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### 5.4 How do I debug a `.emacs` file?

Start Emacs with the ‘`-debug-init`’ command-line option. This enables the Emacs Lisp debugger before evaluating your `.emacs` file, and places you in the debugger if something goes wrong. The top line in the `trace-back` buffer will be the error message, and the second or third line of that buffer will display the Lisp code from your `.emacs` file that caused the problem.

You can also evaluate an individual function or argument to a function in your `.emacs` file by moving the cursor to the end of the function or argument and typing `C-x C-e` (`M-x eval-last-sexp`).

Use `C-h v` (`M-x describe-variable`) to check the value of variables which you are trying to set or use.