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comparison README.packages @ 412:697ef44129c6 r21-2-14

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Import from CVS: tag r21-2-14
author cvs
date Mon, 13 Aug 2007 11:20:41 +0200
parents 74fd4e045ea6
children da8ed4261e83
comparison
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411:12e008d41344 412:697ef44129c6
7 7
8 Real Real Quickstart FAQ 8 Real Real Quickstart FAQ
9 ------------------------ 9 ------------------------
10 10
11 Q. Do I need to have the packages to compile XEmacs? 11 Q. Do I need to have the packages to compile XEmacs?
12 A. No, XEmacs will build and install just fine without any packages 12 A. If you want to compile with MULE, you need the mule-base package installed.
13 installed. However, only the most basic editing functions will be 13 Otherwise, no package is required before compilation.
14 available with no packages installed, so installing packages is an
15 essential part of making your installed XEmacs _useful_.
16 14
17 Q. I really liked the old way that packages were bundled and do not 15 Q. I really liked the old way that packages were bundled and do not
18 want to mess with packages at all. 16 want to mess with packages at all.
19 A. You can grab all the packages at once like you used to with old 17 A. You can grab all the packages at once like you used to with old
20 XEmacs versions, skip to the 'Sumo Tarball' section below. 18 XEmacs versions, skip to the 'Sumo Tarball' section below.
21 19
22 A note of caution 20 A note of caution
23 ----------------- 21 -----------------
24 22
25 The XEmacs package system is still in its infancy. Please expect a few 23 The XEmacs package system is still in its infancy. Please expect a few
26 minor hurdles on the way. Also neither the interface nor the structure is 24 minor hurdles on the way. Also neither the interface nor the structure is
27 set in stone. The XEmacs maintainers reserve the right to sacrifice 25 set in stone. The XEmacs maintainers reserve the right to sacrifice
28 backwards compatibility as quirks are worked out over the coming 26 backwards compatibility as quirks are worked out over the coming
29 releases. 27 releases.
30 28
31 Some Package Theory 29 Some Package Theory
32 ------------------- 30 -------------------
33 31
34 In order to reduce the size and increase the maintainability of XEmacs, 32 In order to reduce the size and increase the maintainability of XEmacs,
35 the majority of the Elisp packages that came with previous releases 33 the majority of the Elisp packages that came with previous releases
36 have been unbundled. They have been replaced by the package system. 34 have been unbundled. They have been replaced by the package system.
37 Each elisp add-on (or groups of them when they are small) now comes 35 Each elisp add-on (or groups of them when they are small) now comes
38 in its own tarball that contains a small search hierarchy. 36 in its own tarball that contains a small search hierarchy.
39 37
40 You select just the ones you need. Install them by untarring them into 38 You select just the ones you need. Install them by untarring them into
41 the right place. On startup XEmacs will find them, set up the load 39 the right place. On startup XEmacs will find them, set up the load
42 path correctly, install autoloads, etc, etc. 40 path correctly, install autoloads, etc, etc.
43 41
44 Package hierarchies 42 Package hierarchies
45 ------------------- 43 -------------------
60 58
61 Where to get the packages 59 Where to get the packages
62 ------------------------- 60 -------------------------
63 61
64 Packages are available from ftp://ftp.xemacs.org/pub/xemacs/packages 62 Packages are available from ftp://ftp.xemacs.org/pub/xemacs/packages
65 and its mirrors. 63 and its mirror.
66 64
67 How to install the packages 65 How to install the packages
68 --------------------------- 66 ---------------------------
69 67
70 1. All at once, using the 'Sumo Tarball'. 68 1. All at once, using the 'Sumo Tarball'.
73 71
74 The Sumo Tarball 72 The Sumo Tarball
75 ---------------- 73 ----------------
76 74
77 Those with little time, cheap connections and plenty of disk space can 75 Those with little time, cheap connections and plenty of disk space can
78 install all the packages at once using the sumo tarballs. 76 install all packages at once using the sumo tarballs.
79 Download the file 77 Download the file
80 78
81 xemacs-sumo.tar.gz 79 xemacs-sumo-<date>.tar.gz
82 80
83 For an XEmacs compiled with Mule you also need 81 For an XEmacs compiled with Mule you also need
84 82
85 xemacs-mule-sumo.tar.gz 83 xemacs-mule-sumo-<date>.tar.gz
86 84
87 N.B. They are called 'Sumo Tarballs' for good reason. They are 85 N.B. They are called 'Sumo Tarballs' for good reason. They are
88 currently about 15MB and 2.3MB (gzipped) respectively. 86 currently about 15MB and 2.3MB (gzipped) respectively.
89 87
90 Install them by 88 Install them by
120 118
121 XEmacs comes with some tools to make the periodic updating and 119 XEmacs comes with some tools to make the periodic updating and
122 installing easier. It will notice if new packages or versions are 120 installing easier. It will notice if new packages or versions are
123 available and will fetch them from the ftp site. 121 available and will fetch them from the ftp site.
124 122
125 Unfortunately this requires that a few packages are already in place. 123 Unfortunately this requires that a few packages are already in place.
126 You will have to install them by hand as above or use a SUMO tarball. 124 You will have to install them by hand as above or use a SUMO tarball.
127 This requirement will hopefully go away in the future. The packages 125 This requirement will hopefully go away in the future. The packages
128 you need are: 126 you need are:
129 127
130 efs - To fetch the files from the ftp site or mirrors. 128 efs - To fetch the files from the ftp site or mirrors.
131 xemacs-base - Needed by efs. 129 xemacs-base - Needed by efs.
132 130
133 and optionally: 131 and optionally:
134 132
135 mailcrypt - If you have PGP installed and want to verify the 133 mailcrypt - If you have PGP installed and want to verify the
136 signature of the index file. 134 signature of the index file.
137 mule-base - Needed if you want to use XEmacs with MULE. 135 mule-base - Needed if you want to compile XEmacs with MULE.
138 136
139 After installing these by hand, you can start XEmacs. (It is a good 137 After installing these by hand, you can start XEmacs. (It is a good
140 idea to use 'xemacs -vanilla' here as your startup files might need 138 idea to use 'xemacs -vanilla' here as your startup files might need
141 things now moved to packages.) 139 things now moved to packages.)
142 140
164 mouse or using RET. 162 mouse or using RET.
165 163
166 - When you are finished choosing packages, invoke 164 - When you are finished choosing packages, invoke
167 'Packages->Install/Remove Select' from the menu or type 'x' to 165 'Packages->Install/Remove Select' from the menu or type 'x' to
168 begin installing packages. 166 begin installing packages.
169 167
170 After Installation 168 After Installation
171 ------------------ 169 ------------------
172 170
173 New packages can only be used by XEmacs after a restart. 171 New packages can only be used by XEmacs after a restart.
174 172
175 Note to MULE users 173 Note to MULE users
176 ------------------ 174 ------------------
177 175
178 Unlike all other packages the mule-base package is used at build/dump 176 Unlike all other packages the mule-base package is used at build/dump
179 time. This means that you need this available before compiling XEmacs 177 time. This means that you need this available before compiling XEmacs
180 with MULE. Also it is a good idea to keep packages that are 178 with MULE. Also it is a good idea to keep packages that are
181 MULE-only separate by putting them in the mule-packages hierarchy. 179 MULE-only separate by putting them in the mule-packages hierarchy.
182 180
183 Which Packages to install? 181 Which Packages to install?
200 198
201 Upgrading/Removing Packages 199 Upgrading/Removing Packages
202 --------------------------- 200 ---------------------------
203 201
204 As the exact files and their locations contained in a package may 202 As the exact files and their locations contained in a package may
205 change it is recommended to remove a package first before installing a 203 change it is recommend to remove a package first before installing a
206 new version. In order to facilitate removal each package contains an 204 new version. In order to facilitate removal each package contains an
207 pgkinfo/MANIFEST.pkgname file which list all the files belong to the 205 pgkinfo/MANIFEST.pkgname file which list all the files belong to the
208 package. M-x package-admin-delete-binary-package RET can be used to 206 package. M-x package-admin-delete-binary-package RET can be used to
209 remove a package using this file. 207 remove a package using this file.
210 208
213 211
214 User Package directories 212 User Package directories
215 ------------------------ 213 ------------------------
216 214
217 In addition to the system wide packages, each user can have his own 215 In addition to the system wide packages, each user can have his own
218 packages installed in "~/.xemacs/xemacs-packages". If you want to 216 packages installed in "./xemacs" (Note that this will most likely
217 change to "./xemacs/packages" in the near future). If you want to
219 install packages there using the interactive tools, you need to set 218 install packages there using the interactive tools, you need to set
220 'pui-package-install-dest-dir' to "~/.xemacs/xemacs-packages" 219 'pui-package-install-dest-dir' to "/xemacs"
221 220
222 Site lisp/Site start 221 Site lisp/Site start
223 -------------------- 222 --------------------
224 223
225 The site-packages hierarchy replaces the old 'site-lisp' directory. 224 The site-packages hierarchy replaces the old 'site-lisp' directory.
226 XEmacs no longer looks into a 'site-lisp' directly by default. 225 XEmacs no longer looks into a 'site-lisp' directly by default.
227 A good place to put 'site-start.el' would be in 226 A good place to put 'site-start.el' would be in
228 $prefix/lib/xemacs/site-packages/lisp/ 227 $prefix/lib/xemacs/site-packages/lisp/
229
230 Finding the right packages
231 --------------------------
232
233 If you want to find out which package contains the functionality you
234 are looking for, use M-x package-get-package-provider, and give it a
235 symbol that is likely to be in that package. For example, if some
236 code you want to use has a (require 'thingatpt) in it, try doing
237 M-x package-get-package-provider RET thingatpt , which will return
238 something like: (fsf-compat "1.06").