# bbatsov/prelude

Prelude is an enhanced Emacs 29.1+ distribution that should make your experience with Emacs both more pleasant and more powerful.

Repository: https://github.com/bbatsov/prelude
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/prelude
Homepage: https://prelude.emacsredux.com
Language: Emacs Lisp
License Family: other
Topics: emacs-lisp, emacs-prelude, emacs-distributions, emacs
Last push: 2026-07-20T09:03:05+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 78/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 93, release rhythm 45, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 5445, "days_push": 44, "days_rel": 157, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 1}
- flags: no_license
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 5327, forks 1864 (observed 2026-08-28T04:09:15.658532+00:00)

## What it is
Prelude is an enhanced Emacs distribution built on Emacs Lisp that bundles curated packages, sane defaults, and a modular configuration layer for Emacs 29.1+. It targets both newcomers wanting a pleasant out-of-the-box editor and power users wanting extra capabilities.

## Use cases
- set up a modern Emacs configuration quickly
- get sane defaults and better UX in Emacs
- auto-install programming modes on demand
- customize a modular Emacs setup
- migrate from vanilla Emacs to a curated distribution

## When to choose
- you want a batteries-included Emacs setup without hand-rolling config
- you're new to Emacs and want a friendly starting point
- you want a modular, easily customizable Emacs distribution

## When to avoid
- you prefer building your own minimal Emacs config from scratch
- you use Doom or Spacemacs-style modal editing workflows
- you need support for Emacs versions older than 29.1

## Facets
- artifact type: framework
- maturity: active
- function: developer-tools, editor, plugin-system
- domain: developer-tools, text-editors
- platform: windows, cross-platform
- tags: emacs, emacs-distribution, emacs-lisp, editor-configuration, starter-kit, linux, macos

## Member repositories
- bbatsov/prelude (main) score 78

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:09:15.658532+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-29T17:58:54.154746+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/bbatsov/prelude (fetched 2026-08-28T04:09:15.658532+00:00, sha 0675dfccd944)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.