Subject: bug#78222: package-vc-from-checkout generates incorrect package summaries

From: JD Smith <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 2 May 2025 20:16:52 -0400

`package-vc-install-from-checkout' fails to generate correct package summaries in the package files it generates, always using "No description available."  

The issue is as follows:

    • `package-vc-install-from-checkout' uses `package-desc-create' to create a description structure based on the directory name of the installed package.
    • This constructor includes a default `summary' slot of `package--default-summary' ("No description available.")
    • During unpacking, `package-vc--generate-description-file' is called with this pre-populated description structure.
    • It notices the existence of the (default) `package-desc-summary', and simply skips reading the main package file to derive the summary from its header line.

The solution may be to alter the test logic in  `package-vc--generate-description-file', or let-bind `package--default-summary=nil' during structure creation.