Re: How to print from/debug startup.el (normal-top-level)

[Stefan Monnier]

> As, other than looking at the source code of `package-activate-1`, I am
> unable to find what it
> means to 'activate a package',

Activate means to setup autoloads and add the package's directory to 
`load-path`.

> So I was trying to inspect what happens in the `normal-top-level` function
> but, when jumping to
> its definition and changing it, it seems to have no effect (I have also
> deleted the startup.elc file. And, as I don't know exactly if native
> compiled files get priority over byte-compiled files, I have also tried
> with an Emacs without native compilation, I am hoping to understand such
> things at some point).

Those files are preloaded into the "pdump" file (a file with name <foo>.pdmp)
(you can see in `lisp/loadup.el` which are those files that are preloaded).


        Stefan