bug#62720: 29.0.60; Not easy at all to upgrade :core packages like Eglot

[Eli Zaretskii]

> From: João Távora <joaotavora@gmail.com>
> Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2023 20:20:20 +0100
> Cc: dmitry@gutov.dev, rpluim@gmail.com, philipk@posteo.net, 
>       62720@debbugs.gnu.org, larsi@gnus.org, monnier@iro.umontreal.ca
> 
> On Fri, Apr 14, 2023 at 7:51 PM Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org> wrote:
> 
> The Eglot release 1.14 is not as stable as 1.12.29. It has new features.
> Also a recent bugfix in commit a74403adda0 is quite complex and
> I'm cautiously waiting for feedback.  Other simple bugfixes have
> been backported.

So you don't recommend that users who want a stable Eglot upgrade to
1.14?  If so, why is it a problem that package-install by default
doesn't update built-in packages?  Users who want the cutting edge of
Eglot, and don't mind some instability, can always switch to the
master branch of Emacs, where we are free to change package-install to
upgrade core packages by default.

> But if someone types M-x install-something they should get what
> they ask for.  If they want to be 100% safe, they just shouldn't
> invoke commands that download, compile and evaluate code.

The logic should be consistent.  Emacs 29 is the stable branch of
Emacs, so it should come with the latest stable Eglot.  If that is
Eglot 1.12.29, then the fact that package-install won't upgrade it to
1.14 is consistent with the stability of Eglot's versions.  If, OTOH,
you think that it's imperative to allow _all_ users of Eglot with
Emacs 29 to upgrade to Eglot 1.14 (and 1.15, 1.16, etc., when those
become available), then we should release Emacs 29 with 1.14.

> Notwithstanding this personal opinion, I underline again that
> it _is_ possible to craft a simple, emacs-29-safe modification,
> to the package-install function that is even more cautious to
> download certain types of things.

Philip presented such a safe modification, and we are in the final
stages of discussing its details, before it will be installed.  So
yes, it is possible.