Improve package and use-package configuration

early-init.el

@@ -243,37 +243,10 @@
 (when (fboundp 'horizontal-scroll-bar-mode)
   (horizontal-scroll-bar-mode -1))
 
-;;; package: Set package archives for package installation
+;;; package.el
-(require 'package)
-
 ;; Since Emacs 27, package initialization occurs before `user-init-file' is
 ;; loaded, but after `early-init-file'.
-(setq package-enable-at-startup t)
+(setq package-enable-at-startup nil)
-
-(setq package-quickstart nil)
-
-(when (version< emacs-version "28")
-  (add-to-list 'package-archives
-               '("nongnu" . "https://elpa.nongnu.org/nongnu/")))
-(add-to-list 'package-archives
-             '("stable" . "https://stable.melpa.org/packages/"))
-(add-to-list 'package-archives
-             '("melpa" . "https://melpa.org/packages/"))
-
-(customize-set-variable 'package-archive-priorities
-                        '(("gnu"    . 99)
-                          ("nongnu" . 80)
-                          ("stable" . 70)
-                          ("melpa"  . 0)))
-
-;;; use-package:
-;; Always ensure packages are installed
-(setq use-package-always-ensure t)
-
-;; Load use-package for package configuration
-(when (package-installed-p 'use-package)
-  (eval-when-compile
-    (require 'use-package)))
 
 ;;; Load post-early-init.el
 (minimal-emacs-load-user-init "post-early-init.el")

init.el

@@ -14,15 +14,48 @@
 
 ;;; Code:
 
-;;; Install use-package
+;;; package.el
+
+(defvar minimal-emacs-configure-package t
+  "Non-nil to configure package.el and use-package.")
+
+(when minimal-emacs-configure-package
+  (require 'package)
+
+  (setq package-quickstart nil)
+
+  (when (version< emacs-version "28")
+    (add-to-list 'package-archives
+                 '("nongnu" . "https://elpa.nongnu.org/nongnu/")))
+  (add-to-list 'package-archives
+               '("stable" . "https://stable.melpa.org/packages/"))
+  (add-to-list 'package-archives
+               '("melpa" . "https://melpa.org/packages/"))
+
+  (customize-set-variable 'package-archive-priorities
+                          '(("gnu"    . 99)
+                            ("nongnu" . 80)
+                            ("stable" . 70)
+                            ("melpa"  . 0))))
+
+;;; use-package
+;; Always ensure packages are installed
+(setq use-package-always-ensure t)
+
+;; Load use-package for package configuration
+(when (package-installed-p 'use-package)
+  (eval-when-compile
+    (require 'use-package)))
+
 ;; Ensure the 'use-package' package is installed and loaded
 (unless (package-installed-p 'use-package)
   (package-install 'use-package)
   (eval-when-compile
     (require 'use-package)))
 
-;;; Load user-pre-init.el and init packages
+;;; Load pre-init.el
 (minimal-emacs-load-user-init "pre-init.el")
+;;; Load auto-compile and gcmh
 
 (use-package auto-compile
   :config