Re: non-gnu elpa issue tracking

[Stefan Monnier]

> I'm not sure I get the subtle difference you seem to be referring to. From
> my simple end user perspective, I find a package in the list of packages by
> running M-x list-packages , for example, I have the following in the
> current list -
>
>  ack                1.10          available  gnu        interface to
> ack-like tools
>
> When I move to that line and hit enter, the following window pops up,
> providing details about this package
>
> Package ack is available.
>
>      Status: Available from gnu -- Install
>     Archive: gnu
>     Version: 1.10
>     Summary: interface to ack-like tools
>    Homepage: https://github.com/leoliu/ack-el
     ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

The subtle difference is that this link doesn't come from
`externals-list` but from elsewhere.  We just include it as
a convenience for the end user and for the package maintainer, not as
something we use (the one we use is the one in `externals-list` and we
only use it with Git so we could change it from `https://...` to
`git://...`).

This said, I'm not sure exactly what would be the benefit of removing
this link: I don't think it would convince the package's maintainers to
move to some other hosting platform, and I don't think it would prevent
users from finding that the official homepage is on Github.

Maybe we could adorn the link with some warning text, OTOH (and maybe
refrain from making the URL into a hyperlink).  Is that what you had
in mind?


        Stefan