Emacs Bedrock 2.0 drops Emacs 29 support, adds lexical-binding and tree-sitter improvements

Emacs Bedrock 2.0 is a minimal starter kit that replaces the default Emacs configuration with hand-crafted defaults. It targets engineers who want to learn and modify their init files directly rather than rely on opaque package distributions. The update drops support for Emacs 29, which may require users to upgrade their editor or manually remove Emacs 31-specific code from the configuration. Bedrock’s design philosophy remains unchanged: it provides a single early-init.el and init.el file to copy into ~/.emacs.d/, with optional extras for popular third-party packages.

The most significant technical change is the enforcement of lexical-binding in all .el files. This modernises the codebase but may break compatibility with older Emacs Lisp snippets or packages that rely on dynamic binding. The starter kit now auto-installs third-party packages declared with use-package, reducing manual setup steps for new users. However, this behaviour can be disabled or modified by editing the init file directly, preserving Bedrock’s emphasis on transparency and user control.

Improvements to tree-sitter configuration and isearch behaviour aim to enhance usability without adding external dependencies. The built-in *Completions* buffer now auto-updates, and repeat-mode is enabled by default, streamlining common workflows. These changes are incremental rather than transformative, meaning existing users may not find a compelling reason to upgrade unless they need Emacs 31 features or lexical-binding. The lack of an automatic upgrade path reinforces Bedrock’s focus on manual configuration ownership.

Bedrock’s approach contrasts with larger Emacs distributions like Doom or Spacemacs, which abstract configuration behind layers of packages and modules. By avoiding telemetry and automatic updates, Bedrock prioritises privacy and simplicity, but at the cost of requiring users to manually merge changes when upgrading. The update’s compatibility break with Emacs 29 may frustrate users on older systems, though the maintainer suggests that removing Emacs 31-specific code is feasible with minimal effort.