Re: CVS is the `released version'

[joakim]

Richard Stallman <address@hidden> writes:

>     Tom Tromey posted a simple implementation of a package system to
>     emacs.sources recently. It works fairly well, so the time is already
>     invested.
>
> I wish that were true, but most of the work of installing a package
> system is making everything _use_ it.

Everyone doesnt have to use it, just several providers of interesting packages.
And also, a repository maintainer might choose to enter a package into
the system withouth explicit work from a package author.

>     Compared with systems like Eclipse, installing an emacs package
>     consists of some fairly boring obviously automatable steps. (like
>     hunting for the package,
>
> I don't see how any code installed in Emacs could save you the need
> for that.

It can be easier to find a package through an emacs interface, rather
than google.

>                            downloading in the right dir, entering the
>     correct invocation in .emacs, etc...)
>
> Since just loading the files is not supposed to change Emacs
> functionality, I think the need for this cannot be avoided.

A package system can give a user help to install the necesessary
invocation into .emacs, given the users consent, similar to "Customize".

> So that doesn't leave much good that a package system could do.

I do feel there is things a package system can do for Emacs. I base
this on examples like the "Eclipse" editor, and the "Smart" rpm
package manager. 

-- 
Joakim Verona