GNU bug report logs - #22727
Managing packages writes the user init file

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Message #17 received at 22727 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Angelo Graziosi <angelo.graziosi <at> alice.it>
To: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
Cc: 22727 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, johnw <at> gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#22727: Managing packages writes the user init file
Date: Thu, 18 Feb 2016 23:04:09 +0100

Il 18/02/2016 21:29, Eli Zaretskii ha scritto:
>> Cc: 22727 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, johnw <at> gnu.org
>> From: Angelo Graziosi <angelo.graziosi <at> alice.it>
>> Date: Thu, 18 Feb 2016 19:49:15 +0100
>>
>> The problem here is NOT that when one customizes something this is saved
>> in the init file but that also when one does not customize anything, the
>> init file is changed, more or less silently. For example clicking
>> Options -Manage Emacs packages.
>
> If we solve this part, i.e. avoid modifying .emacs until the user
> actually selects some packages to install, would that address your
> concerns that triggered this bug report?

No.


1.

As I tried to explain, I haven't opened this report to see fixed an 
issue for me. Please read: 
http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/emacs-devel/2016-02/msg00989.html

On emacs-devel there is a discussion in which others think Emacs should 
not change the init file when one manages Emacs packages.


2.

Since I discovered this behavior, each time I need to manege packages (I 
have some packages installed from MELPA), I save my init file and 
restore it after the managing. So I never used those additions and Emacs 
seems to work the same. Indeed I don't understand why installing 
packages should change MY init file..


3.

Anyway, I am not an Emacs developer so it could be the case that for 
some obscure (to me) reason, Emacs needs those additions/informations. 
If this is true, why not use another packages configuration files? On 
emacs-devel it seems that other users/developers would prefer that.. 
Given the nature of the addictions,

(custom-set-variables
 ;; custom-set-variables was added by Custom.
 ;; If you edit it by hand, you could mess it up, so be careful.
 ;; Your init file should contain only one such instance.
 ;; If there is more than one, they won't work right.
 '(package-selected-packages (quote (bla bla bla))))
(custom-set-faces
 ;; custom-set-faces was added by Custom.
 ;; If you edit it by hand, you could mess it up, so be careful.
 ;; Your init file should contain only one such instance.
 ;; If there is more than one, they won't work right.
 )

why not to use a separate file also for Options - Customize Emacs? If I 
understand the discussion on emacs-devel someone proposes to use 
something like "customize-emacs" both for managing packages and 
"Customize Emacs". This seems reasonable. Se also 
http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-gnu-emacs/2016-02/msg01034.html, 
where I reported a raw example how things could be from the end user POV.

In any case, I can live with current status.


4.

This thread seems to have all the prerequisites to become another of 
those endless thread, so please close this bug report (who is interested 
could always reopen another) or remove me from the discussion.


  Thanks,
    Angelo.


>
> As for silent modifications: if the user accepts some options that
> should remain in effect for future sessions, that's a reason good
> enough to save these settings.  This is what Custom does when you save
> the customizations for future sessions.
>
> Thanks.
>

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