Avoid installing package to ".emacs.d/elpa/" directory

Question

I install yasnippet from the repository using the package manager and I add the corresponding directory to the load path before (use-package yasnippet):

    ;; Add all subdirs in site-lisp to the load-path
    (let ((default-directory "/usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/"))
      (normal-top-level-add-subdirs-to-load-path))

but when I start emacs it installs the package (despite of the load path) in the ".emacs.d/elpa/" directory. Is there a way to avoid it?

Answer 1

When I execute the following lisp code:

(print load-path)

I get the list of all directories in the load path including /usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/ with all subdirectories. I've tried the following:

;; Undo Tree
;; using C-x u to choose and q to quit/undo/ to the step
(use-package undo-tree
  :ensure t
  :init
  (global-undo-tree-mode)
  )

and the package was automatically installed in "~/.emacs.d/elpa/". but when I've commented the ":ensure t" and delete the package from ".../elpa" but installed wit the package manager to "/usr/share/emacs/site-lisp/" I still had the undo-tree package but from the common directory.

(use-package undo-tree
  :init
  (progn
    (require 'undo-tree)
    (global-undo-tree-mode)
    ))

Problem solved!