Re: Finding the dump (redux)

[Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>]

> Cc: monnier@iro.umontreal.ca, emacs-devel@gnu.org
> From: Ali Bahrami <ali_gnu2@emvision.com>
> Date: Mon, 19 Apr 2021 10:39:17 -0600
> 
> > This has been considered back when the portable dumping ideas were
> > discussed.  One reason why it was rejected is because it would require
> > end users to have a C development toolchain if they want to re-dump
> > Emacs (with some of their own code added).  Support for re-dumping is
> > a goal in Emacs development, and although we are not there yet, doing
> > something that would prevent it is a non-starter.  We want users to be
> > able to re-dump Emacs using just Emacs and nothing else.
> > 
> 
>     Is it really a conflict? Can't we do both?
> 
> We would still have support for putting a pdump file
> next to the binary, or of using the --dump-file option.
> We could even retain the PATH_EXEC support if that helped.
> I don't think we need to take anything away, in terms of
> re-dumping Emacs using just Emacs.
> 
> What we'd be doing, is to provide the final default (backstop)
> dump internally, rather than on disk. If a dump is present through
> any other method, that one would be used. But if not, as I think would
> be the case for most emacs users who get it via some distro package,
> emacs would 'just work', without their having to even know about
> pdump. Most distros wouldn't ship any separate pdmp files, but
> end users could add what they want.

I don't understand: if the user re-dumps Emacs, then under your
suggestion the user will have the same problem with Emacs locating the
pdumper file as we have today.  So what did we fix, exactly?