Some tricks from my .emacs:
(server-start)
;; no Tabs
(setq-default indent-tabs-mode nil)
(setq-default tabs-width 2)
;; List more buffers in the buffer menu
(setq-default buffers-menu-max-size 30)
;; Prevent startup message and switch to empty *scratch*
(setq inhibit-startup-message t)
(setq initial-scratch-message nil)
;; Fix C&P
(setq x-select-enable-clipboard t)
;; Make Caps Lock LED blink instead of audio bell
(setq visible-bell 1)
(setq ring-bell-function
(lambda ()
(when (getenv "DISPLAY")
(call-process-shell-command "xset led named \"Scoll Lock\"; xset -led named \"Scroll Lock\"" nil 0 nil))))
(show-paren-mode 1)
(column-number-mode 1)
;; Keep the custom stuff separate
(setq custom-file "~/.emacs.d/custom.el")
(load custom-file)
;; I know what downcase-region does. Me no noob anymore ;). So undisable it.
(put 'downcase-region 'disabled nil)
;; This can be a life saver!
(push '("." . "~/.emacs.d/backups") backup-directory-alist)
;; Create better buffer names. foo.c++:src, foo.c++:extra instead of foo.c++ and foo.c++<2>
;; This should really be the default behaviour for Emacs!
(require 'uniquify)
(setq
uniquify-buffer-name-style 'reverse
uniquify-separator ":")
;; c-mode hook to set better default compile-command if no Makefile exists and activate flyspell-prog-mode
;; I have similar hooks for c-mode and fortran-mode
(add-hook 'c++-mode-hook
(lambda ()
(flyspell-prog-mode)
(unless (or (file-exists-p "Makefile")
(local-variable-p 'compile-command)
(not buffer-file-name))
(set (make-local-variable 'compile-command)
(format "%s %s %s"
(or (getenv "CXX") "g++")
(or (getenv "CXXFLAGS")
"-pipe -std=c++0x -pedantic-errors -Wall -Wextra -Weffc++ -g3")
(file-name-nondirectory buffer-file-name))))))
;; Set f9 to compiler and f8 to make clean
(global-set-key '[f9] 'compile)
(global-set-key '[f8] '(lambda ()
(interactive)
(when (file-exists-p "Makefile") (compile "make clean"))))