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I am trying to set the number of spaces per indent for starting a new function in sh-mode (bash sub-mode). I have tried setting:

'(sh-basic-offset 2)
'(sh-indentation 2)
'(smie-indent-basic 2)

(as shown in custom-set-variables in .emacs) and some others as well, but none of them have had any effect!

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  • The way to set variables is not via custom-set-variables (which is the thing used internally by Customize but is not meant to be used by hand). Better use things like (setq sh-basic-offset 2). Commented Nov 4, 2017 at 17:25

3 Answers 3

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Setting sh-basic-offset to the required indentation is what is needed - but what I didn't realise is, it's also necessary to close and reopen all shell script files before the customisation takes effect. I can't remember ever having to do this before in emacs.

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  • 1
    After changing .emacs, you must either quit emacs and restart it, or use M-x load-file to reload your .emacs If you want to reload a file that you have open in your editor, you can say C-x C-v RETURN to "revisit" it. Commented Jan 13, 2017 at 19:09
  • @AlexL load-file does not work in this particular case. Like I said, this is very unusual. Usually simply customising a variable is sufficient. Commented Apr 4, 2017 at 10:36
  • Hmm...do you know why this would be @robin-green? I'm curious. Commented Apr 4, 2017 at 19:22
  • You can also use M-x set-variable if you want to just change this for the buffer you are working in. Commented Apr 1, 2020 at 15:35
  • Worth noting that nowadays the effect is immediate, i.e. no need to reopen the file. Commented Jan 18, 2022 at 14:36
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I set-basic-offset to 2 but that didn't seem to work, I went back pressed C-h v sh-<TAB> and realized that there was a sh-indentation I set that variable to 2 and everything seems to work like a charm now.

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  • Please clarify what you mean by "set-basic-offset" and also clarify exactly how you "set that variable to 2". Commented Nov 4, 2017 at 16:12
  • The forum omitted tab because I placed in between the greater than and less than character. C-h v sh- "press tab" autocomplete will show you a list of variables. Commented Nov 7, 2017 at 11:23
  • I fixed your markup, but your comment still doesn't explain what you meant by "set-basic-offset" nor how you "set that variable to 2". Commented Nov 7, 2017 at 18:49
  • This variable is obsolete since 26.1, use sh-basic-offset instead. Commented Apr 5, 2019 at 19:39
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I had the same experience as Albaro: setting sh-basic-offset having no effect, but setting sh-indentation working as expected.

In my case, I evaluated (setq sh-basic-offset 2) from with emacs, eg. via M-x eval-expression. I am running GNU Emacs 25.2.2 (x86_64-pc-linux-gnu, GTK+ Version 3.22.21) of 2017-09-22, modified by Debian. My major mode is Shell-script.

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