Re: GNU ELPA package proposal: visual-fill-column

[Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca>]

> Philip Kaludercic asked me if I would be interested in adding my package
> `visual-fill-column` to GNU ELPA.[1]

Sounds great!

> While I'm still a bit hazy on the details (though I'm sure it will all
> clear itself up it due time), I do know the process starts with
> a copyright assignment.  I haven't done that yet, so my first question
> is: how do I do that?

Fill the form below and email it as instructed to the FSF so they can
send you the relevant paperwork to sign.

> Another question that occurred to me: the package is currently available on
> Melpa. I know there are packages that exist both on MELPA and on GNU ELPA, but
> for `visual-fill-column`, that doesn't seem to make a lot of sense. If the
> package is added to GNU ELPA and removed from MELPA, would that cause any
> inconvenience for existing users? Would `package.el` be smart enough to update
> existing users to the GNU ELPA version, once a new version is published there?
> Or would it be better to keep the MELPA version to avoid any disruptions?

No, `package.el` is not smart enough.  The reason is that the version
numbers used by MELPA don't match the ones used in GNU ELPA, so the
MELPA versions always seem to be "much higher" than the ones in GNU ELPA
(e.g. 20180223.223 > 5.7.2).  The users can explicitly "downgrade" to
the GNU ELPA version, of course, but it won't happen
automatically/transparently.

The same problem plagues transitions from MELPA to MELPA-Stable,
but not between MELPA-Stable and GNU ELPA ;-)


        Stefan


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