Custom/define-minor-mode problem

[Michael Mauger <mmaug@yahoo.com>]

I noticed that my `recentf' menu of recently used files was suddenly
empty.  (It actually has been an issue for a while, I just got around to
addressing it today.)

Looking at an old copy of my .emacs, I noticed that the mode entry in
`custom-set-variables' has changed.

Was  '(recentf-mode t nil (recentf))
Now  '(recentf-mode t)

Reading the custom code, it makes sense that things are now broken.  I
define the `recentf-save-file' in custom and it's entry appears after the
`recentf-mode' entry.  Entries with a require list (the fourth member of
the custom entry) are deferred so that all the customizations for the
mode are complete.  There's no longer a require list, so the mode is
being enabled before its told where the old save file is.

The lack of a require list in the custom entry is problem with all minor
modes defined via `define-minor-mode'.  It is only noticable if the user
also customizes a variable whose name sorts after the mode variable's
name and the variable is used when the mode starts.

I spent some time looking at the new `define-minor-mode' code but my head
exploded.  Could someone with more experience with that code take a look
and see what needs to be done to get the :require property on the
defcustom for the mode?  

Thanks.