Re: Proposal for 'package-isolate' command

[Adam Porter <adam@alphapapa.net>]

FWIW, I've been using this script of mine, with-emacs.sh, to do the 
equivalent for nearly four years now:

https://github.com/alphapapa/with-emacs.sh

It works on older Emacs versions from before the "--init-directory" 
option was added, as well as Emacs 29.1.

For example:

   with-emacs.sh --install org-ql

That starts Emacs in a clean, temporary config directory (which is 
deleted after exit), runs package-refresh-contents, and installs org-ql 
and its dependencies.

Or if you want to run in a specific config directory, which will not be 
deleted on exit, use the option, e.g.

   with-emacs.sh -d ~/src/emacs/configs/ap.el

It sets the frame title accordingly, so multiple Emacs sessions in 
multiple config directories can be run simultaneously and distinguished:

https://github.com/alphapapa/with-emacs.sh/blob/0bc4f216ed101d86d2e5d52919bad39bc041bdbe/with-emacs.sh#L187-L188

I've found it invaluable for debugging problems that users of my 
packages report.

It's mostly implemented in Bash, with some embedded Elisp.  It could be 
written entirely as an Elisp library, if desired.

Anyway, feel free to draw any inspiration or code from this script if it 
helps.