Bug#985459: dh-elpa: install error when root user has packages under /root/.emacs.d/elpa

[Nick Gasson <nick@nickg.me.uk>]

Hi Sean,

On 03/18/21 18:31 PM, Sean Whitton wrote:
>
> Thank you for the report.  Can you test this patch, please?
>
> diff --git a/helper/install b/helper/install
> index 1a2eb8a..af93ee4 100755
> --- a/helper/install
> +++ b/helper/install
> @@ -51,6 +51,8 @@ echo install/${ELPA_DIR}: byte-compiling for ${FLAVOR}
>  (cd ${elc_dir}
>   set +e
>   ${FLAVOR} --quick --batch -l package \
> +           --eval "(setq package-directory-list \
> +                         (delete package-user-dir package-directory-list))" \
>             --eval "(add-to-list 'package-directory-list \"$src_dir\")" \
>             -f package-initialize -f batch-byte-compile *.el > Install.log 2>&1
>   if test $? -ne 0

I've just tried this but unfortunately I get the same error. I think
it's because package-load-all-descriptors in package.el always cons-es
package-user-dir on the front of package-directory-list when it searches
for a package

  (defun package-load-all-descriptors ()
    ...
    (dolist (dir (cons package-user-dir package-directory-list))
      (when (file-directory-p dir)
        ...)))

Perhaps an alternative is to set package-user-dir to a temporary
directory that's guaranteed not to contain any existing packages.

--
Thanks,
Nick