Add a welcome screen on startup

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 ### New features
 
+- Add a welcome screen shown on startup (unless Emacs is launched to open specific files). It points you at the essentials (personal config location, how to enable modules, the user manual) and offers quick access to recent files, known projects and bookmarks, plus a rotating tip. Reopen it any time with `M-x prelude-welcome`, or turn it off with `(setq prelude-welcome-screen nil)`.
 - Add `prelude-swift` module: Swift support via the tree-sitter powered `swift-ts-mode` and `sourcekit-lsp` (registered with Eglot, since Eglot has no built-in entry for Swift). Starts an LSP session through the usual `prelude-lsp-enable` abstraction.
 - Add `prelude-mistty` module: a terminal based on [MisTTY](https://github.com/szermatt/mistty), a pure-elisp shell/comint hybrid on top of `term.el` (no native module to compile). Rebinds Prelude's terminal key `C-c t` to `mistty`.
 - Add a `prelude-spell-checker` option to choose between `flyspell` (the default) and [jinx](https://github.com/minad/jinx), a faster libenchant-based spell checker that only checks the visible part of the buffer. Jinx is installed on demand and enabled as a single global mode; set `(setq prelude-spell-checker 'jinx)` in your personal config to opt in (requires libenchant and a C compiler).

README.md

@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ library to the mix. The final product offers an easy to use Emacs
 configuration for Emacs newcomers and lots of additional power for
 Emacs power users.
 
+![The Prelude welcome screen](docs/welcome-screen.png)
+
 Prelude is compatible **ONLY with GNU Emacs 29.1+**. In general
 you're advised to always run Prelude with the latest stable
 Emacs release.

core/prelude-custom.el

@@ -137,6 +137,13 @@ Only modes that don't derive from `prog-mode' should be listed here."
   :type 'number
   :group 'prelude)
 
+(defcustom prelude-welcome-screen t
+  "Non-nil values show Prelude's welcome screen on startup.
+The welcome screen is skipped when Emacs is started with file
+arguments (e.g. `emacs foo.rb')."
+  :type 'boolean
+  :group 'prelude)
+
 (defcustom prelude-theme 'zenburn
   "The default color theme, change this in your /personal/preload config."
   :type 'symbol

core/prelude-welcome.el

@@ -0,0 +1,202 @@
+;;; prelude-welcome.el --- Prelude's welcome screen. -*- lexical-binding: t; -*-
+;;
+;; Copyright (c) 2011-2026 Bozhidar Batsov
+;;
+;; Author: Bozhidar Batsov <bozhidar@batsov.com>
+;; URL: https://github.com/bbatsov/prelude
+;; Version: 1.1.0
+;; Keywords: convenience
+
+;; This file is not part of GNU Emacs.
+
+;;; Commentary:
+
+;; A simple welcome screen shown on startup (unless Emacs was launched
+;; with file arguments).  It points newcomers at the things they most
+;; need - where their personal config lives, how to enable modules,
+;; the user manual - and offers quick access to recent files, known
+;; projects and bookmarks.  Disable it with `prelude-welcome-screen'.
+
+;;; License:
+
+;; This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+;; modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License
+;; as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 3
+;; of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+;;
+;; This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+;; but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+;; MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+;; GNU General Public License for more details.
+;;
+;; You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+;; along with GNU Emacs; see the file COPYING.  If not, write to the
+;; Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor,
+;; Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA.
+
+;;; Code:
+
+(require 'seq)
+
+(defvar prelude-tips)
+(defvar prelude-user)
+(defvar prelude-dir)
+(defvar prelude-personal-dir)
+(defvar prelude-modules-file)
+
+(defconst prelude-welcome-banner
+  "\
+   _____  _____  ______ _     _    _ _____  ______
+  |  __ \\|  __ \\|  ____| |   | |  | |  __ \\|  ____|
+  | |__) | |__) | |__  | |   | |  | | |  | | |__
+  |  ___/|  _  /|  __| | |   | |  | | |  | |  __|
+  | |    | | \\ \\| |____| |___| |__| | |__| | |____
+  |_|    |_|  \\_\\______|______\\____/|_____/|______|"
+  "ASCII banner shown at the top of the Prelude welcome screen.")
+
+(defconst prelude-welcome-buffer-name "*prelude-welcome*"
+  "Name of the buffer holding the Prelude welcome screen.")
+
+(defvar prelude-welcome-mode-map
+  (let ((map (make-sparse-keymap)))
+    (define-key map (kbd "TAB") #'forward-button)
+    (define-key map (kbd "<backtab>") #'backward-button)
+    (define-key map (kbd "g") #'prelude-welcome-refresh)
+    map)
+  "Keymap for `prelude-welcome-mode'.")
+
+(define-derived-mode prelude-welcome-mode special-mode "Prelude Welcome"
+  "Major mode for the Prelude welcome screen."
+  (setq-local cursor-type nil)
+  (setq-local truncate-lines t))
+
+(defun prelude-welcome--heading (text)
+  "Insert a section heading TEXT."
+  (insert "\n  " (propertize text 'face 'bold) "\n"))
+
+(defun prelude-welcome--button (label help action)
+  "Insert a button labelled LABEL with HELP that runs ACTION when pushed."
+  (insert-text-button label
+                      'action (lambda (_button) (funcall action))
+                      'help-echo help
+                      'follow-link t))
+
+(defun prelude-welcome--modules-file ()
+  "Return the personal modules file, or the bundled sample if it's absent."
+  (if (and (boundp 'prelude-modules-file) (file-exists-p prelude-modules-file))
+      prelude-modules-file
+    (expand-file-name "sample/prelude-modules.el" prelude-dir)))
+
+(defun prelude-welcome--insert-getting-started ()
+  "Insert the getting-started links."
+  (prelude-welcome--heading "Getting started")
+  (insert "  ")
+  (prelude-welcome--button "[Personal config]"
+                           "Open your personal configuration directory"
+                           (lambda () (dired prelude-personal-dir)))
+  (insert "  ")
+  (prelude-welcome--button "[Enable modules]"
+                           "Edit the list of enabled Prelude modules"
+                           (lambda () (find-file (prelude-welcome--modules-file))))
+  (insert "  ")
+  (prelude-welcome--button "[User manual]"
+                           "Open the Prelude manual in your browser"
+                           (lambda () (browse-url "https://prelude.emacsredux.com")))
+  (insert "\n  ")
+  (prelude-welcome--button "[Update Prelude]" "Run prelude-update"
+                           #'prelude-update)
+  (insert "  ")
+  (prelude-welcome--button "[Update packages]" "Run prelude-update-packages"
+                           #'prelude-update-packages)
+  (insert "\n"))
+
+(defun prelude-welcome--insert-recent-files (n)
+  "Insert up to N recent files."
+  (when (bound-and-true-p recentf-list)
+    (prelude-welcome--heading "Recent files")
+    (dolist (file (seq-take recentf-list n))
+      (insert "  ")
+      (prelude-welcome--button (abbreviate-file-name file)
+                               (format "Open %s" file)
+                               (lambda () (find-file file)))
+      (insert "\n"))))
+
+(defun prelude-welcome--insert-projects (n)
+  "Insert up to N known projects."
+  (when (bound-and-true-p projectile-known-projects)
+    (prelude-welcome--heading "Projects")
+    (dolist (project (seq-take projectile-known-projects n))
+      (insert "  ")
+      (prelude-welcome--button (abbreviate-file-name project)
+                               (format "Switch to project %s" project)
+                               (lambda () (projectile-switch-project-by-name project)))
+      (insert "\n"))))
+
+(defun prelude-welcome--insert-bookmarks (n)
+  "Insert up to N bookmarks."
+  (require 'bookmark)
+  (let ((names (bookmark-all-names)))
+    (when names
+      (prelude-welcome--heading "Bookmarks")
+      (dolist (bookmark (seq-take names n))
+        (insert "  ")
+        (prelude-welcome--button bookmark
+                                 (format "Jump to bookmark %s" bookmark)
+                                 (lambda () (bookmark-jump bookmark)))
+        (insert "\n")))))
+
+(defun prelude-welcome--insert-tip ()
+  "Insert a random Prelude tip, if any are defined."
+  (when (bound-and-true-p prelude-tips)
+    (prelude-welcome--heading "Tip of the day")
+    (insert "  " (nth (random (length prelude-tips)) prelude-tips) "\n")))
+
+(defun prelude-welcome--render ()
+  "Build (or rebuild) and return the Prelude welcome buffer."
+  (let ((buf (get-buffer-create prelude-welcome-buffer-name)))
+    (with-current-buffer buf
+      (let ((inhibit-read-only t))
+        (erase-buffer)
+        (insert "\n" prelude-welcome-banner "\n\n")
+        (insert (propertize
+                 (format "  Welcome to Prelude, Master %s!\n"
+                         (or (bound-and-true-p prelude-user) "Emacs hacker"))
+                 'face 'bold))
+        (insert "  A sleek, modern, simple and powerful Emacs experience.\n")
+        (prelude-welcome--insert-getting-started)
+        (prelude-welcome--insert-recent-files 5)
+        (prelude-welcome--insert-projects 5)
+        (prelude-welcome--insert-bookmarks 5)
+        (prelude-welcome--insert-tip)
+        (insert (propertize
+                 "\n  TAB/S-TAB move between links   g refresh   q bury\n"
+                 'face 'font-lock-comment-face)))
+      (prelude-welcome-mode)
+      (goto-char (point-min)))
+    buf))
+
+(defun prelude-welcome-refresh ()
+  "Rebuild the Prelude welcome screen in place."
+  (interactive)
+  (prelude-welcome--render))
+
+(defun prelude-welcome ()
+  "Show the Prelude welcome screen."
+  (interactive)
+  (switch-to-buffer (prelude-welcome--render)))
+
+(defun prelude-welcome--file-args-p ()
+  "Non-nil if Emacs was launched with existing-file arguments."
+  (seq-some (lambda (arg)
+              (and (not (string-prefix-p "-" arg))
+                   (file-exists-p arg)))
+            (cdr command-line-args)))
+
+;; Show the welcome screen on startup, unless it's been disabled or
+;; Emacs was launched to open specific files.
+(when (and prelude-welcome-screen
+           (not (prelude-welcome--file-args-p)))
+  (setq initial-buffer-choice #'prelude-welcome--render))
+
+(provide 'prelude-welcome)
+;;; prelude-welcome.el ends here

docs/configuration.md

@@ -29,6 +29,23 @@ by adding the following snippets to your personal config:
     The first approach is better as it would prevent those UI elements from
     appearing temporarily.
 
+## Welcome Screen
+
+On startup Prelude greets you with a welcome screen that points you at the
+essentials - where your personal configuration lives, how to enable modules,
+and the user manual - and gives you quick access to your recent files, known
+projects and bookmarks. It's skipped automatically when you start Emacs to open
+specific files (e.g. `emacs foo.rb`).
+
+You can bring it back at any time with `M-x prelude-welcome`.
+
+If you'd rather not see it, set `prelude-welcome-screen` to `nil` in
+`personal/preload`:
+
+``` emacs-lisp
+(setq prelude-welcome-screen nil)
+```
+
 ## Color Themes
 
 Emacs provides a dozen of

init.el

@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ by Prelude.")
 (require 'prelude-mode)
 (require 'prelude-editor)
 (require 'prelude-global-keybindings)
+(require 'prelude-welcome)
 
 ;; macOS specific settings
 (when (eq system-type 'darwin)