Subject: Re: bug#60032: 30.0.50; [WISH] Customizing Info directories

From: Eli Zaretskii <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 13 Dec 2022 15:31:50 +0200

> From: Ihor Radchenko <[email-masked]>
> Date: Tue, 13 Dec 2022 13:19:37 +0000
> 
> I find the current customization of Info search path slightly awkward.
> 
> Emacs Info info page suggests to set INFOPATH environment variable.
> Yet, it is not something I feel comfortable doing (it is outside the
> nice warm Elisp VM).
> 
> There is also `Info-default-directory-list', but it only works for
> special non-default value of INFOPATH.
> 
> Currently, the only way I found to force adding directories as Info
> sources is the following:
> 
> (require 'info)
> (info-initialize)
> (add-to-list 'Info-directory-list "~/Git/org-mode/doc/")
> 
> which is awkward.
> 
> Would it be possible to introduce something like
> `Info-overriding-directory-list' to be added in front of Info path in
> Emacs? This will complement `Info-additional-directory-list'.

Please describe your use case, because I don't think I see why another
variable would be needed.  I guess you have INFOPATH defined (by
someone who is not you?), but you don't like its value or something?
It's not clear which problems you are trying to solve.

In general, I can say 2 things, which I'm sure you already know:

  . environment variables can be set inside Emacs
  . you can hack Info-directory-list in any number of ways, and do
    whatever you want with it, in Lisp

While the above two methods are not exactly what I'd suggest to an
Emacs an Info newbie, I definitely can see you using them.  So again,
I'm unsure what kind of awkwardness is bothering you.  Please
elaborate.