Subject: Re: bug#62720: 29.0.60; Not easy at all to upgrade :core packages like Eglot

From: Philip Kaludercic <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2023 19:14:37 +0000

Eli Zaretskii <[email-masked]> writes:

>> From: Philip Kaludercic <[email-masked]>
>> Cc: [email-masked],  [email-masked],  [email-masked],
>>   [email-masked]
>> Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2023 15:14:51 +0000
>> 
>> > I have found an alternative that doesn't change the way
>> > `package-compute-transaction' works, but requires a small change in
>> > `package-install':
>> 
>> I have found a smaller but equivalent change that would also solve the
>> issue:
>
> Are we still sure we want to change package-install, not
> package-upgrade?  AFAIU, there were several voices that preferred the
> latter, with the rationale that a built-in package is always
> "installed", so "installing" it makes little or no sense.

If you want that, here is one proposal.  Should be the smallest so far:

>From 99e92d78560ef1aec7217d90ed3a8108bdf2924c Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Philip Kaludercic <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2023 20:13:59 +0200
Subject: [PATCH] Allow upgrading built-in packages with 'package-install'

* etc/NEWS: Mention the change
* lisp/emacs-lisp/package.el (package--upgradable-built-in-p): Add new
predicate.
(package-install-upgrade-built-in): Add new user option to enable
feature.
(package-install): Respect new user option.
---
 etc/NEWS                   |  5 +++++
 lisp/emacs-lisp/package.el | 44 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-------
 2 files changed, 41 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-)

diff --git a/etc/NEWS b/etc/NEWS
index 84dbb94a71a..a7834cd0d2b 100644
--- a/etc/NEWS
+++ b/etc/NEWS
@@ -1876,6 +1876,11 @@ package maintainers.
 By customizing this user option you can specify specific packages to
 install.
 
+---
+*** New user option 'package-install-upgrade-built-in'.
+When enabled, 'package-install' can be used to install potentially
+newer versions of built-in packages.
+
 ** Emacs Sessions (Desktop)
 
 +++
diff --git a/lisp/emacs-lisp/package.el b/lisp/emacs-lisp/package.el
index f92afe56b76..882db8db719 100644
--- a/lisp/emacs-lisp/package.el
+++ b/lisp/emacs-lisp/package.el
@@ -797,6 +797,17 @@ package-built-in-p
         (require 'finder-inf nil t) ; For `package--builtins'.
         (assq package package--builtins))))))
 
+(defun package--active-built-in-p (package)
+  "Return non-nil if PACKAGE if the built-in version is used."
+  (and (not (assq (cond
+                   ((package-desc-p package)
+                    (package-desc-name package))
+                   ((stringp package) (intern package))
+                   ((symbolp package) package)
+                   ((error "Unknown package format: %S" package)))
+                  (package--alist)))
+       (package-built-in-p package)))
+
 (defun package--autoloads-file-name (pkg-desc)
   "Return the absolute name of the autoloads file, sans extension.
 PKG-DESC is a `package-desc' object."
@@ -2182,12 +2193,19 @@ package--archives-initialize
   (unless package-archive-contents
     (package-refresh-contents)))
 
+(defcustom package-install-upgrade-built-in nil
+  "Non-nil means that built-in packages can be upgraded via a package archive.
+If disabled, then `package-install' will not allow installing
+potentially newer versions of built-in packages from package
+archives."
+  :type 'boolean
+  :version "29.1")
+
 ;;;###autoload
 (defun package-install (pkg &optional dont-select)
   "Install the package PKG.
 PKG can be a `package-desc' or a symbol naming one of the
-available packages in an archive in `package-archives'.  When
-called interactively, prompt for the package name.
+available packages in an archive in `package-archives'.
 
 Mark the installed package as selected by adding it to
 `package-selected-packages'.
@@ -2197,7 +2215,11 @@ package-install
 `package-selected-packages'.
 
 If PKG is a `package-desc' and it is already installed, don't try
-to install it but still mark it as selected."
+to install it but still mark it as selected.
+
+If the command is invoked with a prefix argument, the upgrading
+of built-in packages will be possible, as if
+`package-install-upgrade-built-in' had been enabled."
   (interactive
    (progn
      ;; Initialize the package system to get the list of package
@@ -2205,11 +2227,14 @@ package-install
      (package--archives-initialize)
      (list (intern (completing-read
                     "Install package: "
-                    (delq nil
-                          (mapcar (lambda (elt)
-                                    (unless (package-installed-p (car elt))
-                                      (symbol-name (car elt))))
-                                  package-archive-contents))
+                    (mapcan
+                     (lambda (elt)
+                       (and (or (and (or current-prefix-arg
+                                         package-install-upgrade-built-in)
+                                     (package--active-built-in-p (car elt)))
+                                (not (package-installed-p (car elt))))
+                            (list (symbol-name (car elt)))))
+                     package-archive-contents)
                     nil t))
            nil)))
   (package--archives-initialize)
@@ -2220,6 +2245,9 @@ package-install
     (unless (or dont-select (package--user-selected-p name))
       (package--save-selected-packages
        (cons name package-selected-packages)))
+    (when (and (or current-prefix-arg package-install-upgrade-built-in)
+               (package--active-built-in-p pkg))
+      (setq pkg (cadr (assq name package-archive-contents))))
     (if-let* ((transaction
                (if (package-desc-p pkg)
                    (unless (package-installed-p pkg)
-- 
2.39.2