Re: CVS is the `released version'

[Tom Tromey]

>>>>> "David" == David Kastrup <address@hidden> writes:

David> I am not comfortable with having Emacs automatically install and load
David> anything, period.

Just to be clear here, package.el never automatically installs
anything.  You must ask for it using the package menu mode (or some
other install approach).  Once something is installed, it is
automatically activated when package-initialize is called -- but this
is an intentional feature.

David> I consider the "fixed repository"
David> approach something that does not work out.  Each package should carry
David> with itself the information where to ask for updates.

I considered this but rejected it for two reasons.

First, in my view it is simply more convenient for users to have a
single, pre-configured download site.  That way no configuration of
package.el is needed, it "just works".  Yes, this is slightly harder
for package maintainers, but I've tried to make package.el impose as
few hardships as possible, and I think the burden is not too great.

Second, 3rd party sites often die.  ELL has many stale links in it,
and in my view the free-for-all of the Emacs Wiki is a bit too scary
to trust blindly.  I know that the worst failure mode with a site
under my control (hosted on my web site or on savannah) is that it
will go stale -- which while lamentable at least is not a potential
security hole.

Tom