I posted this question to help-gnu-emacs, but haven't had a reply there, so perhaps this is a different audience.
I have an automated test suite that downloads a few packages from ELPA to simulate a fresh install. It runs perfectly well on Linux and OSX, but not on Windows with Emacs 24.3.1. A simple way to reproduce the problem is:
\>c:\utils\emacs\bin\emacs -Q --batch -f toggle-debug-on-error --eval "(setq package-archives '((\"gnu\" . \"http://elpa.gnu.org/packages/\")))" --eval "(package-refresh-contents)"
Debug on Error enabled globally
Contacting host: elpa.gnu.org:80
Memory exhausted--use C-x s then exit and restart Emacs
I also tried using an up to date binary from http://sourceforge.net/projects/emacs-bin/ dated 9th September 2014. This fails to find gpg:
\>c:\utils\emacs-trunk\bin\emacs -Q --batch -f toggle-debug-on-error --eval "(setq package-archives '((\"gnu\" . \"http://elpa.gnu.org/packages/\")))" --eval "(package-refresh-contents)"
Debug on Error enabled globally
Contacting host: elpa.gnu.org:80
Contacting host: elpa.gnu.org:80
Debugger entered--Lisp error: (file-error "Searching for program" "no
such file or directory" "
gpg")
start-process("epg" #<buffer *epg*> "gpg" "--no-tty" "--status-fd"
"1" "--yes" "--homedir" "
d:/dev/rneatherway-fsharpbinding/emacs/tmp/.emacs.d/elpa/gnupg"
"--command-fd" "0" "--output" "
c:/Users/robnea/AppData/Local/Temp/epg-output3804P5-" "--verify" "--"
"c:/Users/robnea/AppData/
Local/Temp/epg-signature3804jvu" "-")
... snip ...
while using MELPA works fine:
\>c:\utils\emacs-trunk\bin\emacs
--batch -f toggle-debug-on-error --eval "(setq package-archives
'((\"melpa\" . \"http://melpa.milkbox.net/packages/\")))" --eval
"(package-refresh-contents)"
Debug on Error enabled globally
Contacting host: melpa.milkbox.net:80
Contacting host: melpa.milkbox.net:80
I'm not quite sure how to proceed debugging this, but something seems to be not quite right with the Windows build.
#<buffer *epg*>
hanging when trying to list packages due to signature issues (and not having gpg installed I think). – Jonathan Leech-Pepin Oct 9 '14 at 14:34"no such file or directory" "gpg"
so it's likely it cannot findgpg.exe
to perform signing – Jonathan Leech-Pepin Oct 9 '14 at 14:53