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Diffstat (limited to 'doc/emacs/package.texi')
-rw-r--r-- | doc/emacs/package.texi | 82 |
1 files changed, 40 insertions, 42 deletions
diff --git a/doc/emacs/package.texi b/doc/emacs/package.texi index bc6afb7966a..6c7493790d3 100644 --- a/doc/emacs/package.texi +++ b/doc/emacs/package.texi @@ -241,57 +241,55 @@ lower-priority archives will not be shown in the menu, if the same package is available from a higher-priority archive. (This is controlled by the value of @code{package-menu-hide-low-priority}.) - Once a package is downloaded and installed, it is @dfn{loaded} into -the current Emacs session. Loading a package is not quite the same as -loading a Lisp library (@pxref{Lisp Libraries}); loading a package -adds its directory to @code{load-path} and loads its autoloads. The -effect of a package's autoloads varies from package to package. Most -packages just make some new commands available, while others have more + Once a package is downloaded and installed, it is made available to +the current Emacs session. Making a package available adds its +directory to @code{load-path} and loads its autoloads. The effect of +a package's autoloads varies from package to package. Most packages +just make some new commands available, while others have more wide-ranging effects on the Emacs session. For such information, consult the package's help buffer. - By default, Emacs also automatically loads all installed packages in -subsequent Emacs sessions. This happens at startup, after processing -the init file (@pxref{Init File}). As an exception, Emacs does not -load packages at startup if invoked with the @samp{-q} or -@samp{--no-init-file} options (@pxref{Initial Options}). + After a package is installed, it is automatically made available by +Emacs in all subsequent sessions. This happens at startup, before +processing the init file but after processing the early init file +(@pxref{Early Init File,,, elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}). +As an exception, Emacs does not make packages available at startup if +invoked with the @samp{-q} or @samp{--no-init-file} options +(@pxref{Initial Options}). @vindex package-enable-at-startup - To disable automatic package loading, change the variable -@code{package-enable-at-startup} to @code{nil}. + To keep Emacs from automatically making packages available at +startup, change the variable @code{package-enable-at-startup} to +@code{nil}. You must do this in the early init file (@pxref{Early +Init File,,, elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}), as the variable +is read before loading the regular init file. Currently this variable +cannot be set via Customize. @findex package-initialize - The reason automatic package loading occurs after loading the init -file is that user options only receive their customized values after -loading the init file, including user options which affect the -packaging system. In some circumstances, you may want to load -packages explicitly in your init file (usually because some other code -in your init file depends on a package). In that case, your init file -should call the function @code{package-initialize}. It is up to you -to ensure that relevant user options, such as @code{package-load-list} -(see below), are set up prior to the @code{package-initialize} call. -This will automatically set @code{package-enable-at-startup} to @code{nil}, to -avoid loading the packages again after processing the init file. -Alternatively, you may choose to completely inhibit package loading at -startup, and invoke the command @kbd{M-x package-initialize} to load -your packages manually. + If you have set @code{package-enable-at-startup} to @code{nil}, you +can still make packages available either during or after startup. To +make installed packages available during startup, call the function +@code{package-initialize} in your init file. To make installed +packages available after startup, invoke the command @kbd{M-x +package-initialize}. @vindex package-load-list - For finer control over package loading, you can use the variable -@code{package-load-list}. Its value should be a list. A list element -of the form @code{(@var{name} @var{version})} tells Emacs to load -version @var{version} of the package named @var{name}. Here, -@var{version} should be a version string (corresponding to a specific -version of the package), or @code{t} (which means to load any -installed version), or @code{nil} (which means no version; this -disables the package, preventing it from being loaded). A list -element can also be the symbol @code{all}, which means to load the -latest installed version of any package not named by the other list -elements. The default value is just @code{'(all)}. - - For example, if you set @code{package-load-list} to @code{'((muse -"3.20") all)}, then Emacs only loads version 3.20 of the @samp{muse} -package, plus any installed version of packages other than + For finer control over which packages are made available at startup, +you can use the variable @code{package-load-list}. Its value should +be a list. A list element of the form @w{@code{(@var{name} +@var{version})}} tells Emacs to make available version @var{version} of +the package named @var{name}. Here, @var{version} should be a version +string (corresponding to a specific version of the package), or +@code{t} (which means to make available any installed version), or +@code{nil} (which means no version; this disables the package, +preventing it from being made available). A list element can also be +the symbol @code{all}, which means to make available the latest +installed version of any package not named by the other list elements. +The default value is just @code{'(all)}. + + For example, if you set @code{package-load-list} to @w{@code{'((muse +"3.20") all)}}, then Emacs only makes available version 3.20 of the +@samp{muse} package, plus any installed version of packages other than @samp{muse}. Any other version of @samp{muse} that happens to be installed will be ignored. The @samp{muse} package will be listed in the package menu with the @samp{held} status. |