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

[Eli Zaretskii]

> From: João Távora <joaotavora@gmail.com>
> Cc: philipk@posteo.net,  monnier@iro.umontreal.ca,  62720@debbugs.gnu.org,
>   larsi@gnus.org
> Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2023 08:58:23 +0100
> 
> > From your POV of the Eglot maintainer, it might make sense.  But from
> > my POV, it doesn't: the problem here is general, and a solution is at
> > hand that will give you what you want and also support all the other
> > core packages.
> 
> Your solution doesn't "give me what I want".  If I add 'eglot-update' it
> will work as a single command on every Emacs version from Emacs 26.3
> onwards.  This new command you're proposing is for Emacs 29 only (and
> will presumably be deprecated soon).

Since you started by proposing a patch to package.el, that solution
had the same issues with older Emacsen.  IOW, that is a separate
problem.  In particular, Eglot is not bundled in those older Emacsen,
so package.el should support updating Eglot just fine for those older
versions.

> So this is "what I want": smooth user experience with no new commands or
> at least simple ones that don't require understanding emacs dev
> concepts.

If we want the solution be general, rather than having a separate
update command for each core package, then there's a limit to what we
can do to give this smooth user experience to users of older Emacsen.
However, I don't think in this case there's a problem, see above.

> I think 'package-update-core-package' is just unfortunate, because the
> regular user doesn't care what the heck is core, and can you blame her?

I disagree with your assessment.  Moreover, I think such a command is
needed anyway, for reasons other than the ones which prompted this bug
report.

> I can't stop you from adding it, of course.  Have you thought how it
> should behave when the package is no longer a core package, i.e. has
> already updated?

Yes, see my other messages.

> I have to ask (though I can guess the answer): may I add 'eglot-update'
> anyway to emacs-29 as a no-brainer shortcut in the meantime?

I'd prefer not to have package-specific upgrade commands.  I hope we
will soon add to package.el on emacs-29 a new command that will allow
users to update core packages, including Eglot, and that will solve
the problem for users of Emacs 29 and later, where Eglot is bundled.