Vellum

An Emacs configuration crafted like a fine manuscript.

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The Motive

Vellum is an Emacs configuration built on the principle that a personal computing environment should be as timeless, durable, and carefully crafted as a medieval manuscript. In an age of ephemeral tools and fleeting software, Vellum aims to be a stable, elegant, and deeply personal foundation for all forms of text creation—from code to prose.

The name and the logo were chosen to reflect this core philosophy:

• The Vellum Scroll: Represents the foundation. It is a durable, high-quality medium designed for important work that lasts. It signifies a configuration that is robust, reliable, and built upon a solid, well-considered structure.

• The Fountain Pen: Unlike a disposable tool, the fountain pen represents precision, intention, and craftsmanship. It is a deliberate choice for those who appreciate the quality of their tools. This reflects a configuration where every package and piece of code is chosen with care, favoring elegance and performance over clutter.

• The Glowing 'V': The purple, calligraphic 'V' is the heart of the logo. It represents the "magic" that happens when a powerful tool is perfectly tailored to its user.

  • The calligraphic style echoes the theme of craftsmanship and the beauty of the written word.
  • The magical glow signifies the power and extensibility of Emacs. It’s the spark of automation, the efficiency of a perfect workflow, and the feeling of wielding a tool that seems to anticipate your next move.
  • The subtle purple hue is a distinct nod to the heritage and community of GNU Emacs, grounding this personal creation in a rich history of powerful, free software.

Vellum is more than just a configuration; it is a declaration that the environment where we create should be as thoughtful and well-designed as the work we aim to produce with it.

Core Principles

• Elegance & Simplicity: A clean, beautiful, and unobtrusive interface that prioritizes the text.
• Performance: A fast, responsive, and lightweight environment. A well-crafted tool is sharp.
• Ergonomics: Thoughtful keybindings and workflows designed to be efficient and comfortable for long sessions.
• Durability: A stable base of packages with a modular structure that is easy to understand, maintain, and build upon.

Installation

1. Backup your existing Emacs configuration:

   # It's always wise to save your current setup
   mv ~/.emacs.d ~/.emacs.d.bak
   mv ~/.emacs ~/.emacs.bak

2. Clone the Vellum repository:

   git clone https://github.com/Xearty/vellum.git ~/.emacs.d

3. Launch Emacs: On the first launch, Emacs will automatically download and install the required packages.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.