RE: Window configuration

[Drew Adams]

> > > I swear, if emacs "steals" a window to reuse for something 
> > > else again, I'm going to swing an axe at it.
> > > 
> > > Is there any way to specify that windows containing buffers 
> > > which have a certain mode should *never* be reused or closed
> > > unless specifically by user action (for example visiting a
> > > new file from the window)?
> > 
> > Yes, make them dedicated windows.
> > See the Elisp manual, node `Dedicated Windows'.
> > See the Elisp manual, node `Choosing Window'.
> > 
> > The easiest way to do this is to use 
> > `special-display-regexps', giving it a
> > regexp that matches all buffer names.  By default, a 
> > "special-display" buffer is shown in a dedicated window.
> 
> I forgot to answer your question about making this mode-specific.
> You can do that using `set-window-dedicated-p' on a mode hook.
> Or if all buffers in the mode in question have a certain name
> pattern, then you can use `special-buffer-regexps'.

Or customize the mode-hook variable (e.g. `emacs-lisp-mode-hook') to add a
function like this:

(lambda ()
  (make-local-variable 'special-display-regexps)
  (add-to-list 'special-display-regexps ".*"))

FWIW, I filed an Emacs bug to improve the doc about this for users:
http://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi/bugreport.cgi?bug=6280