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From: jr@ALEXANDER.BBN.COM (John Robinson)
Newsgroups: comp.emacs
Subject: Re: GNU Emacs performance
Message-ID: <8705271957.AA24100@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Date: Wed, 27-May-87 15:57:58 EDT
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Posted: Wed May 27 15:57:58 1987
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>>   2.  Lisp code.  Significant parts of the GNU functionality is written
>>       in LISP.  Unfortunately, the LISP is interpreted, not compiled.
>>       For instance, several of our users here were using the C mode of
>>       GNU, and I noticed that those copies of emacs were using LOTS more
>>       cpu than users using the fundmental mode.  Other frequently used
>>       functions are written in LISP as well.

Well, lisp code can be byte-compiled; this makes it faster and
somewhat smaller.  Better would be to include any commonly-used elisp
packages in the shared image via the site-init.el file; then all the C
users share one copy of the (complied) elisp, and the swapping load
should drop.  Remember to up the PURESIZE parameter when making emacs
if you add a significant amount to the load image.

We have found this to be a big win.  Even on a worksatation, using
purified code helps since the pages don't need to be swapped out (they
are re-loaded from the execute image, not the swap device, and never
get written).

/jr