21.2.31¹ moans thusly, when started via a user who has no .emacs at all.
(1) (initialization/error) An error has occurred while loading nil:
Wrong type argument: stringp, nil
To ensure normal operation, you should investigate the cause of the error
in your initialization file and remove it. Use the `-debug-init' option
to XEmacs to view a complete error backtrace.
There is no initialization file to investigate.
Specifically, I was installing INN and was about to edit configuration
files. User "news" has no .emacs.
With -debug-init, xemacs gives:
Signaling: (wrong-type-argument stringp nil)
substitute-in-file-name(nil)
load(nil t t t)
load-user-init-file()
load-init-file()
command-line()
normal-top-level()
"touch .emacs" makes this whine go away.
--karl
¹ Yes, I know I'm a bit behind.