Re: emacs.desktop non-functional

[Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>]

> From: ken <gebser@mousecar.com>
> Date: Fri, 18 Mar 2016 15:21:52 -0400
> 
> > Do you have a .emacs.desktop file created when you exit a session?  In
> > what directories on your system do you have a file by that name?  And
> > what happens if you invoke desktop-save manually from a running Emacs
> > session -- does that file get created/updated somewhere?
> >
> > Also, what exactly does it mean the "functionality is gone" in your
> > case?  What did you try to do and what happened?
> 
> https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/manual/html_node/emacs/Saving-Emacs-Sessions.html

I don't think we will make any progress in investigating the reason(s)
that prevent desktop from working by quoting from the manual.

I asked the questions and hoped that I will get detailed answers.
Like how do you invoke Emacs, in which directory, etc.  This is
important information that is supposed to lead to the problem.

> "Use the desktop library to save the state of Emacs from one session to 
> another. Once you save the Emacs desktop—the buffers, their file names, 
> major modes, buffer positions, and so on—then subsequent Emacs sessions 
> reload the saved desktop. By default, the desktop also tries to save the 
> frame and window configuration...."
> 
> It doesn't do any of that.

Please note that the manual on-line is for version 24.5, whereas you
have 24.3.  So not all of what is described is supposed to be working
in your version.  Perhaps consider upgrading to 24.5.

> Whenever I start emacs (not emacs-client) I 
> get at most one file (buffer) from a previous session loaded.

What if you invoke desktop-read by hand -- does that restore the
previous session's buffers?

> Yes, I do have multiple .emacs.desktop files, this because I'm prompted 
> for a directory when I do manually "M-x desktop-save".

Which one of those multiple files gets updated when you exit Emacs?

> I don't understand the merit in having multiple such files (and by
> extension the purpose of the prompting) if I have no way, AFAIK, to
> pick one other than whichever is the default when I load emacs.

You can save a different desktop in several directories, and then load
one of them if you start Emacs in the directory where you saved
desktop.

> Eli (or anyone), is there a way to get desktop-save to work 
> automatically...?

It works for me.  Something in your case interferes, and the question
is why.  I don't yet have the answer.