🚀 go-pugleaf

In GNU Emacs 18.55.6 of Mon Jun 25 1990 on icule (usg-unix-v).

This is an evanescent, yet slightly irritating problem.  Since it was
uneasy to reproduce it here, I presume it would probably be difficult
to duplicate elsewhere.  In any case, I think I should report it.

I made the problem solid, here, by calling `emacs -f essai' with my
.emacs file reduced to this:

	(setq load-path (cons nil load-path))

	(defun essai ()
	  (dired "elisp/mail")
	  (rmail))

I then got a BEL and this message in the mini-buffer:

	Symbol's value as variable is void: BABYL

Once the bug has shown, I receive the diagnostic each time I want to
load any elisp file.  I usually have to exit GNU Emacs.

The elisp/mail directory is a directory full of Babyl files.  If I
change "elisp/mail" by something else in the preceeding example, the
bug does not manifest anymore.  I did not succeed in reducing the
problem further.  However, to get more information, I changed the
.emacs file to be:

	(setq load-path (cons nil load-path))

	(defun essai ()
	  (let ((debug-on-error t))
	    (dired "elisp/mail")
	    (rmail)))

Now, an `emacs -f essai' yields, in the mini-buffer, the forever line:

	Loading debug...

which is shortly masked, once in every long while, by:

	Garbage collecting...

So, I changed .emacs once again to preload the debug package:

	(setq load-path (cons nil load-path))

	(load-library "debug")

	(defun essai ()
	  (let ((debug-on-error t))
	    (dired "elisp/mail")
	    (rmail)))

and then got what follows, (fairly edited for emailing purposes):

	Signalling: (void-variable BABYL)
	  (rmail ...computing arguments...)
	  (let ...)
	  essai()
	  funcall(essai)
	  byte-code(STRING_EDITED_OUT [command-line-args-left
		inhibit-startup-message noninteractive term-setup-hook
		nil window-setup-hook dir default-directory line argi
		tem command-switch-alist load-path t string=
		buffer-name "*scratch*" input-pending-p funcall
		((byte-code STRING_EDITED_OUT [nil erase-buffer
		set-buffer-modified-p] 3)) insert emacs-version
		"\nCopyright (C) 1988 Free Software Foundation,
		Inc.\n" key-binding "^H" help-command "^Xu"
		advertised-undo "^H^C" describe-copying "^H^D"
		describe-distribution "^H^W" describe-no-warranty
		"^Ht" help-with-tutorial "Type C-h for help; C-x u to
		undo changes.  (`C-' means use CTRL key.)\n\nGNU Emacs
		comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY; type C-h C-w for
		full details.\nYou may give out copies of Emacs; type
		C-h C-c to see the conditions.\nType C-h C-d for
		information on getting the latest version.\nType C-h t
		for a tutorial on using Emacs."
		substitute-command-keys "Type \\[help-command] for
		help; \\[advertised-undo] to undo changes.  (`C-'
		means use CTRL key.)\n\nGNU Emacs comes with
		ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY; type \\[describe-no-warranty]
		for full details.\nYou may give out copies of Emacs;
		type \\[describe-copying] to see the conditions.\nType
		\\[describe-distribution] for information on getting
		the latest version.\nType \\[help-with-tutorial] for a
		tutorial on using Emacs."  set-buffer-modified-p
		sit-for 120 0 assoc string-equal "-f" "-funcall" "-e"
		intern "-l" "-load" load "-i" "-insert"
		insert-file-contents "-kill" kill-emacs string-match
		"^\\+[0-9]+\\'" string-to-int find-file
		expand-file-name zerop goto-line] 40)
	  command-line-1(("-f" "essai"))
	  byte-code(STRING_EDITED_OUT [args command-line-args init
		noninteractive nil done argi t initial-major-mode
		term-file-prefix window-system term hyphend
		user-login-name string= user-real-login-name ""
		string-equal "-q" "-no-init-file" "-u" "-user" error
		(byte-code STRING_EDITED_OUT [init system-type t
		inhibit-default-init inhibit-startup-message nil load
		vax-vms "sys$login:.emacs" "~" "/.emacs" "default"] 5)
		((error (byte-code STRING_EDITED_OUT [message "Error
		in init file"] 2))) get-buffer "*scratch*" funcall
		load symbol-name "-win" getenv "TERM" string-match
		"[-_][^-_]+$" 0 command-line-1 kill-emacs] 18)
	  command-line()
	  byte-code(STRING_EDITED_OUT [command-line-processed t
		default-directory term-setup-hook window-setup-hook
		message "Back to top level." getenv "PWD"
		file-name-as-directory ((byte-code STRING_EDITED_OUT
		[term-setup-hook window-setup-hook funcall] 3))
		command-line] 6)
	  normal-top-level()

-- 
Franc,ois Pinard          ``Vivement GNU!''         pinard@iro.umontreal.ca
(514) 588-4656    cp 886 L'Epiphanie (Qc) J0K 1J0    ...!uunet!iros1!pinard