Re: Loading a package applies automatically to future sessions?

[Stefan Monnier]

> Suppose the user loads a package to try it out.  Will that cause it to
> be loaded again in every session?  It appears that way.
> I think that asking for a package to be loaded in every session
> should be distinguished from loading it for the current session.

There are 3 different steps:
A- installing a package: this places its files under ~/.emacs.d/elpa
B- activating a package: this loads its <pkg>-autoloads.el file.
C- actually loading the package's files.

When a user does A, by default, it will do B in the current session and
causes subsequent Emacs invocations to automatically do B as well
(i.e. B is done by default on all installed packages).

You can configure `package-load-list` if you want to prevent
a particular package from being activated even though you still want it
to be installed.

But regardless, C should only happen on-demand when something actively
requests it.

Of course, a package is free to set up its autoloads such that
B causes C.  I'd consider it a misfeature of that package, tho.


        Stefan