bug#65222: 29.1; Packages initialize but package--initialize is nil

[Eli Zaretskii]

> From: Philip Kaludercic <philipk@posteo.net>
> Cc: dalanicolai <dalanicolai@gmail.com>,  65222@debbugs.gnu.org
> Date: Sat, 19 Aug 2023 09:02:55 +0000
> 
> I can reproduce the issue, but this isn't an issue, since
> `package-enable-at-startup' is related to the activation of packages at
> startup, not the initialisation of package.el.  In startup.el we find
> 
> --8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
> ;; If any package directory exists, initialize the package system.
>   (and user-init-file
>        package-enable-at-startup
>        (not (bound-and-true-p package--activated))
>        (catch 'package-dir-found
>        ...)
>        (package-activate-all))
> --8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---
> 
> And it makes sense, when we consider the difference between
> `package-activate-all' and `package-initialize'.  The former goes
> through all available packages ensures they can be used, the former sets
> up package.el-internal variables in addition to what
> `package-activate-all' does, which is not necessary at startup if we
> just want the packages to be made available for the user.
> 
> So south I understand the confusion, I believe the behaviour is correct.
> What we could do is to extend the documentation at some places to avoid
> this confusion in the future.

Please suggest documentation patches you think are in order, and
thanks.