Lars Ingebrigtsen [2022-05-31 12:09 -0400] wrote:

> branch: master
> commit 1d4e90341782030cc7d8c29c639450b079587908
> Author: Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi@gnus.org>
> Commit: Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi@gnus.org>
>
>     Speed up generation of loaddefs files

[...]

>     * lisp/emacs-lisp/package.el: Use loaddefs-generate instead of
>     make-directory-autoloads.

[...]

> diff --git a/lisp/emacs-lisp/package.el b/lisp/emacs-lisp/package.el
> index b340848a6f..48551f59b4 100644
> --- a/lisp/emacs-lisp/package.el
> +++ b/lisp/emacs-lisp/package.el
> @@ -1003,6 +1003,7 @@ untar into a directory named DIR; otherwise, signal an error."
>  
>  (defun package-autoload-ensure-default-file (file)
>    "Make sure that the autoload file FILE exists and if not create it."
> +  (declare (obsolete nil "29.1"))
>    (unless (file-exists-p file)
>      (require 'autoload)
>      (let ((coding-system-for-write 'utf-8-emacs-unix))
> @@ -1021,8 +1022,11 @@ untar into a directory named DIR; otherwise, signal an error."
>           (autoload-timestamps nil)
>           (backup-inhibited t)
>           (version-control 'never))
> -    (package-autoload-ensure-default-file output-file)
> -    (make-directory-autoloads pkg-dir output-file)
> +    (loaddefs-generate
> +     pkg-dir output-file
> +     nil
> +     "(add-to-list 'load-path (directory-file-name
> +                         (or (file-name-directory #$) (car load-path))))")
>      (let ((buf (find-buffer-visiting output-file)))
>        (when buf (kill-buffer buf)))
>      auto-name))

Since this change, installation and activation of packages lacking
autoloads signals a (demoted) error.  For example:

$ cd "$(mktemp -d)"
$ export HOME="$PWD" XDG_CONFIG_HOME="$PWD/.config"
$ emacs -Q -f toggle-debug-on-error
(setq package-archives '(("melpa" . "https://melpa.org/packages/")))
C-x C-e
M-x package-install RET sicp RET

Error loading autoloads:
(file-missing
 Cannot open load file
 No such file or directory
 /tmp/tmp.6gK5WLWds9/.emacs.d/elpa/sicp-20200512.1137/sicp-autoloads)

Backtrace attached.  The same error occurs with a subsequent:

C-x C-c
$ emacs -Q
M-x package-initialize RET

I guess either the -autoloads.el file should continue to be generated
unconditionally, or its nonexistence should not be regarded as an error.

Thanks,

-- 
Basil