=== modified file 'lisp/emacs-lisp/package.el'
--- lisp/emacs-lisp/package.el	2011-04-24 20:32:23 +0000
+++ lisp/emacs-lisp/package.el	2011-07-31 13:24:22 +0000
@@ -1266,6 +1266,7 @@
     (define-key map "r" 'package-menu-refresh)
     (define-key map "~" 'package-menu-mark-obsolete-for-deletion)
     (define-key map "x" 'package-menu-execute)
+    (define-key map "s" 'package-menu-toggle-sorting)
     (define-key map "h" 'package-menu-quick-help)
     (define-key map "?" 'package-menu-describe-package)
     (define-key map [menu-bar package-menu] (cons "Package" menu-map))
@@ -1326,7 +1327,7 @@
 			       ("Status"  10 package-menu--status-predicate)
 			       ("Description" 0 nil)])
   (setq tabulated-list-padding 2)
-  (setq tabulated-list-sort-key (cons "Status" nil))
+  (setq tabulated-list-sort-key package-menu-default-sort-key)
   (tabulated-list-init-header))
 
 (defmacro package--push (package desc status listname)
@@ -1537,6 +1538,28 @@
 	(package-menu--generate t t)
       (message "No operations specified."))))
 
+(defconst package-menu-sort-keys '(("Status") ("Package"))
+  "List of possible keys to sort by.")
+
+(defcustom package-menu-default-sort-key '("Status")
+  "Default key to sort by."
+  :type `(choice (const :tag "Status" ("Status"))
+                 (const :tag "Package" ("Package"))))
+
+(defun package-menu-toggle-sorting ()
+  "Toggle between the different sorting methods.
+See the variable `package-menu-sort-keys'."
+  (interactive)
+  (let* ((curr-pos
+          (position tabulated-list-sort-key
+                    package-menu-sort-keys :test 'equal))
+         (next-pos
+          (mod (1+ curr-pos) (length package-menu-sort-keys)))
+         (next-key
+          (nth next-pos package-menu-sort-keys)))
+    (setq tabulated-list-sort-key next-key)
+    (revert-buffer)))
+
 (defun package-menu--version-predicate (A B)
   (let ((vA (or (aref (cadr A) 1)  '(0)))
 	(vB (or (aref (cadr B) 1) '(0))))