gh-37049: Dont load all GAP packages when resetting a workspace
    
The `gap_reset_workspace()` function currently loops through all
installed GAP packages (both by sage and on the system) and loads them
before saving the new workspace. This is no longer necessary or desired:
the two GAP initialization files already load a specific set of packages
used in sage, and loading more can cause problems including wasted
memory and unexpected changes of behavior. Moreover, the need for
_users_ to load additional packages interactively has been documented.

Fixes:

- #31761
    
URL: #37049
Reported by: Michael Orlitzky
Reviewer(s):

Author: Release Manager

src/sage/ext_data/gap/sage.g

@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@
 # Sage support utilities to read into the GAP session.
 #
 
+# Disable color in the prompt, it interferes with parsing.
+ColorPrompt(false);
+
 # Prevent loading the xgap package; we use the -p flag to GAP in order to
 # communicate with it via the pexpect interface; this is normally used by
 # for an xgap window to communicate with GAP, so unfortunately setting this

src/sage/interfaces/gap.py

@@ -1491,17 +1491,11 @@ def gap_reset_workspace(max_workspace_size=None, verbose=False):
     default when Sage first starts GAP.
 
     The first time you start GAP from Sage, it saves the startup state
-    of GAP in a file ``$HOME/.sage/gap/workspace-gap-HASH``, where ``HASH``
-    is a hash of the directory where Sage is installed.
-
-    This is useful, since then subsequent startup of GAP is at least 10
-    times as fast. Unfortunately, if you install any new code for GAP,
-    it won't be noticed unless you explicitly load it, e.g., with
-    gap.load_package("my_package")
-
-    The packages sonata, guava, factint, gapdoc, grape, design, toric,
-    and laguna are loaded in all cases before the workspace is saved,
-    if they are available.
+    of GAP in a file ``$HOME/.sage/gap/workspace-gap-HASH``, where
+    ``HASH`` is a hash of the directory where Sage is installed. This
+    is useful because the subsequent startup of GAP is at least ten
+    times as fast. But if you update GAP or any of its packages, those
+    changes won't take effect until the workspace is reset.
 
     TESTS:
 
@@ -1527,19 +1521,9 @@ def gap_reset_workspace(max_workspace_size=None, verbose=False):
         sage: sage.interfaces.gap.WORKSPACE = ORIGINAL_WORKSPACE
         sage: sage.interfaces.gap.first_try = saved_first_try
     """
-    # Create new workspace with filename WORKSPACE
+    # The use_workspace_cache=False causes a new workspace to
+    # be created, and we save it immediately thereafter.
     g = Gap(use_workspace_cache=False, max_workspace_size=None)
-    g.eval('ColorPrompt(false)')
-    g.eval('SetUserPreference("UseColorPrompt", false)')
-    g.eval('SetUserPreference("HistoryMaxLines", 30)')
-    from sage.tests.gap_packages import all_installed_packages
-    for pkg in all_installed_packages(gap=g):
-        try:
-            g.load_package(pkg, verbose=verbose)
-        except RuntimeError as msg:
-            if verbose:
-                print('*** %s' % msg)
-    # end for
     g.save_workspace()
     g.quit()
 

src/sage/libs/gap/sage.gaprc

@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 # contain bug fixes/workarounds and/or any Sage-specific patches necessary for
 # Sage's libgap interface.
 
+# Disable color in the prompt, it interferes with parsing.
+ColorPrompt(false);
 
 # Load the GAP packages that GAP itself tries to autoload in the
 # default configuration (see "PackagesToLoad" in lib/package.gi). The