Re: Multiple versions of Org in load-path problem

[Michel Schinz]

Just for the record, I also ran into problems when installing Org 9.6
using Emacs' package system on top of an older version that came with
Emacs. If I tried to install it as usual (M-x list-packages, then
install the package from there), I had errors during compilation related
to `org-assert-version`, and then if I restarted Emacs, I would get a
fatal error in an unrelated package.

I managed to solve that problem by:
1. uninstalling Org 9.6 and exiting Emacs,
2. starting Emacs with -q,
3. installing Org 9.6 from there (using M-x list-packages as usual),
4. restarting Emacs.

I'm not sure this is related to your problem, or whether that helps (but
I hope it does)...

Michel.

On Thu, 8 Dec 2022, at 19:24, David Masterson wrote:
> Ihor Radchenko <yantar92@posteo.net> writes:
>
>> David Masterson <dsmasterson@gmail.com> writes:
>>
>>> I went so far as to add the following to early-init.el:
>>>
>>> (if (featurep 'org) (unload-feature 'org))
>>> (add-to-list 'load-path (expand-file-name "~/.emacs.d/elpa/org-9.6")
>>> (load-library "org")
>>>
>>> The load-library still fails with the org-assert-version error.
>>
>> Indeed. It is to be expected. M-x package-install should not err here
>> though. In theory.
>
> My testing says that, in early-init.el, Org is not yet a feature, so the
> built-in Org-9.3 is not yet loaded and the first 'if' fails. Adding the
> path for Org-9.6 should put it at the front of the load-path and
> (hopefully) override Org-9.3 if it is in the load-path (I think I
> checked that).  The error in the load-library is, therefore, a problem
> with Org-9.6 installed by package-install. 
>
>> I suggest you to read `org-assert-version'. It aims to catch the
>> situation above and similar.
>
> This is chicken and egg problem.  I can't use 'org-assert-version'
> unless I can get Org to load.
>
>> Note, however, that installation problem is different. Or rather it
>> should be different.
>>
>>> Could it be that, when you package-install Org-9.6, it runs through a
>>> check where (I think) it compiles the package?  I get a lot of warnings
>>> and 34(?) failed files.  Could it be that some of the files are not
>>> built and, so, when I load-library, I'm picking up some of the wrong
>>> files from the built-in Org-9.3?  Do we need to remove all versions of
>>> Org that is not the current version from the load-path at the very
>>> beginning of org.el to ensure no fall-through?  Kind of a hack, but...
>>
>> Maybe. It should not. That's why I raised
>> https://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi/bugreport.cgi?bug=59882
>> I'd like to see if Emacs devs have anything to say here.
>
> Good. I'm not used to bug reporting in Emacs, so I raised a question on
> use-package in emacs-devel@gnu.org, but they pointed me at your bug.
> I'll see if I can add anything there.
>
> -- 
> David Masterson