Re: where does package-get-info get its info from?

[Steve Youngs <steve@sxemacs.org>]

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* Mike Kupfer <kupfer@athyra.sfbay.sun.com> writes:

  SY>  (package-get-info 'gnus 'date)
  SY>  => 2005-11-15

  > Hmm.  When I do that, I get

  > (package-get-info 'gnus 'date)
  > "2003-10-13"

  > (package-get-info 'gnus 'author-version)
  > "5.10.2"

...because you have _that_ version installed. :-)

  > I thought it might be getting that from
  > $HOME/.xemacs/package-index.LATEST.gpg

That's exactly where the info originates from.  Well, some of the info
does.  Some of it comes from autoloaded forms in `_pkg.el' files in
each package lisp directory.

  > But if I blow away that file and invoke package-get-info in a new
  > XEmacs process, it creates a new package-index.LATEST.gpg and
  > gives me the same results.

Because the package-index file it created was the same as the one you
blew away.  It'd just be a copy of the file that is in
/usr/local/lib/xemacs-x.x.x/etc/.  And...

  > The packages that I'm actually running are from a sumo that I
  > unpacked in /usr/local/lib/xemacs/xemacs-packages.

...because you are a "Sumo-installer" and not a "PUI-installer", your
package-index file never gets updated.  Yes, I know that seems like a
bug or flaw in the way XEmacs handles package management.  But really
it isn't.

Sumo's are _not_ part of and have no knowledge of package management.
Installing a Sumo would be like getting a RPM package, converting it to
a .tar.gz and installing it with `tar zxf file.tar.gz'.  The package
would install and work fine, but the underlying RPM database would have
no knowledge of it.

So, the moral to this story is: If you want the XEmacs PUI tools to
give you the best results, always install/remove/update your packages
with PUI.  Sure, use the Sumo's to set up a virgin installation, but
once the Sumo is installed, continue maintaining the packages with PUI
From that point on.

I use the following incantation to keep all of my packages up to
date... 

  Tools -> Packages -> Set Download Site ...
  Tools -> Packages -> Update Installed Packages

This elisp should also work (untested)...

,----
| (defun sy-update-my-pkgs ()
|   "Just an easy way to update installed packages."
|   (interactive)
|   (let ((package-get-remote '("ftp.xemacs.org" "pub/xemacs/packages")))
|     (package-get-update-all)))
`----

And while I'm on a roll with the recipes, this will make
`package-get-info' use a package-index from a remote package
mirror... 

,----
| (let ((package-get-remote '("ftp.xemacs.org" "pub/xemacs/packages")))
|   (package-get-info 'gnus 'date nil 'remote))
`----


-- 
|---<Steve Youngs>---------------<GnuPG KeyID: A94B3003>---|
|                 I am Dyslexic of Borg.                   | 
|    Fusistance is retile. Your arse will be laminated.    |
|------------------------------------<steve@sxemacs.org>---|

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