[OS X Emacs] Newbie questions: colors, shell, latexmk, skim, macros

[Marius Hofert]

Dear Aquamacs experts,

I am a new user of Aquamacs. I work on a Macbook Pro (2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo; 
4 GB 1067 MHz DDR3; Mac OS X 10.6.8) with Aquamacs Version 2.3a for Mac OS X.

I have the following questions:

(1) I like to have a black background when working. I changed the foreground color to white and the background color to black. This, however, does not nicely fit together with certain colors, especially some parts in the help files are hardly visible. I know the Zenburn theme and how to install it (I just don't like it, though). Are there any other nicely chosen color themes available? (if so, where? and how to install them?)

(2) The Mac is configured so that opening a terminal opens /usr/bin/login, the default login shell [not /bin/bash]. There, I defined commands like "ll" for "ls -al", for example, and that's the only shell I use. On Aquamacs, I would like to open this shell, too. I typed in "M-x shell", however, my commands like "ll" do not work anymore. This is because M-x shell opens /bin/bash. 
(2.1) Where can I change this behavior in Aquamacs? [how can I set the default shell?] I found some advice here (http://www.masteringemacs.org/articles/2010/11/01/running-shells-in-emacs-overview/), but it seems a bit complicated. Is there a variable on can set (instead of having to adjust ~/Library/Preferences/Aquamacs Emacs/Preferences.el)
(2.2) I am wondering if it is good practice to change the shell. Maybe one should use /bin/bash on Mac as well (?)

(3) I use latexmk (4.26; 10 August 2011) to compile .tex documents and view them with skim. I have the following settings:
(3.1) In Skim: Preferences -> Sync -> "Check for file changes" (checked); "PDF-TeX Sync support": "Present: Aquamacs Emacs", "Command: emacsclient", and "Arguments: --no-wait + %line %file".
(3.2) In Aquamacs: 
(3.2.1) LaTeX -> Customize AUCTex -> Browse Options -> Tex Command 
        -> Tex Command List. I inserted (via INS) a new item with
        Name: latexmk
        Command: latexmk -pdf %s
        How: TeX-run-TeX
(3.2.2) LaTeX -> Customize AUCTex -> Browse Options -> Tex Command 
        -> Tex View -> Tex View Program Selection; In the line after
        "output-pdf", I have set "Value Menu" of "Viewer" to Skim (then saved)

My question is: Is this correct? Can it be improved? Did I forget anything?

Another problem is the following: When I have a new .tex file open (say, example.tex), I type in C-c C-c to compile it. After a new start of Aquamacs, the minibuffer says "Command: (default LaTeX)". Then I type in "latexmk". If everything works, I have to C-c C-c again to open Skim. If there was an error and I C-c C-c again, then "Command: (dafault latexmk)" shows up (which is good), so I just have to hit Return. 
a) How can I get "Command: (dafault latexmk)" as default right from the first time I C-c C-c? [so that I don't have to type it in when Aquamacs is restarted, for example]
b) If latexmk compiles without errors, how can I have Skim open up automatically (without typing C-c C-c again)?

(4) I have some quite complicated environments, which I frequently need. Where and how can I record/save these macros? The goal is to type in a certain key combination to get one of these complicated environments inserted in the .tex file.


Many thanks in advance.

Cheers,

Marius