Add option to disable spacemacs buffer on startup

[padde]

I would like to have just a scratch buffer on startup, and it seems this cannot be achieved easily at the moment. Currently I am using the following workaround:

(defun dotspacemacs/user-config ()
  ;; ...
  (when (string= "*scratch*" (buffer-name))
    (spacemacs/switch-to-scratch-buffer))
  )

However, it would be nice to be able to disable it altogether with a proper configuration option. This way I wouldn't have to wait for the spacemacs buffer to be built and displayed, just to discard it immediately.

[TheBB]

For everyone who are confused, the key point is to not switch buffer if Emacs is called with filename arguments.

[vaz]

+1 on that @TheBB - I like the home buffer if I'm starting without arguments.

[ginhton]

Edit file ~/.emacs.d/core/core-spacemacs.el
Comment out the following lines:

  (setq inhibit-startup-screen t)
  (spacemacs-buffer/goto-buffer)

to

(setq inhibit-startup-screen nil)
;; (setq inhibit-startup-screen t)
;;  (spacemacs-buffer/goto-buffer)

[lzhang10]

Any update on this? So far the code from @padde is the only way I can avoid a brief flashing of the big *spacemacs* buffer when launching emacsclient from command line. Assuming the *scratch* buffer is blank.

[tasmo]

What about this?

(defun dotspacemacs/user-config ()
  (kill-buffer "*spacemacs*"))

[thammegowda]

This worked #6899 (comment) Thanks @ginhton

P.S. Remember to restart the daemon if a daemon is in use!

[jiahut]

add this at dotspacemacs/user-config

 (add-hook 'server-switch-hook (lambda nil ( (kill-buffer "*scratch*"))))

[lixianyang]

@ginhton this worked, thanks! But has a warning:

Warning (initialization): An error occurred while loading ‘/home/lee/.emacs.d/init.el’:

Search failed: Search in Spacemacs]

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.

And when start emacs with --debug-init, this warn disappeared

[diego898]

@tasmo's comment seem to do it for me - would love a built in option

[c02y]

I'm thinking, an spacemacs varibale should be provied that spacemacs buffer shoulnd't be created during startup, this will descrease the time of startup of spacemacs.

[Mic92]

This snippet makes *scratch* the initial buffer instead:

(defun dotspacemacs/user-config ()
  (setq initial-buffer-choice (lambda () (get-buffer "*scratch*"))))

[duianto]

Mic92's suggestion doesn't seem to be working for me. The Spacemacs buffer is still shown on startup.

The variables value after starting says:

initial-buffer-choice is a variable defined in ‘startup.el’.
Its value is (closure (t) nil (get-buffer "scratch"))
Original value was nil

Windows 1903

#### System Info :computer:
- OS: windows-nt
- Emacs: 26.3
- Spacemacs: 0.300.0
- Spacemacs branch: develop (rev. 7f92a4388)
- Graphic display: t
- Distribution: spacemacs
- Editing style: vim
- Completion: helm
- Layers:
```elisp
(autohotkey auto-completion command-log emacs-lisp git github helm imenu-list markdown multiple-cursors org
            (shell :variables shell-default-shell 'shell shell-default-height 30 shell-default-position 'bottom)
            spell-checking syntax-checking treemacs version-control)
```
- System configuration features: XPM JPEG TIFF GIF PNG RSVG SOUND NOTIFY ACL GNUTLS LIBXML2 ZLIB TOOLKIT_SCROLL_BARS THREADS LCMS2

[peterhoeg]

Mic92's suggestion doesn't seem to be working for me

Are you running emacs in daemon/server mode by chance?

[Mic92]

@peterhoeg Yes. I do: https://github.com/Mic92/dotfiles/blob/master/nixpkgs-config/emacs.nix#L74

[duianto]

Are you running emacs in daemon/server mode by chance?

That first test wasn't with a running as a daemon/server setup.

But now when starting: emacs --daemon
and: emacsclient -c
Then a Spacemacs frame opens at the scratch buffer.

[russell]

Redefining the following 2 functions in your .spacemacs file removes the startup screen

(defun spacemacs-buffer/goto-buffer (&optional refresh))
(defun spacemacs-buffer/display-startup-note ())
(defun spacemacs-buffer//startup-hook ())

That being said, they are the 3 functions that would need to be investigated to disable this functionality via a variable.

[susoooo]

Thanks @russell ....

That worked for me like a champ!

[ghost]

Thanks @russell, this also worked for me :)

[GiulioCocconi]

@russell solution gives me a warning...
Error (use-package): vi-tilde-fringe/:init: No buffer named *spacemacs*

[rkachach]

In my case I solved it by inserting the definitions in the init.el file, otherwise I got an error during the startup:

(if (not (version<= spacemacs-emacs-min-version emacs-version))
    (error (concat "Your version of Emacs (%s) is too old. "
                   "Spacemacs requires Emacs version %s or above.")
           emacs-version spacemacs-emacs-min-version)
  ;; Disable file-name-handlers for a speed boost during init
  (let ((file-name-handler-alist nil))
    (require 'core-spacemacs)
    (defun spacemacs-buffer/goto-buffer (&optional refresh))

    ;; here the new redefined functions
    (defun spacemacs-buffer/display-startup-note ())
    (defun spacemacs-buffer//startup-hook ())
    (spacemacs/dump-restore-load-path)

    (configuration-layer/load-lock-file)
    (spacemacs/init)
    (configuration-layer/stable-elpa-init)
    (configuration-layer/load)
    (spacemacs-buffer/display-startup-note)
    (spacemacs/setup-startup-hook)
    (spacemacs/dump-eval-delayed-functions)
    (when (and dotspacemacs-enable-server (not (spacemacs-is-dumping-p)))
      (require 'server)
      (when dotspacemacs-server-socket-dir
        (setq server-socket-dir dotspacemacs-server-socket-dir))
      (unless (server-running-p)
        (message "Starting a server...")
        (server-start)))))

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