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+ − 1 -*- Outline -*-
+ − 2 This file is in Outline mode. It is best viewed under XEmacs.
+ − 3
+ − 4 Press C-c C-o (Ctrl+c Ctrl+o) now to see a list of headings.
+ − 5 To expand a heading: Put the cursor on the heading and press C-c C-s
+ − 6 To collapse a heading: Press C-c C-d
+ − 7
+ − 8 For general XEmacs navigation tips: Press C-h t
+ − 9
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+ − 10 The XEmacs Packages Quick Start Guide
+ − 11 -------------------------------------
+ − 12
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+ − 13 This text is intended to help you get started installing a new XEmacs and
+ − 14 its packages. For more details see the 'Startup Paths' and 'Packages'
+ − 15 sections of the XEmacs info manual.
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+ − 16
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+ − 17 * Real Real Quickstart FAQ
+ − 18 --------------------------
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+ − 19
+ − 20 Q. Do I need to have the packages to compile XEmacs?
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+ − 21
+ − 22 A. Theoretically, no -- XEmacs will build and install just fine without any
+ − 23 packages installed. However, only the most basic editing functions will
+ − 24 be available with no packages installed, so installing packages is an
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+ − 25 essential part of making your installed XEmacs _useful_.
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+ − 26
+ − 27 Q. I really liked the old way that packages were bundled and do not
+ − 28 want to mess with packages at all.
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+ − 29
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+ − 30 A. You can grab all the packages at once like you used to with old
+ − 31 XEmacs versions, skip to the 'Sumo Tarball' section below.
+ − 32
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+ − 33 Q. How do I tell XEmacs where to find the packages?
+ − 34
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+ − 35 A. Normally, you put the packages under $prefix/lib/xemacs, where
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+ − 36 $prefix is specified using the `--prefix' parameter to `configure'.
+ − 37 (See `Package hierarchies' below). However, if you have the packages
+ − 38 somewhere else (e.g. you're a developer and are compiling the packages
+ − 39 yourself, and want your own private copy of everything), use the
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+ − 40 `--package-prefix' parameter to `configure' to specify the directory prefix
+ − 41 under which you have placed the `xemacs-packages' and (if MULE support
+ − 42 exists) `mule-packages' directories.
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+ − 43
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+ − 44 Q. After installing, I want XEmacs to do `foo', but when I invoke it
+ − 45 (or click the toolbar button or select the menu item), nothing (or
+ − 46 an error) happens, and it used to work.
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+ − 47
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+ − 48 A. See the first FAQ; you may be missing a package that is essential to
+ − 49 you. You can either track it down and install it, or install the
+ − 50 `Sumo Tarball' (see the second FAQ).
+ − 51
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+ − 52 * A note of caution
+ − 53 -------------------
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+ − 54
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+ − 55 The XEmacs package system is still in its infancy. Please expect a few
+ − 56 minor hurdles on the way. Also neither the interface nor the structure is
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+ − 57 set in stone. The XEmacs maintainers reserve the right to sacrifice
+ − 58 backwards compatibility as quirks are worked out over the coming
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+ − 59 releases.
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+ − 60
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+ − 61 * Some package theory
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+ − 62 ---------------------
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+ − 63
+ − 64 In order to reduce the size and increase the maintainability of XEmacs,
+ − 65 the majority of the Elisp packages that came with previous releases
+ − 66 have been unbundled. They have been replaced by the package system.
+ − 67 Each elisp add-on (or groups of them when they are small) now comes
+ − 68 in its own tarball that contains a small search hierarchy.
+ − 69
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+ − 70 You select just the ones you need. Install them by untarring them into
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+ − 71 the right place. On startup XEmacs will find them, set up the load
+ − 72 path correctly, install autoloads, etc, etc.
+ − 73
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+ − 74 * Package hierarchies
+ − 75 ---------------------
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+ − 76
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+ − 77 On Startup XEmacs looks for packages in so-called package hierarchies.
+ − 78 Normally, there are three system wide hierarchies, like this:
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+ − 79
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+ − 80 $prefix/lib/xemacs/xemacs-packages/
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+ − 81 Normal packages go here.
+ − 82
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+ − 83 $prefix/lib/xemacs/mule-packages/
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+ − 84 Mule packages go here and are only searched by MULE-enabled XEmacsen.
+ − 85
+ − 86 $prefix/lib/xemacs/site-packages/
+ − 87 Local and 3rd party packages go here.
+ − 88
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+ − 89 This is what you get when you untar the SUMO tarballs under
+ − 90 $prefix/lib/xemacs.
+ − 91
+ − 92 $prefix is specified using the `--prefix' parameter to `configure', and
+ − 93 defaults to `usr/local'.
+ − 94
+ − 95 If your packages are located in the above directories, XEmacs will
+ − 96 automatically find them at startup; however, if you have your packages
+ − 97 somewhere else (e.g. you're a developer and are compiling the packages
+ − 98 yourself, and want your own private copy of everything), you can tell
+ − 99 XEmacs specifically where to look for the packages by using the
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+ − 100 `--package-prefix' parameter to 'configure' to specify the directory prefix
+ − 101 under which you have placed the `xemacs-packages' and (if MULE support
+ − 102 exists) `mule-packages' directories.
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+ − 103
+ − 104 See `configure.usage' for more info about the format of this parameter.
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+ − 105
+ − 106 * Where to get the packages
+ − 107 ---------------------------
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+ − 108
+ − 109 Packages are available from ftp://ftp.xemacs.org/pub/xemacs/packages
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+ − 110 and its mirrors.
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+ − 111
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+ − 112 * How to install the packages
+ − 113 -----------------------------
+ − 114 There are a few different ways to install packages:
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+ − 115
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+ − 116 1. Automatically, using the package tools from XEmacs.
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+ − 117 2. Manually, using individual package tarballs.
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+ − 118 3. Manually, all at once, using the 'Sumo Tarball'.
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+ − 119
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+ − 120 ** Automatically, using the package tools from XEmacs
+ − 121 -----------------------------------------------------
+ − 122
+ − 123 XEmacs comes with some tools to make the periodic updating and
+ − 124 installing easier. It will notice if new packages or versions are
+ − 125 available and will fetch them from the FTP site.
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+ − 126
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+ − 127 Unfortunately this requires that a few packages are already in place.
+ − 128 You will have to install them by hand as above or use a SUMO tarball.
+ − 129 This requirement will hopefully go away in the future. The packages
+ − 130 you need are:
+ − 131
+ − 132 efs - To fetch the files from the FTP site or mirrors.
+ − 133 xemacs-base - Needed by efs.
+ − 134
+ − 135 and optionally:
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+ − 136
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+ − 137 mailcrypt - For PGP verification of the package-index file.
+ − 138
+ − 139 After installing these by hand, fire up XEmacs and follow these
+ − 140 steps.
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+ − 141
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+ − 142 (1) Choose a download site.
+ − 143 - via menu: Tools -> Packages -> Set Download Site
+ − 144 - via keyb: M-x customize-variable RET package-get-remote RET
+ − 145 (put in the details of remote host and directory)
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+ − 146
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+ − 147 If the package tarballs _AND_ the package-index file are in a
+ − 148 local directory, you can: M-x pui-set-local-package-get-directory RET
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+ − 149
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+ − 150 (2) Obtain a list of packages and display the list in a buffer named
+ − 151 "*Packages*".
+ − 152 - menu: Tools -> Packages -> List & Install
+ − 153 - keyb: M-x pui-list-packages RET
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+ − 154
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+ − 155 XEmacs will now connect to the remote site and download the
+ − 156 latest package-index file.
+ − 157
+ − 158 The resulting buffer, "*Packages*" has brief instructions at the
+ − 159 end of the buffer.
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+ − 160
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+ − 161 (3) Choose the packages you wish to install.
+ − 162 - mouse: Click button 2 on the package name.
+ − 163 - keyb: RET on the package name
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+ − 164
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+ − 165 (4) Make sure you have everything you need.
+ − 166 - menu: Packages -> Add Required
+ − 167 - keyb: r
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+ − 168
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+ − 169 XEmacs will now search for packages that are required by the
+ − 170 ones that you have chosen to install and offer to select
+ − 171 those packages also.
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+ − 172
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+ − 173 For novices and gurus alike, this step can save your bacon.
+ − 174 It's easy to forget to install a critical package.
+ − 175
+ − 176 (5) Download and install the packages.
+ − 177 - menu: Packages -> Install/Remove Selected
+ − 178 - keyb: x
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+ − 179
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+ − 180 ** Manually, using individual package tarballs
+ − 181 ----------------------------------------------
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+ − 182
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+ − 183 Fetch the packages from the FTP site, CD-ROM whatever. The filenames
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+ − 184 have the form name-<version>-pkg.tar.gz and are gzipped tar files. For
+ − 185 a fresh install it is sufficient to untar the file at the top of the
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+ − 186 package hierarchy.
+ − 187
+ − 188 Note: If you are upgrading packages already installed, it's best to
+ − 189 remove the old package first (see 'Upgrading/Removing Packages' below).
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+ − 190
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+ − 191 For example if we are installing the 'xemacs-base'
+ − 192 package (version 1.48):
+ − 193
+ − 194 mkdir $prefix/lib/xemacs/xemacs-packages RET # if it does not exist yet
+ − 195 cd $prefix/lib/xemacs/xemacs-packages RET
+ − 196 gunzip -c /path/to/xemacs-base-1.48-pkg.tar.gz | tar xvf - RET
+ − 197
+ − 198 Or if you have GNU tar, the last step can be:
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+ − 199
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+ − 200 tar zxvf /path/to/xemacs-base-1.48-pkg.tar.gz RET
+ − 201
+ − 202 For MULE related packages, it is best to untar into the mule-packages
+ − 203 hierarchy, i.e. for the mule-base package, version 1.37:
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+ − 204
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+ − 205 mkdir $prefix/lib/xemacs/mule-packages RET # if it does not exist yet
+ − 206 cd $prefix/lib/xemacs/mule-packages RET
+ − 207 gunzip -c /path/to/mule-base-1.37-pkg.tar.gz | tar xvf - RET
+ − 208
+ − 209 Or if you have GNU tar, the last step can be:
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+ − 210
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+ − 211 tar zxvf /path/to/mule-base-1.37-pkg.tar.gz RET
+ − 212
+ − 213
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+ − 214 ** Manually, all at once, using the 'Sumo Tarball'
+ − 215 --------------------------------------------------
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+ − 216
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+ − 217 Those with little time, cheap connections and plenty of disk space can
+ − 218 install all the packages at once using the sumo tarballs.
+ − 219 Download the file:
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+ − 220
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+ − 221 xemacs-sumo.tar.gz
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+ − 222
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+ − 223 For an XEmacs compiled with Mule you also need:
+ − 224
+ − 225 xemacs-mule-sumo.tar.gz
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+ − 226
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+ − 227 N.B. They are called 'Sumo Tarballs' for good reason. They are
+ − 228 currently about 19MB and 4.5MB (gzipped) respectively.
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+ − 229
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+ − 230 Install them by:
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+ − 231
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+ − 232 cd $prefix/lib/xemacs ; gunzip -c <tarballname> | tar xvf - RET
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+ − 233
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+ − 234 Or, if you have GNU tar:
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+ − 235
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+ − 236 cd $prefix/lib/xemacs ; tar zxvf /path/to/<tarballname> RET
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+ − 237
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+ − 238 As the Sumo tarballs are not regenerated as often as the individual
+ − 239 packages, it is recommended that you use the automatic package tools
+ − 240 afterwards to pick up any recent updates.
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+ − 241
+ − 242 * After Installation
+ − 243 --------------------
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+ − 244
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+ − 245 Updated packages can only be used by XEmacs after a restart.
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+ − 246
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+ − 247 * Which Packages to install?
+ − 248 ----------------------------
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+ − 249
+ − 250 This is difficult to say. When in doubt install a package. If you
+ − 251 administrate a big site it might be a good idea to just install
+ − 252 everything. A good minimal set of packages for XEmacs-latin1 would be
+ − 253
+ − 254 xemacs-base, xemacs-devel, c-support, cc-mode, debug, dired, efs,
+ − 255 edit-utils, fsf-compat, mail-lib, net-utils, os-utils, prog-modes,
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+ − 256 text-modes, time, mailcrypt
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+ − 257
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+ − 258 If you are using the XEmacs package tools, don't forget to do:
+ − 259
+ − 260 Packages -> Add Required
+ − 261
+ − 262 To make sure you have everything that the packages you have chosen to
+ − 263 install need.
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+ − 264
+ − 265 See also '.../etc/PACKAGES' for further descriptions of the individual
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+ − 266 packages.
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+ − 267
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+ − 268 * Upgrading/Removing Packages
+ − 269 -----------------------------
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+ − 270
+ − 271 As the exact files and their locations contained in a package may
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+ − 272 change it is recommended to remove a package first before installing a
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+ − 273 new version. In order to facilitate removal each package contains an
+ − 274 pgkinfo/MANIFEST.pkgname file which list all the files belong to the
+ − 275 package. M-x package-admin-delete-binary-package RET can be used to
+ − 276 remove a package using this file.
+ − 277
+ − 278 Note that the interactive package tools included with XEmacs already do
+ − 279 this for you.
+ − 280
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+ − 281 * User Package directories
+ − 282 --------------------------
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+ − 283
+ − 284 In addition to the system wide packages, each user can have his own
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+ − 285 packages installed under "~/.xemacs/". If you want to install packages
+ − 286 there using the interactive tools, you need to set
+ − 287 'package-get-install-to-user-init-directory' to 't'
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+ − 288
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+ − 289 * Site lisp/Site start
+ − 290 ----------------------
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+ − 291
+ − 292 The site-packages hierarchy replaces the old 'site-lisp' directory.
+ − 293 XEmacs no longer looks into a 'site-lisp' directly by default.
+ − 294 A good place to put 'site-start.el' would be in
+ − 295 $prefix/lib/xemacs/site-packages/lisp/
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+ − 296
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+ − 297 * Finding the right packages
+ − 298 ----------------------------
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+ − 299
+ − 300 If you want to find out which package contains the functionality you
+ − 301 are looking for, use M-x package-get-package-provider, and give it a
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+ − 302 symbol that is likely to be in that package.
+ − 303
+ − 304 For example, if some code you want to use has a (require 'thingatpt)
+ − 305 in it:
+ − 306
+ − 307 M-x package-get-package-provider RET thingatpt RET
+ − 308
+ − 309 which will return something like: (fsf-compat "1.08").