Question

Trying to get xiki to work.

It is installed:

$ xiki directory
/Users/joshcheek/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.3-p194/gems/xiki-0.6.3/

The shell script that moves all the files around executed successfully AFAIK, but I closed that shell, so can't show its output. Nothing jumped out at me about being wrong, though.

It looks like the server is running:

$ xiki status
xiki_process.rb: running [pid 93257]

I have emacs installed (I installed this before installing xiki), and set up the init file:

$ cat ~/.el4r/init.rb 
# Beginning of the el4r block:
# RCtool generated this block automatically. DO NOT MODIFY this block!
# This is the el4r initialization file.
# End of the el4r block.
# User-setting area is below this line.
# User-setting area is below this line.

$LOAD_PATH.unshift "/Users/joshcheek/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.3-p194/gems/xiki-0.6.3/lib"
require 'xiki'
Xiki.init

KeyBindings.keys   # Use default key bindings
Themes.use "Default"  # Use xiki theme

But when I run emacs, it splits the screen and places this error in the bottom:

Warning (initialization): An error occurred while loading `/Users/joshcheek/.emacs':

error: el4r-instance is dead.

To ensure normal operation, you should investigate and remove the
cause of the error in your initialization file.  Start Emacs with
the `--debug-init' option to view a complete error backtrace.

when I press Option-l (also tried Escape l, in case option wasn't meta), nothing appears to happen (When I do it in the welcome window pane, it says it is read only, when I do it in the bottom one that says xiki is dead, it just doesn't do anything). Going back to the console, xiki status still says it is running with the same pid.

There are two logs, each with the same problem:

$ tail /tmp/el4r-joshcheek.9*
==> /tmp/el4r-joshcheek.92157.log <==
  from /Users/joshcheek/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p194/bin/el4r-instance:797:in `call'
  from /Users/joshcheek/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p194/bin/el4r-instance:797:in `readline'
  from /Users/joshcheek/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p194/bin/el4r-instance:797:in `el4r_recv'
  from /Users/joshcheek/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p194/bin/el4r-instance:790:in `el4r_get'
  from /Users/joshcheek/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p194/bin/el4r-instance:768:in `block in el4r_wait_expr'
  from /Users/joshcheek/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p194/bin/el4r-instance:836:in `el4r_with_call'
  from /Users/joshcheek/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p194/bin/el4r-instance:765:in `el4r_wait_expr'
  from /Users/joshcheek/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p194/bin/el4r-instance:760:in `el4r_wait_expr_loop'
  from /Users/joshcheek/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p194/bin/el4r-instance:1102:in `<main>'
2012-09-12 23:50:14 -0500:Exiting.

==> /tmp/el4r-joshcheek.93192.log <==
  from /Users/joshcheek/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p194/bin/el4r-instance:797:in `call'
  from /Users/joshcheek/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p194/bin/el4r-instance:797:in `readline'
  from /Users/joshcheek/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p194/bin/el4r-instance:797:in `el4r_recv'
  from /Users/joshcheek/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p194/bin/el4r-instance:790:in `el4r_get'
  from /Users/joshcheek/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p194/bin/el4r-instance:768:in `block in el4r_wait_expr'
  from /Users/joshcheek/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p194/bin/el4r-instance:836:in `el4r_with_call'
  from /Users/joshcheek/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p194/bin/el4r-instance:765:in `el4r_wait_expr'
  from /Users/joshcheek/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p194/bin/el4r-instance:760:in `el4r_wait_expr_loop'
  from /Users/joshcheek/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.3-p194/bin/el4r-instance:1102:in `<main>'
2012-09-12 23:53:41 -0500:Exiting.

I don't know how I'm supposed to be able to load it up, I assumed I just start emacs, and I can begin double clicking things like the word table so far it doesn't do this, but I don't think it's correctly talking to emacs.

When I look at info in the emacs gui, it says it is version 24.2 (installed from here), when I do emacs --version on the console, it says it is version 22.1.1 I can troubleshoot this and try to get them both to version 24, but I don't even know if this is what the problem is (though I'd probably prefer to use these from the console).

I tried finding docs about how to get going with it, but there didn't seem to be much in that way. Tried joining the Google group, I would have asked there, but my membership is pending.

I just want to be able to try out the stuff from the video.

Answer 1

It looks like you have everything installed. If you are using rvm, did you change the ruby version when you installed everything? I had the same problem with emacs saying el4r instance is dead when I started emacs with rvm using a different ruby than what I installed el4r with.

Answer 2

I experienced the same issue today. I finally installed el4r separately and it works fine now. See http://www.rubyist.net/~rubikitch/computer/el4r/index.en.html#label:10. You might need to sudo some of the commands depending of your system.

Also, before executing ruby -S el4r-rctool..., you need to change the directory to /path_to_where_you_downloaded_el4r/el4r-1.0.4/bin/.

Answer 3

Probably you have installed el4r the wrong way or from the wrong source. I have created a similar question here: How can I install el4r in emacs 24?

You will encounter problems if you have installed el4r previous to xiki (manually). Either follow the instructions on the link I have provided above or uninstall the el4r you have installed currently and re-install xiki exactly as described on their page.