Re: elpa.gnu.org repository sync with Emacs

[Ted Zlatanov <tzz@lifelogs.com>]

On Tue, 16 Nov 2010 11:29:12 -0700 "Eric Schulte" <schulte.eric@gmail.com> wrote: 

ES> Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@gnus.org> writes:
>> 
>> But since the FSF-copyright assignment regime would still apply to
>> ELPA, we'd wouldn't be able to accept big packages like auctex anyway?

ES> If this is true and ELPA has the same strict copyright restrictions as
ES> the Emacs core, then IMO we're losing a significant portion of the
ES> benefit of ELPA.

It's *not* ELPA, it's elpa.gnu.org.  Tom Tromey runs ELPA.  I make the
distinction again because it matters:

ES> There are many packages which will never secure sufficient copyright
ES> permissions to be included into Emacs.  Such packages were previously
ES> available through ELPA.  Where can these packages live now?

Tom Tromey's ELPA (http://tromey.com/elpa/) will not go away.  You can
also host your own ELPA-style package repository.  All you need is a web
site with a package directory.

The only thing that makes elpa.gnu.org special is that some of the
package repositories it hosts will be enabled by default with Emacs 24.
But this requires that elpa.gnu.org only host assigned packages, unlike
Tom Tromey's ELPA.

ES> Would it make sense to setup a second ELPA repository for non-FSF
ES> software?

Yes and I suggested it to the Emacs maintainers a while ago, but Tom
Tromey's ELPA may be sufficient (and also see ELL at
http://www.damtp.cam.ac.uk/user/sje30/emacs/ell.html and
http://www.emacswiki.org/ElispArea).  I think we should concentrate on
getting elpa.gnu.org operational first and then cast a wider net.

Ted