Subject: package-initialize not run
From: Juanma Barranquero <[email-masked]>
To: Bug-Gnu-Emacs <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 17 Jun 2013 04:34:16 +0200
List-Id: <debbugs-submit.debbugs.gnu.org>

Package: emacs
Version: 24.3.50
X-Debbugs-CC: [email-masked]

package-initialize is not being run because the code to detect
description files does

  (when (let ((subdir (expand-file-name subdir dir)))
          (and (file-directory-p subdir)
               (file-exists-p
                (package--description-file subdir))))
    (throw 'package-dir-found t)))))))

but package--description-file does not return an absolute filename, so
file-exists-p fails.

Either this patch is needed,

=== modified file 'lisp/startup.el'
--- lisp/startup.el 2013-06-15 15:36:11 +0000
+++ lisp/startup.el 2013-06-17 02:21:06 +0000
@@ -1204,5 +1204,7 @@
                          (and (file-directory-p subdir)
                               (file-exists-p
-                               (package--description-file subdir))))
+                               (expand-file-name
+                                (package--description-file subdir)
+                                subdir))))
    (throw 'package-dir-found t)))))))
        (package-initialize))

or modifying package--description-file to return an absolute path.