From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: news.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: Nic Ferrier Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.devel Subject: Re: package.el, auto-installation, and auto-removal Date: Wed, 12 Nov 2014 23:26:25 +0000 Message-ID: <87zjbwf1b2.fsf@ferrier.me.uk> References: <87a943umku.fsf@lifelogs.com> <87ppcvm7fj.fsf@newcastle.ac.uk> <87vbmndk46.fsf@lifelogs.com> <87bnoeed7v.fsf@lifelogs.com> <8761emkm7l.fsf@ferrier.me.uk> <871tp9k6hw.fsf@ferrier.me.uk> <87vbmlsf62.fsf@Rainer.invalid> <87h9y5ii7s.fsf@ferrier.me.uk> <87k330gj1x.fsf@ferrier.me.uk> NNTP-Posting-Host: plane.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain X-Trace: ger.gmane.org 1415834821 10375 80.91.229.3 (12 Nov 2014 23:27:01 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@ger.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Wed, 12 Nov 2014 23:27:01 +0000 (UTC) Cc: Achim Gratz , emacs-devel@gnu.org To: Stefan Monnier Original-X-From: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Thu Nov 13 00:26:53 2014 Return-path: Envelope-to: ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org Original-Received: from lists.gnu.org ([208.118.235.17]) by plane.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.69) (envelope-from ) id 1XohJL-0007mH-HG for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Thu, 13 Nov 2014 00:26:51 +0100 Original-Received: from localhost ([::1]:57202 helo=lists.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1XohJK-0001cB-Vs for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Wed, 12 Nov 2014 18:26:50 -0500 Original-Received: from eggs.gnu.org ([2001:4830:134:3::10]:41631) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1XohJ3-0001by-3Y for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Wed, 12 Nov 2014 18:26:39 -0500 Original-Received: from Debian-exim by eggs.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1XohIx-0007pg-69 for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Wed, 12 Nov 2014 18:26:33 -0500 Original-Received: from static.17.66.46.78.clients.your-server.de ([78.46.66.17]:56270 helo=po1.ferrier.me.uk) by eggs.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1XohIw-0007pc-W1 for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Wed, 12 Nov 2014 18:26:27 -0500 Original-Received: from nicferrier-dell-xps (140.35.155.90.in-addr.arpa [90.155.35.140]) by po1.ferrier.me.uk (Postfix) with ESMTPA id 65E11AC00E2; Thu, 13 Nov 2014 00:44:53 +0100 (CET) Original-Received: from nicferrier-XPS13-9333 (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by nicferrier-dell-xps (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 1593C6BA00; Wed, 12 Nov 2014 23:26:26 +0000 (GMT) In-Reply-To: (Stefan Monnier's message of "Wed, 12 Nov 2014 17:59:37 -0500") X-detected-operating-system: by eggs.gnu.org: GNU/Linux 3.x X-Received-From: 78.46.66.17 X-BeenThere: emacs-devel@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.14 Precedence: list List-Id: "Emacs development discussions." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Original-Sender: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Xref: news.gmane.org gmane.emacs.devel:176860 Archived-At: Stefan Monnier writes: >>> Ah, that's where you're going. I kind of like the idea, but I don't >>> like the idea of editing the content of packages in ~/.emacs.d/elpa >>> (even if only for some "special" packages like "user-package"). >> You don't edit that. You edit the source somewhere else and then >> automatically install it. >> I'd suggest that the package could be constructed automatically every >> time. If the necessary data is kept in a customize variable anyway it >> doesn't matter about the package source. >> It only matters that a package is a good way to load other packages. > > If you want your "user-packages" package to be versioned, or if other > packages start refer to such meta-packages, then I can agree that it > could make sense, but otherwise I get the sensation that > - de-install the previous user-packages package. > - make up a dummy .el file with the Package-Requires: header. > - install this dummy .el package. > is kind of contrived. Unless you have such a "fake" package you cannot easily share your packages with anyone else. In fact, I don't think that a package representing just my package state is particularly useful. I use this sort of package as a way of passing round a curated list of packages to other users, in a team at work for example. With what you're proposing though I can see a "starter kit" like thing happening. "new users should install technomancy's user-packages because they're a great starting point" people will say. > Within package.el we could handle it is a special kind of package > instead, but I'd rather try to avoid reifying it into an actual > directory under ~/.emacs.d/elpa. I don't see the point otherwise. It's the simplest thing to do. Users don't spend a lot of time looking at this stuff. Nic