Chapter 2: Getting Started - Your First Steps in Org-Mode

This might seem obvious given the book’s title, but let’s be explicit: Org-Mode runs in Emacs. While there are ports and implementations for other editors, you’re reading this book to learn the real thing—Org-Mode as it was meant to be experienced.

Here’s the good news: if you’re running Emacs 22.1 or later (and you definitely are), Org-Mode is already installed. No package manager wrestling required for basic functionality.

That said, you might want to update to the latest version. Org-mode is available on GNU ELPA, which is included in Emacs by default:

;; Add to your ~/.emacs or ~/.emacs.d/init.el
(require 'package)
(package-initialize)

Then M-x package-install RET org RET

(Translation for the Emacs-uninitiated: Hold Alt, press X, type “package-install”, press Enter, type “org”, press Enter. You’ll see this M-x notation a lot. M stands for Meta, which is Alt on modern keyboards.)

Let’s create your first .org file. In Emacs:

1. C-x C-f (Control-x, then Control-f) to open a file
2. Type ~/notes.org and press Enter
3. Emacs will create the file and automatically enable Org-Mode

Congratulations! You’re now in Org-Mode. Let’s type something:

#+begin_example

This is a top-level heading. The asterisk at the start makes it special.

Org files are organized as an outline. This structure is the foundation of everything else. #+end_example

Type this into your file (or something like it—creativity encouraged).

You could learn hundreds of Org-Mode keybindings, but let’s start with the five that matter most:

Go to your notes.org file and:

1. Create a heading called “My Projects”
2. Create three subheadings under it (use M-RET)
3. Add some text under each subheading
4. Practice folding and unfolding with TAB
5. Rearrange the subheadings with M-up and M-down
6. Promote one subheading to be a sibling of “My Projects” instead

Feel that? That’s the feeling of direct manipulation of information structure. It’s addictive.

While Org-Mode works out of the box, a few settings will improve your experience. Add this to your Emacs config file (~/.emacs.d/init.el or ~/.emacs):

;; Org-Mode configuration
(require 'org)

;; Set the directory where you'll keep org files
(setq org-directory "~/org")

;; Enable visual line mode for easier editing
(add-hook 'org-mode-hook 'visual-line-mode)

;; Make org files look prettier
(setq org-hide-leading-stars t
      org-startup-indented t)

;; Set syntax highlighting in code blocks
(setq org-src-fontify-natively t)

Don’t panic if elisp is unfamiliar. You’re not expected to become an Emacs Lisp programmer (though you might accidentally become one—it happens).

An Org file is fundamentally an outline with superpowers:

#+begin_example

You don’t need to put everything in one file (though some people do, and more power to them). A typical setup might look like:

~/org/
  ├── inbox.org          # Quick captures
  ├── projects.org       # Active projects
  ├── someday.org        # Ideas for later
  ├── reference.org      # Reference material
  └── archive.org        # Completed stuff

Org-Mode makes it easy to link between files, search across them, and build agenda views that aggregate from multiple sources. We’ll cover all of that later.

Before moving to the next chapter:

1. Create an ~/org directory
2. Create at least one .org file
3. Write an outline of something—maybe your current projects, or plans for world domination, or a recipe collection
4. Practice the five essential keybindings until they feel natural
5. Fold and unfold your document until the structure feels intuitive

You now know enough to use Org-Mode as a basic outliner. But that’s like knowing how to make a campfire when you’re sitting on an oil field. In the next chapters, we’ll ignite the real power: TODO items, timestamps, agenda views, and the features that transform Org-Mode from “nice outliner” to “life management system.”

Ready? Let’s continue.