Subject: Re: bug#77075: [PATCH] Prepare package.el to be published on GNU ELPA, [PATCH] Prepare package.el to be published on GNU ELPA

From: Philip Kaludercic <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 18 Mar 2025 18:33:00 +0000

Stefan Monnier <[email-masked]> writes:

>>>> Alternatively one can check what is provided exactly by the given Compat
>>>> version.  Package-lint provides an API version check and has Compat
>>>> support.  It warns if an API is used which is not available by the
>>>> specified Emacs or Compat version.
>>> Maybe it could also point out when the specified requirements seem to be
>>> more strict than necessary?
>> Does it matter much in the end, considering that package.el will fetch
>> the newest version from ELPA, if any satisfactory version is available?
>
> I'm worried that our standard practice is being polluted by other
> systems where it's routine to force all users to constantly upgrade
> everything (which I believe ultimately erodes the freedoms offered by
> Free Software), so I think it's important that the packages over which
> we have some control preserve the tradition of being careful to keep
> dependencies no stricter than necessary.

I agree entirely (anecdotally+tangentially, I've recently been using a
offline system where I can only download packages via my web browser and
copying them onto the system via "scp", and installing packages with any
dependencies is a major annoyance), but in current case, it seems
unfeasible to publish package.el on ELPA that is still usable on older
releases without the help of Compat.  I would certainly oppose adding
any additional dependencies, and luckily in the future it might be
unnecessary to install Compat given the stub we have added in Emacs 30. 

>         Stefan