Bug#945337: why is the version from elpa needed

[David Bremner <david@tethera.net>]

積丹尼 Dan Jacobson <jidanni@jidanni.org> writes:

> I.e., already about 11 versions deep on
> https://elpa.gnu.org/packages/tramp.html

Yes, I can see the version difference, but not what actual difference it
makes to users.

> What's worse is:
> A debian users visits
> https://elpa.gnu.org/packages/tramp.html
> and sees
> To install this package, run in Emacs:
> M-x package-install RET tramp RET
> but as debian already has an old tramp,
> so underneath his fingertips this expands to
> tramp-theme !!!!
> and unless he notices what happened,
> he still can't advance beyond the old tramp version!
> All he has done is install tramp-theme, not tramp.

I think package-install is behaving as documented here. If I go to tramp in
package-list-packages, and select install, it installs fine.

>
> So there are more elpa- packages in Debian than even on the official
> elpa website!

We use elpa to mean the packaging standard, not the archive site. In
hindsight we might have chosen better terminology, but we're stuck with
it now.

> Therefore I propose that all packages on the elpa website be
> automatically included in Debian.

There is nothing automatic about it. It requires real humans to do real
work packaging and maintaining those packages. 

In general RFP bugs have a low closure rate because you are asking
someone else to do work on a problem they are not necessarily interested
in. I was offering you a chance to explain why doing this work is
important.