The XEmacs Packages Quick Start Guide
-------------------------------------
-This text is intended to help you get started installing a new XEmacs
-and its packages from start. For details see the 'Startup Paths' and
-'Packages' sections of the XEmacs info manual.
+This text is intended to help you get started installing a new XEmacs and
+its packages. For more details see the 'Startup Paths' and 'Packages'
+sections of the XEmacs info manual.
* Real Real Quickstart FAQ
--------------------------
Q. Do I need to have the packages to compile XEmacs?
-A. No, XEmacs will build and install just fine without any packages
- installed. However, only the most basic editing functions will be
- available with no packages installed, so installing packages is an
+
+A. Theoretically, no -- XEmacs will build and install just fine without any
+ packages installed. However, only the most basic editing functions will
+ be available with no packages installed, so installing packages is an
essential part of making your installed XEmacs _useful_.
Q. I really liked the old way that packages were bundled and do not
want to mess with packages at all.
+
A. You can grab all the packages at once like you used to with old
XEmacs versions, skip to the 'Sumo Tarball' section below.
+Q. How do I tell XEmacs where to find the packages?
+
+A. Normally, you put the packages under $prefix/lib/packages, where
+ $prefix is specified using the `--prefix' parameter to `configure'.
+ (See `Package hierarchies' below). However, if you have the packages
+ somewhere else (e.g. you're a developer and are compiling the packages
+ yourself, and want your own private copy of everything), use the
+ `--package-path' parameter, something like this:
+
+ configure --package-path="~/.xemacs::/src/xemacs/site-packages:/src/xemacs/xemacs-packages:/src/xemacs/mule-packages" ...
+
Q. After installing, I want XEmacs to do `foo', but when I invoke it
(or click the toolbar button or select the menu item), nothing (or
an error) happens, and it used to work.
+
A. See the first FAQ; you may be missing a package that is essential to
you. You can either track it down and install it, or install the
`Sumo Tarball' (see the second FAQ).
backwards compatibility as quirks are worked out over the coming
releases.
-* Some Package Theory
+* Some package theory
---------------------
In order to reduce the size and increase the maintainability of XEmacs,
* Package hierarchies
---------------------
-On Startup XEmacs looks for packages in so called package hierarchies.
-These can be specified by the 'package-path' parameter to the
-'configure' script. However by default there are three system wide
-hierarchies. ("$prefix" defaults to "/usr/local")
+On Startup XEmacs looks for packages in so-called package hierarchies.
+Normally, there are three system wide hierarchies, like this:
-$prefix/lib/xemacs/xemacs-packages
+$prefix/lib/xemacs/xemacs-packages/
Normal packages go here.
-$prefix/lib/xemacs/mule-packages
+$prefix/lib/xemacs/mule-packages/
Mule packages go here and are only searched by MULE-enabled XEmacsen.
$prefix/lib/xemacs/site-packages/
Local and 3rd party packages go here.
+This is what you get when you untar the SUMO tarballs under
+$prefix/lib/xemacs.
+
+$prefix is specified using the `--prefix' parameter to `configure', and
+defaults to `usr/local'.
+
+If your packages are located in the above directories, XEmacs will
+automatically find them at startup; however, if you have your packages
+somewhere else (e.g. you're a developer and are compiling the packages
+yourself, and want your own private copy of everything), you can tell
+XEmacs specifically where to look for the packages by using the
+`--package-path' parameter to the 'configure' script. Normally, it looks
+like this:
+
+configure --package-path="~/.xemacs::/src/xemacs/site-packages:/src/xemacs/xemacs-packages:/src/xemacs/mule-packages" ...
+
+See `configure.usage' for more info about the format of this parameter.
* Where to get the packages
---------------------------
-----------------------------
There are a few different ways to install packages:
- 1. Manually, all at once, using the 'Sumo Tarball'.
+ 1. Automatically, using the package tools from XEmacs.
2. Manually, using individual package tarballs.
- 3. Automatically, using the package tools from XEmacs.
+ 3. Manually, all at once, using the 'Sumo Tarball'.
-** Manually, all at once, using the 'Sumo Tarball'
---------------------------------------------------
+** Automatically, using the package tools from XEmacs
+-----------------------------------------------------
-Those with little time, cheap connections and plenty of disk space can
-install all the packages at once using the sumo tarballs.
-Download the file:
+XEmacs comes with some tools to make the periodic updating and
+installing easier. It will notice if new packages or versions are
+available and will fetch them from the FTP site.
- xemacs-sumo.tar.gz
+Unfortunately this requires that a few packages are already in place.
+You will have to install them by hand as above or use a SUMO tarball.
+This requirement will hopefully go away in the future. The packages
+you need are:
-For an XEmacs compiled with Mule you also need:
+ efs - To fetch the files from the FTP site or mirrors.
+ xemacs-base - Needed by efs.
- xemacs-mule-sumo.tar.gz
+and optionally:
-N.B. They are called 'Sumo Tarballs' for good reason. They are
-currently about 19MB and 4.5MB (gzipped) respectively.
+ mailcrypt - For PGP verification of the package-index file.
-Install them by:
+After installing these by hand, fire up XEmacs and follow these
+steps.
- cd $prefix/lib/xemacs ; gunzip -c <tarballname> | tar xvf - RET
+ (1) Choose a download site.
+ - via menu: Tools -> Packages -> Set Download Site
+ - via keyb: M-x customize-variable RET package-get-remote RET
+ (put in the details of remote host and directory)
-Or, if you have GNU tar:
+ If the package tarballs _AND_ the package-index file are in a
+ local directory, you can: M-x pui-set-local-package-get-directory RET
- cd $prefix/lib/xemacs ; tar zxvf /path/to/<tarballname> RET
+ (2) Obtain a list of packages and display the list in a buffer named
+ "*Packages*".
+ - menu: Tools -> Packages -> List & Install
+ - keyb: M-x pui-list-packages RET
-As the Sumo tarballs are not regenerated as often as the individual
-packages, it is recommended that you use the automatic package tools
-afterwards to pick up any recent updates.
+ XEmacs will now connect to the remote site and download the
+ latest package-index file.
+
+ The resulting buffer, "*Packages*" has brief instructions at the
+ end of the buffer.
+
+ (3) Choose the packages you wish to install.
+ - mouse: Click button 2 on the package name.
+ - keyb: RET on the package name
+
+ (4) Make sure you have everything you need.
+ - menu: Packages -> Add Required
+ - keyb: r
+
+ XEmacs will now search for packages that are required by the
+ ones that you have chosen to install and offer to select
+ those packages also.
+
+ For novices and gurus alike, this step can save your bacon.
+ It's easy to forget to install a critical package.
+
+ (5) Download and install the packages.
+ - menu: Packages -> Install/Remove Selected
+ - keyb: x
** Manually, using individual package tarballs
----------------------------------------------
tar zxvf /path/to/mule-base-1.37-pkg.tar.gz RET
-** Automatically, using the package tools from XEmacs
------------------------------------------------------
-
-XEmacs comes with some tools to make the periodic updating and
-installing easier. It will notice if new packages or versions are
-available and will fetch them from the FTP site.
-
-Unfortunately this requires that a few packages are already in place.
-You will have to install them by hand as above or use a SUMO tarball.
-This requirement will hopefully go away in the future. The packages
-you need are:
-
- efs - To fetch the files from the FTP site or mirrors.
- xemacs-base - Needed by efs.
-
-and optionally:
-
- mule-base - Needed if you want to use XEmacs with MULE.
-
-After installing these by hand, fire up XEmacs and follow these
-steps.
-
-Note: The menus in XEmacs 21.2.x and up have changed slightly, so
-where I mention "Options -> Manage Packages", substitute "Tools ->
-Packages".
+** Manually, all at once, using the 'Sumo Tarball'
+--------------------------------------------------
- (1) Choose a download site.
- - via menu: Options -> Manages Packages -> Add Download Site
- - via keyb: M-x customize-variable RET package-get-remote RET
- (put in the details of remote host and directory)
+Those with little time, cheap connections and plenty of disk space can
+install all the packages at once using the sumo tarballs.
+Download the file:
- If the package tarballs _AND_ the package-index file are in a
- local directory, you can: M-x pui-add-install-directory RET
+ xemacs-sumo.tar.gz
- (2) Obtain a list of packages and display the list in a buffer named
- "*Packages*".
- - menu: Options -> Manage Packages -> List & Install
- - keyb: M-x pui-list-packages RET
+For an XEmacs compiled with Mule you also need:
- XEmacs will now connect to the remote site and download the
- latest package-index file. If you see an error about the
- package-index entries not being PGP signed, you can safely
- ignore this because PGP has not been integrated into the XEmacs
- package tools yet.
+ xemacs-mule-sumo.tar.gz
- The resulting buffer, "*Packages*" has brief instructions at the
- end of the buffer.
+N.B. They are called 'Sumo Tarballs' for good reason. They are
+currently about 19MB and 4.5MB (gzipped) respectively.
- (3) Choose the packages you wish to install.
- - mouse: Click button 2 on the package name.
- - keyb: RET on the package name
+Install them by:
- (4) Make sure you have everything you need.
- - menu: Packages -> Add Required
- - keyb: r
+ cd $prefix/lib/xemacs ; gunzip -c <tarballname> | tar xvf - RET
- XEmacs will now search for packages that are required by the
- ones that you have chosen to install and offer to select
- those packages also.
+Or, if you have GNU tar:
- For novices and gurus alike, this step can save your bacon.
- It's easy to forget to install a critical package.
+ cd $prefix/lib/xemacs ; tar zxvf /path/to/<tarballname> RET
- (5) Download and install the packages.
- - menu: Packages -> Install/Remove Selected
- - keyb: x
+As the Sumo tarballs are not regenerated as often as the individual
+packages, it is recommended that you use the automatic package tools
+afterwards to pick up any recent updates.
* After Installation
--------------------
-New packages can only be used by XEmacs after a restart.
+Updated packages can only be used by XEmacs after a restart.
* Which Packages to install?
----------------------------
xemacs-base, xemacs-devel, c-support, cc-mode, debug, dired, efs,
edit-utils, fsf-compat, mail-lib, net-utils, os-utils, prog-modes,
-text-modes, time
+text-modes, time, mailcrypt
If you are using the XEmacs package tools, don't forget to do:
--------------------------
In addition to the system wide packages, each user can have his own
-packages installed in "~/.xemacs/xemacs-packages". If you want to
-install packages there using the interactive tools, you need to set
-'pui-package-install-dest-dir' to "~/.xemacs/xemacs-packages"
+packages installed under "~/.xemacs/". If you want to install packages
+there using the interactive tools, you need to set
+'package-get-install-to-user-init-directory' to 't'
* Site lisp/Site start
----------------------
projects / chise / xemacs-chise.git.1 / blobdiff