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

[Philip Kaludercic]

João Távora <joaotavora@gmail.com> writes:

> On Fri, Apr 14, 2023 at 5:53 PM Philip Kaludercic <philipk@posteo.net> wrote:
>
>> As this issue only affects Eglot
>
> [Didn't other packages also make it into :core?]

I made a mistake in assuming that the rest are non-user facing
libraries, but there also is use-package.  But since that is also a
slower package, I don't think this is an emergency.

>> (a package that doesn't require that
>> much customisation to be used), I don't think the situation is as
>> drastic as you are portraying it to be.
>
>> If we all try to have a cooperative, non-alarmist attitude towards
>> solving the issue at hand, I am sure a suitable solution will be found.
>
> It's true it doesn't have many customization now, so downright
> erroring is probably rare.  But it's been advancing fast and
> that may not always be the case. As I said Eglot 1.12 in Emacs
> 29 has lots of missing functionality and even bugs that are too
> risky to fix in that version.
>
> So I'm not being alarmist, I think.  With 5 years maintainership
> of this package and well over 1000 issues, I think I make a fair
> assessment of user's expectations.  As to being cooperative, I've
> proposed 3 different patches already, answered every question about
> them and proposed n other solutions.
>
> But I like your optimism nonetheless :-)

It follows from my experience.

>> Also keep in mind that I have proposed multiple patches that take
>> difference approaches.  Perhaps it would be of use to recapitulate them,
>> and you can explain which would be satisfying and which you think
>> wouldn't be as helpful:
>>
>> - Use `package-install' to switch from a built-in package to the version
>>   from ELPA
>>
>>   - Alternatively it has to be confirmed using a prefix argument
>>   - Alternatively it has to be enabled using a user option
>>
>> - Use `package-update' (not `package-update-all') to switch from a
>>   built-in package to the version from ELPA
>>
>>   (Same alternatives as above)
>>
>> - Have both `package-update' and `package-update-all' switch potentially
>>   all packages from built-in versions to ELPA versions
>>
>>   (Same alternatives as above)
>>
>> - Provide a separate command to switch from a built-in version to a
>>   version from ELPA
>>
>> That should be it?
>
> If it's not clear yet, I want(ed) something that users can use
> _regardless_ of the version of Emacs to bring Eglot to the
> latest version.  I want users to be able to do this easily
> for obvious reasons.  The prime candidate for that "something"
> is M-x package-install both in its command and non-interactive
> form.  But if that isn't possible, the next best thing is
> a 4 line eglot-update command in eglot.el which would eventually
> boil down to the  same (because Emacs 26/27/28 users would eventually
> also get it).  That idea was explicitly rejected, but I hope it
> illustrates what I would prefer.
>
> A command and function with enduring semantics, basically, the
> kind you expect from a system like Emacs.
>
> Any one of your or other's solutions that provide such a
> command/function are most welcome.  Any other that doesn',
> I'm indifferent to it.  Which doesn't mean "against" or "hostile".
>
> And of course I thank you very much for your efforts in searching
> for a solution.
>
> Here's another solution you may want to consider.  package-install
> in Emacs 29 updates built-ins non-interactively always.  Interactively
> asks the user with a confirmation prompt.  This solution would
> also work.

What would the confirmation prompt ask the user?

> Here's yet another one. package-install like the above but, as has
> been proposed, carefully vets the builtins that are subject to
> from a controlled whitelist, which would include Eglot.  Stefan, Dmitry
> and myself have proposed some variation of this.
>
> Anyway, if my preference doesn't materialize, I'm going to recommend
> in the manual:
>
> M-: (package-install (alist-get 'eglot package-archive-contents)) RET

Are you sure?  The `alist-get' call returns a list, since
`package-archive-contents' is a map of package names to a list of
package descriptors.

> which works interactively and non-interactively in every version
> of Emacs.  It's not pretty but it's the best I have.  It's better
> than to write "if you have emacs 29, do this, else do that".
>
> João