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5 Package Types

Each package has a type, which specifies how the package is distributed and mirrored.

Packages are implemented using the Eieio object system (more or less in implementation of CLOS). A TYPE corresponds to the class epkg-TYPE-package. The epkg package makes little use of methods, but emir, the package used to maintain the Emacsmirror, makes extensive use of them. There exist five abstract classes (there are no instances of abstract classes, only of its subclasses): epkg-package, epkg-mirrored-package, epkg-gitish-package, epkg-subset-package, and epkg-mocking-package. Except for the second these classes are mostly an implementation detail and not relevant when merely using Epkg to browse the packages.

• mirrored

  This is an abstract type. Unlike other abstract types it is also useful on the client side, e.g., when you want to list mirrored packages, but not built-in and shelved packages.

  Packages that are available as a repository on the Emacsmirror (https://github.com/emacsmirror).

  • file

    Packages that are distributed as plain files.

  • gitish

    This is an abstract type, useful when maintaining the mirror.

    Git and Mercurial packages. The name is due to an implementation detail: hg is never run directly, instead git-remote-hg is used.

    • git

      Git packages.

      • github

        Packages hosted on https://github.com.

        • orphaned

          Packages that are no longer maintained, but which still have to be mirrored because other packages depend on them. Please consider adopting an orphaned package.

      • gitlab

        Packages hosted on https://gitlab.com.

      • subtree

        Packages that are located in a subtree of a Git repository. The repository on the Emacsmirror limits the history to just that directory using git subtree.

      • subset

        This is an abstract type, useful when maintaining the mirror.

        • wiki

          Packages hosted as plain files on https://emacswiki.org.

        • elpa

          Packages hosted in a directory inside the master branch of the GNU Elpa repository. These package are available from https://elpa.gnu.org.

        • elpa-branch

          Packages hosted in the GNU Elpa repository, using a dedicated branch. These package are available from https://elpa.gnu.org.

    • hg

      Mercurial packages.

      • bitbucket

        Packages hosted on https://bitbucket.org in a Mercurial repository. Packages hosted in a Git repository on Bitbucket have the type git.

• mocking

  This is an abstract type, useful when maintaining the mirror.

  Packages that are not available as a repository on the Emacsmirror (https://github.com/emacsmirror).

  • builtin

    Packages that are part of the latest stable GNU Emacs releases. emacs is one of the packages that are "part of Emacs"; it contains all libraries that are not explicitly declared to be part of some other built-in package.

  • shelved

    Packages that are available as a repository on the Emacsattic (https://github.com/emacsattic).

    These repository are not being updated anymore, because upstream has disappeared or because the package has issues which have to be resolved before it can be moved back to the Emacsmirror.