Subject: Re: bug#33654: 27.0.50; No record of init file errors printed in *Messages*

From: Eli Zaretskii <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 07 Dec 2018 09:13:40 +0200

> From: "N. Jackson" <[email-masked]>
> Date: Thu, 06 Dec 2018 19:42:05 -0500
> 
> When there is an error in the init file, so that Emacs fails to
> start normally, the user is not notified of the problem in the
> *Messages* buffer.

Generally, that happens when we cannot safely display anything, nor
even insert text into *Messages*, if problems occur early enough into
the startup process, because the necessary infrastructure is not yet
available.  But we do try our best, see below.  So your report, which
sounds as if there's a general non-display of any error or warning
messages in this case, is inaccurate.  Please be more specific
regarding the particular problems you saw that didn't get logged.

> Consequently, a user diligently checking *Messages* after Emacs
> startup to ensure that there were no problems, will fail to be
> informed of an init file error.

Such errors are generally displayed right away, after interrupting the
initialization process.  So I wonder what specific example do you have
in mind.

> Although a warning message is printed in a window, if Desktop
> restores many frames, the warning message will probably be buried
> and may never be seen. [Perhaps the window with the warning message
> should be displayed in the frame that has focus after Desktop
> restore is finished?]

Are you talking about errors or warnings?  And did you include the
*Warnings* buffer in your review?  That's where we put delayed
warnings from the initialization process.  More generally, did you
read up on the "delayed warnings" machinery?