How to set the `auto-mode-alist` for `*.el` files when installing packages

Question

I like to have my auto-mode-alist for *.el files set up to open them in a custom major-mode that is buffer-read-only. When installing certain packages through the choices available when typing M-x list-packages, the package process creates an ...autoloads.el file. Adding information to that ...autoloads.el file during the package building process fails because the buffer is read only.

Essentially, I'd like the auto-mode-alist to temporarily be set to nil so that the process of creating the ...autoloads.el file is working in a fundamental-mode buffer instead of my custom major-mode.

Some suggestions on how to handle this issue would be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

Try this:

(with-eval-after-load 'package
  (defadvice package-generate-autoloads
    (around disable-custom-major-mode activate preactivate compile)
    (let ((auto-mode-alist nil))
      ad-do-it)))

I haven't tested if it works, but I'm pretty sure it does what you ask.