Emacs

How it works

The /add-emacs skill turns Emacs into a NanoClaw channel using a local HTTP bridge. There’s no cloud service or bot token involved — the Emacs client talks to NanoClaw over localhost, making it a zero-dependency integration for people who already live in Emacs.

The skill copies the Emacs adapter and the nanoclaw.el Lisp client in from the channels branch and adds a self-registration import to src/channels/index.ts. Once set up, you get a dedicated chat buffer where you can send messages, paste org-mode content, select code regions for review, and receive responses inline.

Setup

The skill runs in four phases:

1. Code changes — copies the Emacs channel implementation from the channels branch. This adds the HTTP bridge adapter, its tests, and the single-file emacs/nanoclaw.el client.
2. Environment — sets EMACS_ENABLED=true (required — the adapter won’t start without it), plus optional overrides: EMACS_CHANNEL_PORT (default 8766), EMACS_AUTH_TOKEN, and EMACS_PLATFORM_ID. The auth token is recommended even on single-user machines.
3. Emacs config — nanoclaw.el is a single file that needs only Emacs 27.1+ builtins (url, json, org), so there’s no package manager involved. The skill detects your Emacs flavor and gives you the right config snippet for Doom (load in config.el), Spacemacs (load-file in dotspacemacs/user-config), or vanilla (load-file in init.el).
4. Verification — tests the HTTP endpoint and confirms Emacs can reach it.

What you can do

Once connected, the Emacs integration supports several workflows:

• Chat buffer — open a dedicated *nanoclaw* buffer and have a conversation, just like a messaging app.
• Code review — select a region in any buffer and send it to the agent for review, explanation, or refactoring suggestions.
• Org-mode integration — send org headings, tables, or entire subtrees as context. Useful for meeting notes, draft writing, or structured research.
• Task scheduling — ask the agent to schedule tasks or reminders directly from the chat buffer.

Tips

• The HTTP bridge binds to localhost by default, so it’s not exposed to the network. If you need remote access (e.g., Emacs running on a different machine via TRAMP), you’ll need to adjust the bind address.
• Set EMACS_AUTH_TOKEN to a random string if you want an extra layer of security on the bridge endpoint.
• nanoclaw.el is self-contained — it doesn’t pull in external dependencies, only Emacs builtins. You point your config at wherever your NanoClaw checkout lives.
• Emacs runs alongside other channels. You can have WhatsApp, Telegram, and Emacs all connected at the same time, each with its own group context.