Define list of packages in ~/.emacs.d/init.el

Define list of packages in ~/.emacs.d/init.el

[Stephan Brauer]

Hi,

disclaimer: I'm (obviously) new to emacs.

I've been searching for a way to define a list of packages that I wan't 
to have installed and then have them installed or updated whenever emacs 
is started. I think this way I can easily put my init.el into version 
control and on every system I use for emacs just deploy that file and 
emacs does the rest.

Does someone here know about a way to do that?

I'm using `GNU Emacs 24.5.1`.

Thanks!

Stephan

Re: Define list of packages in ~/.emacs.d/init.el

[Dan Čermák]

Hi Stephan,

I am doing exactly what you are describing using this snippet:

;;
;; Auto-install not yet installed packages
;;

(require 'cl)

(defvar required-packages
  '(auctex
    yasnippet)
  "a list of packages to ensure are installed at launch.")

; method to check if all packages are installed
(defun packages-installed-p ()
  (loop for p in required-packages
        when (not (package-installed-p p)) do (return nil)
        finally (return t)))

; if not all packages are installed, check one by one and install the missing ones.
(unless (packages-installed-p)
  ; check for new packages (package versions)
  (message "%s" "Emacs is now refreshing its package database...")
  (package-refresh-contents)
  (message "%s" " done.")
  ; install the missing packages
  (dolist (p required-packages)
    (when (not (package-installed-p p))
      (package-install p))))



I have basically copy-pasted this from elisp snippets that I found
around the web, so please don't ask me hard questions ;-)
If you want to auto-install packages, add them to the required-packages
list and voila, you are done.

I have used it in this form in Emacs 24. As Emacs 25 automatically
stores a list of installed packages in the variable
package-selected-packages, you can also use that list instead of the
custom required-packages once you upgrade to Emacs > 24.


Cheers,

Dan

Stephan Brauer <stephan@ls42.de> writes:

> Hi,
>
> disclaimer: I'm (obviously) new to emacs.
>
> I've been searching for a way to define a list of packages that I wan't 
> to have installed and then have them installed or updated whenever emacs 
> is started. I think this way I can easily put my init.el into version 
> control and on every system I use for emacs just deploy that file and 
> emacs does the rest.
>
> Does someone here know about a way to do that?
>
> I'm using `GNU Emacs 24.5.1`.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Stephan

Re: Define list of packages in ~/.emacs.d/init.el

[Stefan Monnier]

> (defvar required-packages
>   '(auctex
>     yasnippet)
>   "a list of packages to ensure are installed at launch.")

Recent Emacsen use the variable `package-selected-packages` for that.

> ; method to check if all packages are installed
> (defun packages-installed-p ()
>   (loop for p in required-packages
>         when (not (package-installed-p p)) do (return nil)
>         finally (return t)))

> ; if not all packages are installed, check one by one and install the missing ones.
> (unless (packages-installed-p)
>   ; check for new packages (package versions)
>   (message "%s" "Emacs is now refreshing its package database...")
>   (package-refresh-contents)
>   (message "%s" " done.")
>   ; install the missing packages
>   (dolist (p required-packages)
>     (when (not (package-installed-p p))
>       (package-install p))))

AFAIK current Emacsen do not provide this functionality.  I'm opposed to
having such a thing fully automatic (because Emacs shouldn't initiate
a connection to the internet without some explicit user request), but
since many users seem to actively want such a misfeature, I think Emacs
should probably offer this functionality (disabled by default, and with
a suitable warning on the label).

So, I suggest you `M-x report-emacs-bug` and request this
optional functionality.


        Stefan

Re: Define list of packages in ~/.emacs.d/init.el

[Alexis]

Stephan Brauer <stephan@ls42.de> writes:

> I've been searching for a way to define a list of packages that 
> I
> wan't to have installed and then have them installed or updated
> whenever emacs is started. I think this way I can easily put my
> init.el into version control and on every system I use for emacs 
> just
> deploy that file and emacs does the rest.
>
> Does someone here know about a way to do that?

i don't use it myself, but i know many people use John Wiegley's
`use-package`:

https://github.com/jwiegley/use-package


Alexis.

Re: Define list of packages in ~/.emacs.d/init.el

[Emanuel Berg]

Alexis wrote:

> i don't use it myself, but i know many people
> use John Wiegley's `use-package`

C'mon now lad, it is better to come clean.
If you admit it, we won't beat you up!

-- 
underground experts united
http://user.it.uu.se/~embe8573

Re: Define list of packages in ~/.emacs.d/init.el

[Stephan Brauer]

Hi Alexis,

yes, that's what I'm using now, someone else recommended it to me. It's 
exactly what I want. Thank you.

Stephan

On Thu, Nov 30, 2017 at 12:47:30PM +1100, Alexis wrote:
> 
> Stephan Brauer <stephan@ls42.de> writes:
> 
> > I've been searching for a way to define a list of packages that I
> > wan't to have installed and then have them installed or updated
> > whenever emacs is started. I think this way I can easily put my
> > init.el into version control and on every system I use for emacs just
> > deploy that file and emacs does the rest.
> > 
> > Does someone here know about a way to do that?
> 
> i don't use it myself, but i know many people use John Wiegley's
> `use-package`:
> 
> https://github.com/jwiegley/use-package
> 
> 
> Alexis.