bug#34983: 27.0.50; Gnus cannot start

[Bastien]

I checked out and buil Emacs from master today 24-03-2019.

I started Gnus using my usual configuration (see
https://github.com/bzg/dotemacs/blob/master/emacs.el) and got this
error:

Debugger entered--Lisp error: (wrong-type-argument number-or-marker-p nil)
  <=(nil 6)
  gnus-get-unread-articles(nil nil)
  gnus-setup-news(nil nil nil)
  #f(compiled-function () #<bytecode 0x1556149e8b91>)()
  gnus-1(nil nil nil)
  gnus(nil)
  funcall-interactively(gnus nil)
  call-interactively(gnus record nil)
  command-execute(gnus record)
  execute-extended-command(nil "gnus" "gnus")
  funcall-interactively(execute-extended-command nil "gnus" "gnus")
  call-interactively(execute-extended-command nil nil)
  command-execute(execute-extended-command)

Starting Gnus *without* a .newsrc.eld file, I can list local groups
from my dovecot local IMAP server, but I get another weird behavior:
after leaving the summary buffer, the group I just left is listed one
more time; if I enter the group and leave it again, I get three groups
of the same name in the group buffer, etc.

To read Gnus using my .newsrc.eld file again, I tried to revert back
to Emacs 26.0.92 but now Emacs seems unable to read my .newsrc.eld at
all.  Is it possible that recent changes against Gnus changed the way
Gnus parses .newsrc.eld?

Copying Eric, as he seems to have been active on Gnus recently.

Thanks for your help,


In GNU Emacs 27.0.50 (build 1, x86_64-pc-linux-gnu, X toolkit, Xaw3d scroll 
bars)
 of 2019-03-24 built on guerry
Repository revision: 36535caf9621f984f7f95d4def09bdb0ae2f1d2a
Repository branch: master
Windowing system distributor 'The X.Org Foundation', version 11.0.11906000
System Description: Ubuntu 18.04.2 LTS

Recent messages:
Checking new news...done
Connecting to news...
Reading active file...done
Connecting to news...done
Updating buffer list...
Formats have changed, recompiling...done
Updating buffer list...done
Commands: m, u, t, RET, g, k, S, D, Q; q to quit; h for help
Mark saved where search started
Mark set

Configured features:
XAW3D XPM JPEG TIFF GIF PNG RSVG IMAGEMAGICK SOUND GPM DBUS GSETTINGS
GLIB NOTIFY INOTIFY GNUTLS LIBXML2 FREETYPE M17N_FLT LIBOTF XFT ZLIB
TOOLKIT_SCROLL_BARS LUCID X11 XDBE XIM THREADS PDUMPER LCMS2 GMP

Important settings:
  value of $LANG: fr_FR.UTF-8
  locale-coding-system: utf-8-unix

Major mode: Debugger

Minor modes in effect:
  eyebrowse-mode: t
  guide-key-mode: t
  pdf-occur-global-minor-mode: t
  hidden-mode-line-mode: t
  async-bytecomp-package-mode: t
  pixel-scroll-mode: t
  display-time-mode: t
  auto-insert-mode: t
  show-paren-mode: t
  shell-dirtrack-mode: t
  override-global-mode: t
  global-eldoc-mode: t
  electric-indent-mode: t
  mouse-wheel-mode: t
  menu-bar-mode: t
  file-name-shadow-mode: t
  global-font-lock-mode: t
  font-lock-mode: t
  auto-composition-mode: t
  auto-encryption-mode: t
  auto-compression-mode: t
  buffer-read-only: t
  line-number-mode: t
  transient-mark-mode: t

Load-path shadows:
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-maxima hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-maxima
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ox-md hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ox-md
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/org-feed hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/org-feed
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/org-agenda hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/org-agenda
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-core hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-core
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-sed hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-sed
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/org-loaddefs hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/org-loaddefs
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-ditaa hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-ditaa
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ox-org hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ox-org
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-picolisp hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-picolisp
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-sql hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-sql
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-fortran hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-fortran
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-calc hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-calc
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-css hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-css
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/org-faces hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/org-faces
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-asymptote hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-asymptote
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-latex hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-latex
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-R hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-R
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-makefile hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-makefile
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-plantuml hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-plantuml
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-exp hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-exp
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-hledger hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-hledger
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-vala hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-vala
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/org-timer hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/org-timer
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-lilypond hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-lilypond
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/org-pcomplete hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/org-pcomplete
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-org hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-org
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/org hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/org
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/org-entities hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/org-entities
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/org-macro hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/org-macro
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-shen hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-shen
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-mscgen hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-mscgen
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/org-colview hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/org-colview
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-ebnf hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-ebnf
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/org-compat hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/org-compat
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-shell hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-shell
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ox-odt hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ox-odt
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ox-icalendar hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ox-icalendar
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-io hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-io
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-matlab hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-matlab
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-sass hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-sass
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/org-lint hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/org-lint
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-screen hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-screen
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ox-ascii hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ox-ascii
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-tangle hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-tangle
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-gnuplot hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-gnuplot
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-python hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-python
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-emacs-lisp hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-emacs-lisp
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-table hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-table
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-ref hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-ref
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-comint hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-comint
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-processing hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-processing
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-stan hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-stan
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/org-duration hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/org-duration
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-octave hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-octave
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ox-latex hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ox-latex
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-J hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-J
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/org-datetree hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/org-datetree
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-eval hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-eval
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/org-macs hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/org-macs
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/org-crypt hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/org-crypt
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-scheme hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-scheme
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-lisp hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-lisp
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/org-footnote hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/org-footnote
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-dot hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-dot
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ox hides /usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ox
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-ruby hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-ruby
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/org-ctags hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/org-ctags
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/org-src hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/org-src
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/org-protocol hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/org-protocol
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-java hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-java
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-lob hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-lob
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/org-clock hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/org-clock
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-perl hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-perl
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/org-indent hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/org-indent
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-ledger hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-ledger
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ox-beamer hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ox-beamer
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/org-id hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/org-id
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/org-install hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/org-install
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-sqlite hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-sqlite
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ox-texinfo hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ox-texinfo
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ox-publish hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ox-publish
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/org-table hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/org-table
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/org-mobile hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/org-mobile
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-forth hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-forth
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-lua hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-lua
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/org-mouse hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/org-mouse
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ox-man hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ox-man
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-abc hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-abc
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-coq hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-coq
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/org-inlinetask hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/org-inlinetask
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-groovy hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-groovy
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-js hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-js
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-C hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-C
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-ocaml hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-ocaml
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/org-capture hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/org-capture
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/org-habit hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/org-habit
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/org-archive hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/org-archive
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/org-list hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/org-list
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-awk hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-awk
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-clojure hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-clojure
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob-haskell hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob-haskell
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/org-element hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/org-element
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/org-plot hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/org-plot
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/org-attach hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/org-attach
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ob hides /usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ob
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/ox-html hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/ox-html
~/install/git/org-mode/lisp/org-version hides 
/usr/local/share/emacs/27.0.50/lisp/org/org-version

Features:
(shadow bbdb-message mailalias orgalist ecomplete emacsbug
company-oddmuse company-keywords company-etags etags fileloop xref
project company-gtags company-dabbrev-code company-dabbrev
company-files company-capf company-cmake company-xcode company-clang
company-semantic company-eclim company-template company-bbdb company
origami origami-parsers elec-pair deuglify gnus-cus gnus-demon
gnus-diary nndiary gnus-fun gnus-kill gnus-logic gnus-mh mh-comp
mh-scan mh-gnus mh-e mh-compat mh-buffers mh-loaddefs gnus-registry
registry eieio-base gnus-salt gnus-topic gnus-uu yenc gnus-vm sendmail
misearch multi-isearch gnus-html url-queue browse-url url-cache mm-url
mm-archive sort smiley gnus-cite mail-extr gnus-async gnus-bcklg
gnus-dup qp gnus-ml nnfolder cursor-sensor utf-7 network-stream
dired-aux wdired gnus-dired cl-print debug backtrace nnnil org-bullets
eyebrowse dired-subtree dired-hacks-utils multi-term term ehelp
guide-key s popwin dash pdf-occur ibuf-ext ibuffer ibuffer-loaddefs
tablist tablist-filter semantic/wisent/comp semantic/wisent
semantic/wisent/wisent semantic/util-modes semantic/util semantic
semantic/tag semantic/lex semantic/fw mode-local cedet pdf-isearch
let-alist pdf-misc imenu pdf-tools compile cus-edit cus-start cus-load
pdf-view bookmark pdf-cache pdf-info tq pdf-util paredit tls gnutls
erc-services erc-networks erc-goodies erc erc-backend erc-compat pp
erc-loaddefs bbdb-gnus bbdb-mua bbdb-anniv bbdb-com bbdb bbdb-site
timezone gnus-icalendar gnus-alias gnus-delay gnus-draft gnus-agent
gnus-srvr gnus-score score-mode nnvirtual nntp gnus-cache gnus-msg
gnus-art mm-uu mml2015 nndraft nnmh notmuch hl-line notmuch-message
notmuch-hello notmuch-tree notmuch-show notmuch-print notmuch-crypto
notmuch-mua notmuch-draft notmuch-maildir-fcc notmuch-address
notmuch-company notmuch-parser notmuch-wash coolj notmuch-query
goto-addr thingatpt notmuch-tag crm notmuch-lib notmuch-compat mm-view
mml-smime smime dig org-caldav cl icalendar org-id url-dav url-http
url url-proxy url-privacy url-expand url-methods url-history mailcap
url-auth url-cookie url-domsuf url-gw nsm url-util xml org-duration
vc-git diff-mode disp-table ol-eww ol-rmail ol-mhe ol-irc ol-info
ol-gnus ol-docview doc-view jka-compr image-mode ol-bibtex bibtex
ol-bbdb ol-w3m org-agenda org-clock ob-gnuplot ob-R ob-plantuml
ob-scheme geiser-impl help-fns radix-tree geiser-custom geiser-base
geiser ob-ledger ob-ditaa ob-org ob-clojure ob-dot ob-shell
ox-koma-letter org-gnus nnir org-capture ox-beamer ox-md ox-rss ox-odt
rng-loc rng-uri rng-parse rng-match rng-dt rng-util rng-pttrn
nxml-parse nxml-ns nxml-enc xmltok nxml-util ox-latex ox-icalendar
ox-html table ox-ascii ox-publish ox org-element org ob ob-tangle
ob-ref ob-lob ob-table org-macro org-footnote org-src ob-comint
org-pcomplete org-list org-faces org-entities noutline outline
org-version ob-emacs-lisp org-table org-keys org-loaddefs find-func
gnus-sum gnus-group gnus-undo gnus-start gnus-cloud nnimap nnmail
mail-source utf7 netrc nnoo gnus-spec gnus-int gnus-range message rmc
puny rfc822 mml mml-sec epa derived epg mm-decode mm-bodies mm-encode
mail-parse rfc2231 mailabbrev gmm-utils mailheader gnus-win gnus
nnheader gnus-util rmail rmail-loaddefs rfc2047 rfc2045 ietf-drums
text-property-search time-date mail-utils mm-util mail-prsvr wid-edit
avl-tree generator ol ob-exp ob-core org-compat ob-eval org-macs pcase
appt diary-lib diary-loaddefs cal-menu calendar cal-loaddefs dired-x
dired dired-loaddefs helm-config helm-easymenu async-bytecomp helm
helm-source eieio-compat helm-multi-match helm-lib async edmacro
kmacro register-list whitespace cl-extra help-mode avoid pixel-scroll
time autoinsert paren server vxid-theme docker-tramp tramp-cache tramp
tramp-loaddefs trampver tramp-integration files-x tramp-compat
ucs-normalize shell pcomplete comint ansi-color ring parse-time
format-spec advice use-package use-package-ensure use-package-delight
use-package-diminish use-package-bind-key bind-key easy-mmode
use-package-core mule-util rx info package easymenu epg-config
url-handlers url-parse auth-source cl-seq eieio eieio-core cl-macs
eieio-loaddefs password-cache json subr-x map url-vars seq byte-opt gv
bytecomp byte-compile cconv cl-loaddefs cl-lib tooltip eldoc electric
uniquify ediff-hook vc-hooks lisp-float-type mwheel term/x-win x-win
term/common-win x-dnd tool-bar dnd fontset image regexp-opt fringe
tabulated-list replace newcomment text-mode elisp-mode lisp-mode
prog-mode register page menu-bar rfn-eshadow isearch timer select
scroll-bar mouse jit-lock font-lock syntax facemenu font-core
term/tty-colors frame cl-generic cham georgian utf-8-lang misc-lang
vietnamese tibetan thai tai-viet lao korean japanese eucjp-ms cp51932
hebrew greek romanian slovak czech european ethiopic indian cyrillic
chinese composite charscript charprop case-table epa-hook
jka-cmpr-hook help simple abbrev obarray minibuffer cl-preloaded
nadvice loaddefs button faces cus-face macroexp files text-properties
overlay sha1 md5 base64 format env code-pages mule custom widget
hashtable-print-readable backquote threads dbusbind inotify lcms2
dynamic-setting system-font-setting font-render-setting x-toolkit x
multi-tty make-network-process emacs)

Memory information:
((conses 16 1254342 132763)
 (symbols 48 48208 2)
 (strings 32 582441 5102)
 (string-bytes 1 15359636)
 (vectors 16 169982)
 (vector-slots 8 2957085 68108)
 (floats 8 433 883)
 (intervals 56 68483 26)
 (buffers 992 38))

-- 
 Bastien