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comparison README.packages @ 398:74fd4e045ea6 r21-2-29

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Import from CVS: tag r21-2-29
author cvs
date Mon, 13 Aug 2007 11:13:30 +0200
parents 4f79e16b1112
children 697ef44129c6
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397:f4aeb21a5bad 398:74fd4e045ea6
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. If you want to compile with MULE, you need the mule-base package installed. 12 A. No, XEmacs will build and install just fine without any packages
13 Otherwise, no package is required before compilation. 13 installed. However, only the most basic editing functions will be
14 available with no packages installed, so installing packages is an
15 essential part of making your installed XEmacs _useful_.
14 16
15 Q. I really liked the old way that packages were bundled and do not 17 Q. I really liked the old way that packages were bundled and do not
16 want to mess with packages at all. 18 want to mess with packages at all.
17 A. You can grab all the packages at once like you used to with old 19 A. You can grab all the packages at once like you used to with old
18 XEmacs versions, skip to the 'Sumo Tarball' section below. 20 XEmacs versions, skip to the 'Sumo Tarball' section below.
19 21
20 A note of caution 22 A note of caution
21 ----------------- 23 -----------------
22 24
23 The XEmacs package system is still in its infancy. Please expect a few 25 The XEmacs package system is still in its infancy. Please expect a few
24 minor hurdles on the way. Also neither the interface nor the structure is 26 minor hurdles on the way. Also neither the interface nor the structure is
25 set in stone. The XEmacs maintainers reserve the right to sacrifice 27 set in stone. The XEmacs maintainers reserve the right to sacrifice
26 backwards compatibility as quirks are worked out over the coming 28 backwards compatibility as quirks are worked out over the coming
27 releases. 29 releases.
28 30
29 Some Package Theory 31 Some Package Theory
30 ------------------- 32 -------------------
31 33
32 In order to reduce the size and increase the maintainability of XEmacs, 34 In order to reduce the size and increase the maintainability of XEmacs,
33 the majority of the Elisp packages that came with previous releases 35 the majority of the Elisp packages that came with previous releases
34 have been unbundled. They have been replaced by the package system. 36 have been unbundled. They have been replaced by the package system.
35 Each elisp add-on (or groups of them when they are small) now comes 37 Each elisp add-on (or groups of them when they are small) now comes
36 in its own tarball that contains a small search hierarchy. 38 in its own tarball that contains a small search hierarchy.
37 39
38 You select just the ones you need. Install them by untarring them into 40 You select just the ones you need. Install them by untarring them into
39 the right place. On startup XEmacs will find them, set up the load 41 the right place. On startup XEmacs will find them, set up the load
40 path correctly, install autoloads, etc, etc. 42 path correctly, install autoloads, etc, etc.
41 43
42 Package hierarchies 44 Package hierarchies
43 ------------------- 45 -------------------
58 60
59 Where to get the packages 61 Where to get the packages
60 ------------------------- 62 -------------------------
61 63
62 Packages are available from ftp://ftp.xemacs.org/pub/xemacs/packages 64 Packages are available from ftp://ftp.xemacs.org/pub/xemacs/packages
63 and its mirror. 65 and its mirrors.
64 66
65 How to install the packages 67 How to install the packages
66 --------------------------- 68 ---------------------------
67 69
68 1. All at once, using the 'Sumo Tarball'. 70 1. All at once, using the 'Sumo Tarball'.
71 73
72 The Sumo Tarball 74 The Sumo Tarball
73 ---------------- 75 ----------------
74 76
75 Those with little time, cheap connections and plenty of disk space can 77 Those with little time, cheap connections and plenty of disk space can
76 install all packages at once using the sumo tarballs. 78 install all the packages at once using the sumo tarballs.
77 Download the file 79 Download the file
78 80
79 xemacs-sumo-<date>.tar.gz 81 xemacs-sumo.tar.gz
80 82
81 For an XEmacs compiled with Mule you also need 83 For an XEmacs compiled with Mule you also need
82 84
83 xemacs-mule-sumo-<date>.tar.gz 85 xemacs-mule-sumo.tar.gz
84 86
85 N.B. They are called 'Sumo Tarballs' for good reason. They are 87 N.B. They are called 'Sumo Tarballs' for good reason. They are
86 currently about 15MB and 2.3MB (gzipped) respectively. 88 currently about 15MB and 2.3MB (gzipped) respectively.
87 89
88 Install them by 90 Install them by
118 120
119 XEmacs comes with some tools to make the periodic updating and 121 XEmacs comes with some tools to make the periodic updating and
120 installing easier. It will notice if new packages or versions are 122 installing easier. It will notice if new packages or versions are
121 available and will fetch them from the ftp site. 123 available and will fetch them from the ftp site.
122 124
123 Unfortunately this requires that a few packages are already in place. 125 Unfortunately this requires that a few packages are already in place.
124 You will have to install them by hand as above or use a SUMO tarball. 126 You will have to install them by hand as above or use a SUMO tarball.
125 This requirement will hopefully go away in the future. The packages 127 This requirement will hopefully go away in the future. The packages
126 you need are: 128 you need are:
127 129
128 efs - To fetch the files from the ftp site or mirrors. 130 efs - To fetch the files from the ftp site or mirrors.
129 xemacs-base - Needed by efs. 131 xemacs-base - Needed by efs.
130 132
131 and optionally: 133 and optionally:
132 134
133 mailcrypt - If you have PGP installed and want to verify the 135 mailcrypt - If you have PGP installed and want to verify the
134 signature of the index file. 136 signature of the index file.
135 mule-base - Needed if you want to compile XEmacs with MULE. 137 mule-base - Needed if you want to use XEmacs with MULE.
136 138
137 After installing these by hand, you can start XEmacs. (It is a good 139 After installing these by hand, you can start XEmacs. (It is a good
138 idea to use 'xemacs -vanilla' here as your startup files might need 140 idea to use 'xemacs -vanilla' here as your startup files might need
139 things now moved to packages.) 141 things now moved to packages.)
140 142
162 mouse or using RET. 164 mouse or using RET.
163 165
164 - When you are finished choosing packages, invoke 166 - When you are finished choosing packages, invoke
165 'Packages->Install/Remove Select' from the menu or type 'x' to 167 'Packages->Install/Remove Select' from the menu or type 'x' to
166 begin installing packages. 168 begin installing packages.
167 169
168 After Installation 170 After Installation
169 ------------------ 171 ------------------
170 172
171 New packages can only be used by XEmacs after a restart. 173 New packages can only be used by XEmacs after a restart.
172 174
173 Note to MULE users 175 Note to MULE users
174 ------------------ 176 ------------------
175 177
176 Unlike all other packages the mule-base package is used at build/dump 178 Unlike all other packages the mule-base package is used at build/dump
177 time. This means that you need this available before compiling XEmacs 179 time. This means that you need this available before compiling XEmacs
178 with MULE. Also it is a good idea to keep packages that are 180 with MULE. Also it is a good idea to keep packages that are
179 MULE-only separate by putting them in the mule-packages hierarchy. 181 MULE-only separate by putting them in the mule-packages hierarchy.
180 182
181 Which Packages to install? 183 Which Packages to install?
198 200
199 Upgrading/Removing Packages 201 Upgrading/Removing Packages
200 --------------------------- 202 ---------------------------
201 203
202 As the exact files and their locations contained in a package may 204 As the exact files and their locations contained in a package may
203 change it is recommend to remove a package first before installing a 205 change it is recommended to remove a package first before installing a
204 new version. In order to facilitate removal each package contains an 206 new version. In order to facilitate removal each package contains an
205 pgkinfo/MANIFEST.pkgname file which list all the files belong to the 207 pgkinfo/MANIFEST.pkgname file which list all the files belong to the
206 package. M-x package-admin-delete-binary-package RET can be used to 208 package. M-x package-admin-delete-binary-package RET can be used to
207 remove a package using this file. 209 remove a package using this file.
208 210
211 213
212 User Package directories 214 User Package directories
213 ------------------------ 215 ------------------------
214 216
215 In addition to the system wide packages, each user can have his own 217 In addition to the system wide packages, each user can have his own
216 packages installed in "./xemacs" (Note that this will most likely 218 packages installed in "~/.xemacs/xemacs-packages". If you want to
217 change to "./xemacs/packages" in the near future). If you want to
218 install packages there using the interactive tools, you need to set 219 install packages there using the interactive tools, you need to set
219 'pui-package-install-dest-dir' to "/xemacs" 220 'pui-package-install-dest-dir' to "~/.xemacs/xemacs-packages"
220 221
221 Site lisp/Site start 222 Site lisp/Site start
222 -------------------- 223 --------------------
223 224
224 The site-packages hierarchy replaces the old 'site-lisp' directory. 225 The site-packages hierarchy replaces the old 'site-lisp' directory.
225 XEmacs no longer looks into a 'site-lisp' directly by default. 226 XEmacs no longer looks into a 'site-lisp' directly by default.
226 A good place to put 'site-start.el' would be in 227 A good place to put 'site-start.el' would be in
227 $prefix/lib/xemacs/site-packages/lisp/ 228 $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").