Why isnt `(require 'use-package)` triggered when I open Emacs?

Question

So, here is my init.el:

(add-to-list 'load-path "~/.emacs.d/site-lisp/use-package")
(require 'use-package)

(with-eval-after-load 'info
  (info-initialize)
  (add-to-list 'Info-directory-list
               "~/.emacs.d/site-lisp/use-package/"))

(use-package try :ensure t) works only when I go next to (add-to-list ...) and press C-x C-e and then, next to (require-package 'use-package), and pressing C-x C-e. Only if do this use-package is activated. When I close Emacs and re-open it I have to press C-x C-e again, and so on. How I can use-package remain active, so to speak; or how can it get triggered everytime I open Emacs?

Answer 1

It sounds like Emacs doesn't load your init.el file at startup.

Try to rename it as ~/.emacs.

Answer 2

Like mentioned above your init.el file is probably not loaded properly.

Please keep in mind that emacs has an particular order in which it searches for the initial init files. https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/manual/html_node/emacs/Find-Init.html#Find-Init

~/.emacs.el > ~/.emacs > ~/.emacs.d/init.el

That also means if there is an ~/.emacs.el emacs will not search for ~/.emacs, or ~/.emacs.d/init.el anymore

If you wish your init file to be ~/.emacs.d/init.el please make sure that both of the other files don't exist.

Answer 3

I got it to work by removing Emacs27 and installing Emacs26 and then rebooting ie reboot.