Entering Emacs

emacs filename
or
emacs

Leaving Emacs

suspend Emacs (or iconify it under X)	C-z
exit Emacs permanently		C-x C-c

Files

read a file into Emacs			C-x C-f
save a file back to disk			C-x C-s
save all files				C-x s
insert contents of another file into this buffer	C-x i
replace this file with the file you really want	C-x C-v
write buffer to a specified file		C-x C-w

Getting Help

The Help system is simple. Type C-h and follow the directions. If you are a first-time user, type C-h t for a tutorial.

remove Help window			C-x 1
scroll Help window			ESC C-v
apropos: show commands matching a string	C-h a
show the function a key runs		 C-h c
describe a function			C-h f
get mode-specific information		C-h m

Error Recovery

abort partially typed or executing command	C-g
recover a file lost by a system crash	M-x recover-file
undo an unwanted change		C-x u or C-`
restore a buffer to its original contents	M-x revert-buffer
redraw garbaged screen			C-l

Incremental Search

search forward			C-s
search backward			C-r
regular expression search		C-M-s
reverse regular expression search		C-M-r
select previous search string		M-p
select next later search string		M-n
exit incremental search			RET
undo effect of last character		DEL
abort current search			C-g

Use C-s or C-r again to repeat the search in either direction. If Emacs is still searching, C-g cancels only the part not done.

set mark here		C-@ or C-SPC
exchange point and mark		C-x C-x
set mark arg words away		M-@
mark paragraph		M-h
mark page			C-x C-p
mark sexp			C-M-@
mark function		C-M-h
mark entire buffer		C-x h

Motion

entity to move over		backward	forward

character			 C-b	C-f
word			 M-b	M-f
line			 C-p	C-n
go to line beginning (or end)	 C-a	C-e
sentence			 M-a	M-e
paragraph			 M--	M-"
page			C-x [	C-x ]
sexp			C-M-b	C-M-f
function			C-M-a	C-M-e
go to buffer beginning (or end)	M-<	M->
scroll to next screen		 C-v
scroll to previous screen		 M-v
scroll left			 C-x <
scroll right			C-x >
scroll current line to center of screen	C-u C-l

Killing and Deleting

entity to kill			backward	forward
character (delete, not kill)	DEL	C-d
word			M-DEL	M-d
line (to end of)		M-0 C-k	C-k
sentence			C-x DEL	M-k
sexp			M-- C-M-k	C-M-k
kill region			C-w
copy region to kill ring		M-w
kill through next occurrence of char	M-z char
yank back last thing killed	C-y
replace last yank with previous kill	M-y