Re: `package.el' and built-in packages

[Stefan Monnier]

> this when trying to set up my Emacs config to automatically pull in packages
> if they are not installed, which in turn failed to install a newer version
> of Org that the one shipped with Emacs.

`package-install` should install a newer version if one is available.
I can see two reasons why it failed for you:
- when you called `package-install` the package info from the archives
  had not yet been refreshed/loaded.  IOW, maybe you should have called
  `package-refresh-contents` before.
- Org has a messed up package versioning scheme, so maybe that got in
  the way (tho IIUC it should not be an issue here).

> I think that `package.el’ should be able to install packages even if they
> are built-in, since it install them to `~/.emacs.d/elpa’ anyways.

It is able to.


        Stefan