Re: [feature/internal-msys] thoughts of a more function windows package

[Phillip Lord <phillip.lord@russet.org.uk>]

Wayne Harris via "Emacs development discussions." <emacs-devel@gnu.org>
writes:

> Phillip Lord <phillip.lord@russet.org.uk> writes:
>
> [...]
>
>> I can certainly appreciate that. I sit somewhere in the middle: I use
>> Emacs build from master, but most of my emacs packages are specific
>> versions, rather than running from everyones heads.
>
> How do you do that?  It seems you take the .exe but keep .el separate?
> That sounds crazy to me.  How would I know all my new .exe still works
> with my very old .el files?

Oh, sorry, I didn't describe it well. I use Emacs and all the lisp files
in the main repo. My external packages mostly come from melpa-stable and
elpa which are tagged versions. I sync my computers with unison and keep
the packages installed using use-package; the versions formally aren't
linked between machines, but tools like straight.el would do that for
you.


>> But, like it or lump it, msys2 doesn't do that. They have a versioned,
>> hash summed installer, but after that it just updates to the latest
>> version, with no specific release pattern (or a rolling release if you
>> prefer). [...]
>
> That's indeed a big problem for people who do work dependent on computer
> tools --- probably anyone who does any serious work on computers.  I
> also see many non-professional users, say, who just hate the surprise of
> updates.  (They might have all the time in the world to learn new
> behaviors, but they just hate it.  Windows forums are full of angry
> customers.)

Perhaps. Clearly msys2 did it for a reasons, and likewise a lot of Emacs
users install from melpa which mostly runs on a dirty head or rolling
release if you prefer. It always sounded like a nightmare to me, but it
seems to work for many people.


>
> That's why I loved the Guix-news posted by Nikolay Kudryavtsev.  That's
> what I like about computer systems --- repetitive behavior with
> mathematical guarantee.  It's incredible that people tolerate computers
> with human-like behavior, ``mood-dependent'' say.
>
>>> As an example, I've built my own OpenBSD distribution because I wanted
>>> an assurance in the behavior of the system, besides a quick
>>> installation.  I install it with a single command line and it asks no
>>> questions.  It comes ready to do all the things *I* usually do.
>>
>> Something close to this, I think we could achieve. Install Emacs, have
>> it ask "do you want to link to an msys2 installation? Do you want to
>> install it? Do you want to update it with Emacs standard packages".
>>
>> So three questions, but not none.
>
> That sounds nice.  If I had to start my ``GNU Emacs system'' from
> scratch, this step would be a nice one.  The GNU Emacs on Windows is
> handicapped without lots of other UNIX programs.


Yes, I agree.

Phil