Re: emacs packaging: do we need to pull existing dependencies ?

[Simon Tournier]

Hi,

On mer., 01 févr. 2023 at 08:44, Cayetano Santos 
<cayetano.santos@l2it.in2p3.fr> wrote:

> Say for example emacs-org-roam@2.2.2: it requires emacs-org 9.4,
> which is not specified in the package definition, meaning we always
> pull the latest available. Do we have to, provided that emacs
> releases with org ? Maybe there is already a clear rule about this
> topic, but to me this is not clear. We have package definitions with
> both criteria.

Well, I think it is a collateral effect from the importer.

--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
$ guix import elpa -a melpa org-roam
[...]

  (propagated-inputs (list emacs-dash emacs-org emacs-emacsql
                           emacs-emacsql-sqlite emacs-magit-section))
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---

when MELPA indeed reads:

--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
Dependencies
    dash 2.13 / emacs 26.1 / emacsql 3.0.0 / emacsql-sqlite 1.0.0 / 
magit-section 3.0.0 / org 9.4
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---

Indeed, emacs-org-roam@2.2.2 should work with emacs@28.2 (provided by
default with the current Guix) and thus the propagated-inputs emacs-org
is totally not required.

Well, a curation would some work; first to find all the removable items,
then second to maintain after each package “refresh”.  Such curation
would fit in all the discussions around the closure diet of Guix
packages.

However, it appears to me that people currently maintaining all the
Emacs packages in Guix should decide; since it would be extra work for
them. :-)

Cheers,
simon