(xemacs.info)Installing Packages

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Installing Packages:
====================

22.8.5 Getting Started
----------------------

When you first download XEmacs 21, you will usually first grab the
"core distribution", a file called `xemacs-21.x.x.tar.gz'. (Replace the
21.x.x by the current version number.)  The core distribution contains
the sources of XEmacs and a minimal set of Emacs Lisp files, which are
in the subdirectory named `lisp'.  This subdirectory used to contain
all Emacs Lisp files distributed with XEmacs.  Now, to conserve disk
space, most non-essential packages were made optional.

22.8.6 Choosing the Packages You Need
-------------------------------------

The Note: Available Packages can currently be found in the same ftp
directory where you grabbed the core distribution from, and are located
in the subdirectory `packages'.  Package file names follow the naming
convention `<package-name>-<version>-pkg.tar.gz'.

   If you have EFS Note: (EFS), packages can be installed over the
network.  Alternatively, if you have copies of the packages locally,
you can install packages from a local disk or CDROM.

   The file `etc/PACKAGES' in the core distribution contains a list of
the Note: Available Packages at the time of the XEmacs release.

   You can also get a list of available packages, and whether or not
they are installed, using the visual package browser and installer.
You can access it via the menus:

     Tools -> Packages -> List and Install

   Or, you can get to it via the keyboard:

     `M-x pui-list-packages'

   Hint to system administrators of multi-user systems: it might be a
good idea to install all packages and not interfere with the wishes of
your users.

   If you can't find which package provides the feature you require, try
using the `package-get-package-provider' function. Eg., if you know
that you need `thingatpt', type:

     `M-x package-get-package-provider RET thingatpt'

   which will return something like `(fsf-compat "1.08")'. You can the
use one of the methods above for installing the package you want.

22.8.7 XEmacs and Installing Packages
-------------------------------------

There are three main ways to install packages:

Automatically

Using the package tools from XEmacs.

Manually

Using individual package tarballs.

Sumo

All at once, using the 'Sumo Tarball'.

Which Packages

Which packages to install.

Removing Packages

Removing packages.

   But regardless of the method you use to install packages, they can
only be used by XEmacs after a restart unless the package in question
has not been previously installed.