Re: [package-vc] Consider cleaning up files from install process

[Philip Kaludercic]

Joseph Turner <joseph@breatheoutbreathe.in> writes:

> package-vc-install currently adds a number of files to a package's
> repository which are not tracked by VC.  It is inconvenience to add each
> of them to a .gitignore file (or equivalent in other VC systems).  Are
> they necessary?  Are you open to removing them in a clean up phase?

Initially package-vc would automatically add these as ignored files
using `vc-ignore', but I decided against keeping that behaviour in
e08e9bc40, due to issues I should have documented at the time.

> For example, when following these instructions to install hyperdrive.el:
> https://ushin.org/hyperdrive/hyperdrive-manual.html#package_002dvc
>
> the git repository ends up with these extra untracked files:

"Sadly", all of these files are necessary for package.el:

> dir

This file is used by info to indicate that there is a manual file that
should be listed in in (dir) Top.

> hyperdrive-autoloads.el

This file contains all the autoload information, including function
and user options stubs, that allow the user to invoke the package
directly without a (require 'hyperdrive)

> hyperdrive-pkg.el

This contains the package descriptor, that tracks the basic package
metadata used to decide what package to load.

> hyperdrive.info

This is the compiled manual, generated from a .texi or .org file in your
repository.  Without this file, there is no manual.

So in summary, this is the difference between just cloning a repository
and adding it to your `load-path'.  Unless I am forgetting something,
there shouldn't be any more files than these, so adding them to your
.gitignore should be a constant effort and should solve the issue.

> Best,
>
> Joseph