Re: Friendly discussion about (package-initialize)

[Mark Oteiza <mvoteiza@udel.edu>]

Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca> writes:

>> - subverts `package-load-list' settings
>
> I don't know what this problem is.

package-load-list controls which autoload files for installed packages
get loaded.  Setting it in init.el works until package.el clobbers
the init file, putting package-initialize first.

>> - breaks setting of package-archives that would normally happen before
>>   calling `package-initialize'
>
> How so?

Same as above, calling package-initialize before setting archives, one
won't see the correct archives.

This is even documented in (info "(emacs) Package Installation"), albeit
not thoroughly--only package-load-list is mentioned explicitly in this
context.