Re: Moving packages out of core to ELPA

[Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>]

> From: JD Smith <jdtsmith@gmail.com>
> Date: Sat, 17 Feb 2024 12:08:37 -0500
> Cc: emacs-devel <emacs-devel@gnu.org>
> 
> >>> We usually first retire such packages to lisp/obsolete/.  There, they
> >>> are still available, but need to be loaded manually.  Moving something
> >>> directly to ELPA might be too drastic, assuming someone somewhere
> >>> still want to use it.
> >> 
> >> Does that reduce the maintenance burden, for example because code in lisp/obsolete does not receive updates to documentation, stylistic code changes, etc.?  Do you typically also remove the associated entry in auto-mode-alist when obsoleting in this fashion?
> > 
> > Yes, I think so (on both counts).
> 
> OK, then I suppose staging in lisp/obsolete/ makes sense.  I do worry about the connotations of obsolete meaning "stop using", "does not work at all" or "soon to vanish".  In fact IDLWAVE does still work and is useful for a small set of users, it just does more harm than good in core, IMO.  

We also call out the obsolescence in NEWS, so users will know, when
the package fails to load automatically.

> One idea would be to create another category for packages "on their way out" of core.  I'm sure there's a better name, but lisp/noncore comes to mind.  The intended difference being that obsolete packages will likely disappear entirely from the project, whereas "noncore" packages will be migrated to ELPA, where users can find them once they have left core for good.

We don't yet have examples of such packages, I think.  And in this
case, we intend to move IDLWAVE out precisely because it is obsolete,
so we don't need to consider a new category for this case, I think.