bug#16845: 24.3.50; Debugger entered--Lisp error: (void-function package-desc-vers)

[Gist User]

M-x list-packages RET fails for me with the following backtrace. It
works fine with 24.3.2.

--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
Debugger entered--Lisp error: (void-function package-desc-vers)
  package-desc-vers([(1 3) nil "Interface to ack-like source code search tools" 
tar ((:keywords quote ("tools" "processes" "convenience")) (:url . 
"https://github.com/leoliu/ack-el";))])
  ad-Advice-package--add-to-archive-contents(#[514...207" 
[package-archive-contents package-pinned-packages package--builtin-versions 
package-alist cl-struct-package-desc-tags 0 vector cl-struct-package-desc 2 1 3 
nil 4 assoc version-list-= error "%s accessing a non-%s" package-desc-version 
package-desc version-list-<] 15 
("/home/jtocancipa/local/src/emacs.git.orig/lisp/emacs-lisp/package.elc" . 
47912)] (ack . [(1 3) nil "Interface to ack-like source code search tools" tar 
((:keywords quote ("tools" "processes" "convenience")) (:url . 
"https://github.com/leoliu/ack-el";))]) "gnu")
  apply(ad-Advice-package--add-to-archive-contents #[514 "..." 
[package-archive-contents package-pinned-packages package--builtin-versions 
package-alist cl-struct-package-desc-tags 0 vector cl-struct-package-desc 2 1 3 
nil 4 assoc version-list-= error "%s accessing a non-%s" package-desc-version 
package-desc version-list-<] 15 
("/home/jtocancipa/local/src/emacs.git.orig/lisp/emacs-lisp/package.elc" . 
47912)] ((ack . [(1 3) nil "Interface to ack-like source code search tools" tar 
((:keywords quote ("tools" "processes" "convenience")) (:url . 
"https://github.com/leoliu/ack-el";))]) "gnu"))
  package--add-to-archive-contents((ack . [(1 3) nil "Interface to ack-like 
source code search tools" tar ((:keywords quote ("tools" "processes" 
"convenience")) (:url . "https://github.com/leoliu/ack-el";))]) "gnu")
  package-read-archive-contents("gnu")
  package-read-all-archive-contents()
  list-packages(nil)
  call-interactively(list-packages record nil)
  command-execute(list-packages record)
  execute-extended-command(nil "list-packages")
  call-interactively(execute-extended-command nil nil)
  command-execute(execute-extended-command)
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---

I have the following in the custom-set-variables section of my .emacs:

--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
 '(package-archives (quote (("gnu" . "http://elpa.gnu.org/packages/";) ("melpa" 
. "http://melpa.milkbox.net/packages/";))))
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---


In GNU Emacs 24.3.50.6 (x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu, GTK+ Version 3.4.2)
 of 2014-02-21 on gituser
Windowing system distributor `The X.Org Foundation', version 11.0.11405000
System Description:     Ubuntu 12.04.4 LTS

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

Major mode: Group

Minor modes in effect:
  gnus-topic-mode: t
  diff-auto-refine-mode: t
  gnus-undo-mode: t
  delete-selection-mode: t
  xterm-mouse-mode: t
  savehist-mode: t
  desktop-save-mode: t
  show-paren-mode: t
  display-battery-mode: t
  display-time-mode: t
  shell-dirtrack-mode: t
  erc-services-mode: t
  erc-spelling-mode: t
  erc-truncate-mode: t
  erc-list-mode: t
  erc-menu-mode: t
  erc-autojoin-mode: t
  erc-ring-mode: t
  erc-networks-mode: t
  erc-pcomplete-mode: t
  erc-track-mode: t
  erc-match-mode: t
  erc-button-mode: t
  erc-fill-mode: t
  erc-stamp-mode: t
  erc-netsplit-mode: t
  erc-smiley-mode: t
  erc-irccontrols-mode: t
  erc-noncommands-mode: t
  erc-move-to-prompt-mode: t
  erc-readonly-mode: t
  tooltip-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

Recent input:
M-x M-x l i s t - p a <tab> <return> x U x y y <help-echo> 
<help-echo> <help-echo> <help-echo> <help-echo> <help-echo> 
<down-mouse-1> <mouse-1> <help-echo> <help-echo> <help-echo> 
<help-echo> <help-echo> <help-echo> M-x g n u s <return> 
<down> <down> <down> <down> <down> <down> <down> <down> 
<down> <down> <down> <up> <up> <up> <return> <return> 
q <down> <down> <down> <return> <return> q <return> 
<return> n n q <down-mouse-1> <mouse-1> <down-mouse-1> 
<mouse-1> M-x r e p o <tab> r r <backspace> <tab> 
<return>

Recent messages:
Reading active file from private via nnml...
Reading incoming mail from file...
nnml: Reading incoming mail (no new mail)...done
Reading active file from private via nnml...done
nnimap read 0k from imap.gmail.com
Reading active file from archive via nnfolder...done
Reading active file via nndraft...done
Checking new news...done
Parsing BBDB... (frobnicating...done)
Making completion list...

Load-path shadows:
None found.

Features:
(shadow emacsbug flow-fill sort gnus-cite smiley url-queue gnus-html xml
mm-url mm-archive gnus-async gnus-bcklg qp gnus-ml gnus-topic nndraft
nnmh nnmaildir utf-7 nnimap utf7 nnml nnfolder parse-time netrc gnutls
gnus-agent gnus-srvr gnus-score score-mode nnvirtual gnus-msg nntp
gnus-cache footnote smtpmail sendmail magit-key-mode magit iswitchb
esh-var esh-io esh-cmd esh-opt esh-ext esh-proc esh-arg eldoc esh-groups
eshell esh-module esh-mode esh-util ediff-merg ediff-wind ediff-diff
ediff-mult ediff-help ediff-init ediff-util ediff view help-mode grep
diff-mode git-rebase-mode git-commit-mode log-edit pcvs-util autoload
lisp-mnt tar-mode mule-util network-stream starttls url-http url-gw
url-cache url-auth url url-proxy url-privacy url-expand url-methods
url-history url-cookie url-domsuf url-util url-parse url-vars melpa
add-log sh-script smie executable jedi epc ctable concurrent deferred
auto-complete popup python org-element org-rmail org-mhe org-irc
org-info org-gnus org-docview doc-view jka-compr image-mode org-bibtex
bibtex org-bbdb org-w3m autorevert filenotify vc-git
ample-theme-autoloads ample-zen-theme-autoloads
birds-of-paradise-plus-theme-autoloads busybee-theme-autoloads
cherry-blossom-theme-autoloads clues-theme-autoloads company-autoloads
csharp-mode-autoloads espresso-theme-autoloads flatland-theme-autoloads
flymake-python-pyflakes-autoloads flymake-shell-autoloads
flymake-easy-autoloads dash-autoloads gist-autoloads finder-inf
gh-autoloads go-mode-autoloads google-this-autoloads
grandshell-theme-autoloads groovy-mode-autoloads gruvbox-theme-autoloads
hemisu-theme-autoloads heroku-theme-autoloads jedi-direx-autoloads
direx-autoloads jedi-autoloads auto-complete-autoloads epc-autoloads
ctable-autoloads concurrent-autoloads deferred-autoloads
jenkins-watch-autoloads js2-mode-autoloads leuven-theme-autoloads
log4e-autoloads log4j-mode-autoloads logito-autoloads lua-mode-autoloads
magit-svn-autoloads info magit-autoloads git-rebase-mode-autoloads
git-commit-mode-autoloads melpa-autoloads moe-theme-autoloads
monokai-theme-autoloads n3-mode-autoloads nyan-mode-autoloads
pcache-autoloads popup-autoloads pos-tip-autoloads pylint-autoloads
s-autoloads scala-mode2-autoloads solarized-theme-autoloads
soothe-theme-autoloads sublime-themes-autoloads
sunny-day-theme-autoloads tango-plus-theme-autoloads
tangotango-theme-autoloads twilight-anti-bright-theme-autoloads
twilight-bright-theme-autoloads twilight-theme-autoloads
twittering-mode-autoloads web-mode-autoloads xquery-mode-autoloads
yaxception-autoloads zenburn-theme-autoloads package bbdb-autoloads
bbdb-gnus gnus-art mm-uu mml2015 mm-view mml-smime smime dig mailcap
gnus-sum nnoo gnus-group gnus-undo nnmail mail-source gnus-start
gnus-spec gnus-int gnus-range message mml mml-sec mm-decode mm-bodies
mm-encode mail-parse rfc2231 rfc2047 rfc2045 ietf-drums gmm-utils
mailheader gnus-win bbdb-snarf mail-extr rfc822 bbdb-com mailabbrev bbdb
timezone flymake edmacro kmacro pylookup ido cl browse-url python-pep8
compile tramp tramp-compat tramp-loaddefs trampver epa-file epa epg
epg-config delsel xt-mouse dired-x dired savehist desktop frameset
derived avoid paren server warnings disp-table battery time ob-perl
ob-sqlite ob-octave ob-dot ob-ditaa ob-ruby ob-R ob-python ob-sh shell
org advice org-macro org-footnote org-pcomplete org-list org-faces
org-entities noutline outline easy-mmode org-version ob-emacs-lisp ob
ob-tangle org-src ob-ref ob-lob ob-table ob-keys ob-exp ob-comint
ob-core ob-eval org-compat org-macs org-loaddefs find-func cal-menu
calendar cal-loaddefs org-install cl-macs gv erc-services erc-dcc
erc-spelling flyspell ispell erc-truncate erc-list erc-menu easymenu
erc-join erc-ring erc-networks erc-pcomplete pcomplete comint ansi-color
ring erc-track erc-match erc-button erc-fill erc-stamp erc-netsplit
erc-goodies erc erc-backend erc-compat format-spec auth-source eieio
byte-opt bytecomp byte-compile cconv eieio-core password-cache thingatpt
pp tls gnus gnus-ems nnheader gnus-util mail-utils mm-util help-fns
mail-prsvr wid-edit cl-loaddefs cl-lib time-date tooltip electric
uniquify ediff-hook vc-hooks lisp-float-type mwheel x-win x-dnd tool-bar
dnd fontset image regexp-opt fringe tabulated-list newcomment lisp-mode
prog-mode register page menu-bar rfn-eshadow timer select scroll-bar
mouse jit-lock font-lock syntax facemenu font-core frame cham georgian
utf-8-lang misc-lang vietnamese tibetan thai tai-viet lao korean
japanese hebrew greek romanian slovak czech european ethiopic indian
cyrillic chinese case-table epa-hook jka-cmpr-hook help simple abbrev
minibuffer 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 make-network-process
gfilenotify dynamic-setting system-font-setting font-render-setting
move-toolbar gtk x-toolkit x multi-tty emacs)