bug#70402: 29.3; Error in "(emacs)Package Installation" description.

[Philip Kaludercic <philipk@posteo.net>]

tpeplt <tpeplt@gmail.com> writes:

> Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org> writes:
>
>>> From: tpeplt <tpeplt@gmail.com>
>>> Date: Mon, 15 Apr 2024 15:03:25 -0400
>>> 
>>> 
>>> The final sentence in this paragraph says that
>>> ‘package-enable-at-startup’ cannot be set via Customize, but it is
>>> possible in Emacs 29.3 to set that variable via Customize.  Type the
>>> following:
>>> 
>>> M-x customize-option RET
>>> Customize variable: package-enable-at-startup RET
>>> 
>>> After this sequence, the buffer "*Customize Option: Package Enable At
>>> Startup*" is displayed, which according to the Emacs user manual should
>>> not be possible.
>
>>
>> I think you misunderstand what the manual attempts to convey: that
>> customizing this variable will not have the desired effect, because it
>> must be set before reading the init file.
>
> If I understand you correctly, then there are two reasons, rather than
> one, for why the variable ‘package-enable-at-startup’ should not be an
> (customizable) option:
>
> 1. Because the Emacs user manual says that it cannot be set (it can).
>
> 2. Because setting the variable via ‘customize-option’ has no effect (it
> happens too late in the initialization sequence?).
>
> If the user manual says that "something" cannot be done and doing so
> anyway would have no effect, then it should not be possible to do that
> "something."

When in doubt, "cannot" for Emacs usually means "will not do what you
want it to" instead of "it is not possible to", or that is at least how
I read the sentence here.  That being said, I guess the manual could be
clarified, or one could revert `package-enable-at-startup' to a regular
variable?  I am not sure what the policy on the last point is.

-- 
	Philip Kaludercic on peregrine