GNU bug report logs - #75022
31.0.50; --init-directory sets user-emacs-directory after user eln-cache is set

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Message #5 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: "Jordan Isaacs" <jordan <at> snowytrees.dev>
To: bug-gnu-emacs <at> gnu.org
Subject: 31.0.50;
 --init-directory sets user-emacs-directory after user eln-cache is set
Date: Sun, 22 Dec 2024 03:57:01 -0800

In startup.el, the user-emacs-directory and the user eln-cache are set up before processing command line args.
The user eln-cache is then gets updated after the early-init.el is loaded. This leaves a gap where early-init.el is
loaded without the correct eln-cache directory. This means there will always be a cache miss if the early-init.eln
file was in the `--init-directory`.

To fix this, either `--init-directory` needs to be read before setting up the user eln-cache, or a call to `startup--update-eln-cache` needs to be called after command line args are processed since user-emacs-directory may have changed (from `--init-directory`).

Message #8 received at 75022 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
To: "Jordan Isaacs" <jordan <at> snowytrees.dev>
Cc: 75022 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#75022: 31.0.50;
 --init-directory sets user-emacs-directory after user eln-cache is set
Date: Sun, 22 Dec 2024 14:44:58 +0200

> Date: Sun, 22 Dec 2024 03:57:01 -0800
> From: "Jordan Isaacs" <jordan <at> snowytrees.dev>
> 
> In startup.el, the user-emacs-directory and the user eln-cache are set up before processing command line args.
> The user eln-cache is then gets updated after the early-init.el is loaded. This leaves a gap where early-init.el is
> loaded without the correct eln-cache directory. This means there will always be a cache miss if the early-init.eln
> file was in the `--init-directory`.
> 
> To fix this, either `--init-directory` needs to be read before setting up the user eln-cache, or a call to `startup--update-eln-cache` needs to be called after command line args are processed since user-emacs-directory may have changed (from `--init-directory`).

You are not supposed to have in early-init.el stuff that needs to be
natively-compiled.  early-init.el is for changing the few variables
which affect the initialization stage, and that doesn't need native
code.  You are supposed to have most of your configuration in the
normal init file, not in early-init.el.

As for the --init-directory, it doesn't affect the search for your
init files, it only affects the value of user-emacs-directory (for
looking up other files).

So I don't think I understand why you are asking for changes in how
the startup code works in Emacs.  Please tell more about your use
case.

Message #11 received at 75022 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
To: "Jordan Isaacs" <jordan <at> snowytrees.dev>
Cc: 75022 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#75022: 31.0.50;
 --init-directory sets user-emacs-directory after user eln-cache is set
Date: Sun, 22 Dec 2024 18:26:33 +0200

> Date: Sun, 22 Dec 2024 05:12:47 -0800
> From: "Jordan Isaacs" <jordan <at> snowytrees.dev>
> Cc: 75022 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
> 
> > So I don't think I understand why you are asking for changes in how
> > the startup code works in Emacs.  Please tell more about your use
> > case.
> 
> I have a read-only directory of my init.el and early-init.el along with the
> byte compiled versions of them. So I call emacs with --init-directory:

I'm asking why did you compile early-init.el.  What do you have in it
that can benefit from byte-compilation, let alone native compilation?

Message #14 received at 75022 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: "Jordan Isaacs" <jordan <at> snowytrees.dev>
To: "Eli Zaretskii" <eliz <at> gnu.org>
Cc: 75022 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#75022: 31.0.50;
 --init-directory sets user-emacs-directory after user eln-cache is set
Date: Sun, 22 Dec 2024 05:12:47 -0800

> As for the --init-directory, it doesn't affect the search for your
> init files, it only affects the value of user-emacs-directory (for
> looking up other files).

The issue is the `--init-directory` updated the user-emacs-directory, but there
was no corresponding call to update the eln-cache directory (startup--update-eln-cache).
There are comments throughout startup.el about updating the cache directory whenever
user-emacs-directory is changed. It is missing that call post command line evaluation.
 
> So I don't think I understand why you are asking for changes in how
> the startup code works in Emacs.  Please tell more about your use
> case.

I have a read-only directory of my init.el and early-init.el along with the
byte compiled versions of them. So I call emacs with --init-directory:

/nix/store/ln4pwf5blaqiynydrcn344zn7kbfn6vs-emacs-config
├── early-init.el -> /nix/store/qq073crkwrjvpfrfnsbsqq502c8k0a5y-emacs-config-init-1/share/emacs/site-lisp/early-init.el
├── early-init.elc -> /nix/store/qq073crkwrjvpfrfnsbsqq502c8k0a5y-emacs-config-init-1/share/emacs/site-lisp/early-init.elc
├── eln-cache
│   └── 31.0.50-0186c17f
│       ├── early-init-ca07bdae-ee82ea37.eln -> /nix/store/qq073crkwrjvpfrfnsbsqq502c8k0a5y-emacs-config-init-1/share/emacs/native-lisp/31.0.50-0186c17f/early-init-ca07bdae-ee82ea37.eln
│       └── init-ab609663-d324ef3d.eln -> /nix/store/qq073crkwrjvpfrfnsbsqq502c8k0a5y-emacs-config-init-1/share/emacs/native-lisp/31.0.50-0186c17f/init-ab609663-d324ef3d.eln
├── init.el -> /nix/store/qq073crkwrjvpfrfnsbsqq502c8k0a5y-emacs-config-init-1/share/emacs/site-lisp/init.el
└── init.elc -> /nix/store/qq073crkwrjvpfrfnsbsqq502c8k0a5y-emacs-config-init-1/share/emacs/site-lisp/init.elc

However, when I remove any mutable eln-cache directory I get the following message:

"Error muted by safe_call: (apply native--compile-async ("/nix/store/ln4pwf5blaqiynydrcn344zn7kbfn6vs-emacs-config/early-init.el" nil late)) signaled (error "Cannot find suitable directory for output in ‘native-comp-eln-load-path’.")"

Or, when I do give it a mutable eln-cache directory, it ends up recompiling it in the background doing unnecessary work:

/home/jd/.local/state/emacs/eln-cache/31.0.50-0186c17f/
└── early-init-ed4380c6-4ba9e9ac.eln

When I set add  `/nix/store/ln4pwf5blaqiynydrcn344zn7kbfn6vs-emacs-config/eln-cache` to `EMACSNATIVELOADPATH` everything works great. But ideally, startup.el should respect `--init-directory` and update the eln-cache location for you
before loading early-init.el

Message #17 received at 75022 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: "Jordan Isaacs" <jordan <at> snowytrees.dev>
To: "Eli Zaretskii" <eliz <at> gnu.org>
Cc: 75022 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#75022: 31.0.50;
 --init-directory sets user-emacs-directory after user eln-cache is set
Date: Sun, 22 Dec 2024 13:26:04 -0800

Because it is read only, there is no reason not to byte compile everything. I just make it part of the build step when packaging up my configuration.

The reasoning for why I byte compile though seems irrelevant, it’s a bug with a simple fix. The eln-cache path isn’t staying in sync with user-emacs-directory. 

    (let ((old-face-font-rescale-alist face-font-rescale-alist))
      (unwind-protect
	  (command-line)
+  (when (featurep 'native-compile)
+     (startup--update-eln-cache))

Message #20 received at 75022 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
To: "Jordan Isaacs" <jordan <at> snowytrees.dev>, Andrea Corallo <acorallo <at> gnu.org>
Cc: 75022 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#75022: 31.0.50;
 --init-directory sets user-emacs-directory after user eln-cache is set
Date: Mon, 23 Dec 2024 14:49:49 +0200

> Date: Sun, 22 Dec 2024 13:26:04 -0800
> From: "Jordan Isaacs" <jordan <at> snowytrees.dev>
> Cc: 75022 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
> 
> Because it is read only, there is no reason not to byte compile everything. I just make it part of the build step when packaging up my configuration.
> 
> The reasoning for why I byte compile though seems irrelevant, it’s a bug with a simple fix. The eln-cache path isn’t staying in sync with user-emacs-directory. 
> 
>     (let ((old-face-font-rescale-alist face-font-rescale-alist))
>       (unwind-protect
> 	  (command-line)
> +  (when (featurep 'native-compile)
> +     (startup--update-eln-cache))

I'm not at all sure it's indeed so simple to change the eln-cache in
the middle of a session, but let's hear what Andrea (CC'ed) thinks
about this.

Message #23 received at 75022 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Andrea Corallo <acorallo <at> gnu.org>
To: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
Cc: 75022 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, Jordan Isaacs <jordan <at> snowytrees.dev>
Subject: Re: bug#75022: 31.0.50; --init-directory sets user-emacs-directory
 after user eln-cache is set
Date: Sun, 29 Dec 2024 06:25:18 -0500

Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org> writes:

>> Date: Sun, 22 Dec 2024 13:26:04 -0800
>> From: "Jordan Isaacs" <jordan <at> snowytrees.dev>
>> Cc: 75022 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
>> 
>> Because it is read only, there is no reason not to byte compile everything. I just make it part of the build step when packaging up my configuration.
>> 
>> The reasoning for why I byte compile though seems irrelevant, it’s a bug with a simple fix. The eln-cache path isn’t staying in sync with user-emacs-directory. 
>> 
>>     (let ((old-face-font-rescale-alist face-font-rescale-alist))
>>       (unwind-protect
>> 	  (command-line)
>> +  (when (featurep 'native-compile)
>> +     (startup--update-eln-cache))
>
> I'm not at all sure it's indeed so simple to change the eln-cache in
> the middle of a session, but let's hear what Andrea (CC'ed) thinks
> about this.

I have nothing in my mind which suggests this should not work, I think
that if the patch is tested and seems to work we could try it on master.

  Andrea

Message #28 received at 75022-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
To: Andrea Corallo <acorallo <at> gnu.org>
Cc: jordan <at> snowytrees.dev, 75022-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#75022: 31.0.50; --init-directory sets user-emacs-directory
 after user eln-cache is set
Date: Sat, 04 Jan 2025 14:45:31 +0200

> From: Andrea Corallo <acorallo <at> gnu.org>
> Cc: "Jordan Isaacs" <jordan <at> snowytrees.dev>,  75022 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
> Date: Sun, 29 Dec 2024 06:25:18 -0500
> 
> Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org> writes:
> 
> >> Date: Sun, 22 Dec 2024 13:26:04 -0800
> >> From: "Jordan Isaacs" <jordan <at> snowytrees.dev>
> >> Cc: 75022 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
> >> 
> >> Because it is read only, there is no reason not to byte compile everything. I just make it part of the build step when packaging up my configuration.
> >> 
> >> The reasoning for why I byte compile though seems irrelevant, it’s a bug with a simple fix. The eln-cache path isn’t staying in sync with user-emacs-directory. 
> >> 
> >>     (let ((old-face-font-rescale-alist face-font-rescale-alist))
> >>       (unwind-protect
> >> 	  (command-line)
> >> +  (when (featurep 'native-compile)
> >> +     (startup--update-eln-cache))
> >
> > I'm not at all sure it's indeed so simple to change the eln-cache in
> > the middle of a session, but let's hear what Andrea (CC'ed) thinks
> > about this.
> 
> I have nothing in my mind which suggests this should not work, I think
> that if the patch is tested and seems to work we could try it on master.

OK, installed on master, and closing the bug.

Thanks.

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