Joost Kremers <joostkremers@fastmail.fm> writes:

> On Sat, Sep 05 2020, Mauro Aranda wrote:
>> Joost Kremers <joostkremers@fastmail.fm> writes:
>>
>>> - Given the following init file:
>>>
>>> ```
>>> (setq custom-file "~/.emacs.d/custom.el")
>>>
>>> (require 'package)
>>> ;; (add-to-list 'package-archives '("melpa"
>>> . "http://melpa.org/packages/
>> "))
>>> (setq package-enable-at-startup nil)
>>> (package-initialize)
>>>
>>> (load custom-file)
>>> ```
>>>
>>> - Customize some option (e.g., `fill-column') with `M-x
>>>   customize-option'. (This is not an essential step, it just
>>> serves to
>>>   illustrate the problem.)
>>>
>>> - Install a package that has some dependency, e.g., ace-window,
>>> which
>>>   has avy as a dependency.
>>>
>>>
>>>     M-x package-install RET ace-window RET
>>>
>>>
>>> - Close Emacs and do (from a shell):
>>>
>>>     $ rm -rf ~/.emacs.d/elpa/avy-*
>>>
>>> - Restart Emacs (this will give an error about not being able to
>>> load
>>>   ace-window, because its dependency avy is not met.)
>>>
>>> - Install avy:
>>>
>>>     M-x package-install RET avy RET
>>>
>>> At this point, the custom file ~/.emacs.d/custom.el is overwritten:
>>> the
>>> custom setting for `fill-column' is gone.
>>>
>>> The bug is dependent on `package-enable-at-startup' being set to
>>> nil and
>>> `custom-file' being set. If either of these conditions isn't met,
>>> the
>>> bug doesn't occur.
>>>
>>
>> I can't try this recipe with Emacs 25, but with Emacs 26.3 and
>> beyond
>> I'm unable to reproduce it.  The fill-column setting stays there
>> after I
>> follow these steps.
>>
>> Have you seen anything like this lately? Or is it possible that this
>> was
>> fixed over the years?
>
> I haven't seen anything like this happen again since I made the bug
> report. If it's not reproducible, then I guess it's safe to assume it
> was fixed somehow.

Ok, closing this bug.  Thanks.