Hi, Below is my revised Web Site patch that explains workarounds for problems during package updates. Cheers, Joachim Documentation/ChangeLog addition: 2005-02-06 Joachim Schrod <jschrod(a)acm.org&gt; * packageGuide.content: Cannot use customize-variable to change package-get-remote at start. Describe EFS problem with Extended Passive Mode (solved in efs-1.33) and with unsupported extended modes. Describe how to handle package index verification if Norbert's key is not installed. Install/ChangeLog addition: 2005-02-06 Joachim Schrod <jschrod(a)acm.org&gt; * index.content: Refer to packageGuide in case of EFS or GPG problems. XEmacs Web source patch: Diff command: cvs -f -q diff -u Files affected: Install/index.content Documentation/packageGuide.content Index: Documentation/packageGuide.content =================================================================== RCS file: /pack/xemacscvs/XEmacs/xemacsweb/Documentation/packageGuide.content,v retrieving revision 1.29 diff -u -r1.29 packageGuide.content --- Documentation/packageGuide.content 2004/12/10 00:25:47 1.29 +++ Documentation/packageGuide.content 2005/02/06 21:59:48 ＠＠ -405,23 +405,106 ＠＠ <strong>Tools-&gt;Packages-&gt;Add Download Site</strong> (or <strong>Options-&gt;Manage Packages-&gt;Add Download Site</strong> for XEmacs 21.1) in the menubar or type - <code>M-x customize-variable RET package-get-remote RET</code> + <code>M-x customize-group RET package-get RET</code> and + customize <code>package-get-remote</code>. (You cannot use + <code>customize-variable</code> as the variable is not known + before loading the package code.) <br /> Alternatively, if you already have the packages on a local disk then you can specify this directly by typing <code>M-x pui-add-install-directory</code>. Please make sure you also have a corresponding copy of the package index there.</li> + <li>Invoke <strong>Tools-&gt;Packages-&gt;List and Install</strong> (or <strong>Options-&gt;Manage Packages-&gt;List &amp; Install</strong> for XEmacs 21.1) from the menubar or type <code>M-x pui-list-packages RET</code>. XEmacs will now first try to fetch a new version of - the package index from the FTP site. Depending on whether you - are using <strong>mailcrypt/PGP</strong>, you will get some question - about keys to fetch or whether to use the index without - verifying the signature. If the new index was different from the - one already on disk, XEmacs will offer you to overwrite the old - index.</li> + the package index from the FTP site. + <ul> + <li>If you get the error message <code>Error in process + filter: (ftp-error FTP Error: ... 229 Entering Extended + Passive Mode ...</code>, your efs is too old and the index + has <strong>not</strong> been updated, even though one is + shown. Fetch and install an efs update by hand, as explained + above. You don't need to worry about the currently installed + efs; just unpack the efs package in your + <code>xemacs-packages</code> directory. + <br /> + Now you need to terminate and start XEmacs again, to use the + new code.</li> + <li>If you get the error message <code>Error in process + filter: (ftp-error FTP Error: ... 500 Unknown command + ...</code>, or any similar `500' error message, your index + has not been updated either. Then you need to use a + different XEmacs mirror: your ftp client sends extended + commands that the server doesn't understand and efs does not + handle the resulting error messages. + <br /> + You need to terminate and restart XEmacs before you can + change a mirror. + </li> + <li>You might be asked if an old package index shall be + overwritten, or if an index shall be created in + <code>~/.xemacs</code>, maybe it will ask to create this + directory. You will also be asked if you want to load the + package database. Confirm all those questions.</li> + <li>When you have <strong>mailcrypt</strong> and GPG or PGP + installed, XEmacs will try to verify the downloaded package + index. + <ul> + <li>If you have GPG installed, you might get the error + message <code>Can't check signature: Public key + 82EDF2C1D1DD84CD not found</code>. (The key id might be + different.) Then you don't have the public key of the + person who signed the package index - at time of this + writing, Norbert Koch. + <br /> + Enter the following command on the command line: + <pre>gpg --keyserver hkp://wwwkeys.pgp.net --recv-key 82EDF2C1D1DD84CD</pre> + (Of course, you need to use the public key id + from XEmacs' error message in the gpg command.) You might + get a warning that the HKP interface is experimental - + don't worry, it works. Then comes the message that a + public key got imported. + <br /> + If your command hangs, there might be several + possibilites. One of the key servers might not be + reachable; stop the command with Ctrl-C and issue it + again. If it still hangs, your firewall might forbid + outbound connections to the key servers. Then fetch <a + href="http://ftp.xemacs.org/pgp-keys/norbert_koch.asc">http:...;, + save it to a file, and call <code>gpg --import</code> + with that file. + <br /> + Update your package index, use <strong>Packages -&gt; + Update Package Index</strong> in the menubar or type + <code>M-x package-get-update-base RET</code>. This time + it'll finish with the message `<code>Updated package + database</code>'.</li> + <li>If you get the message `<code>The message was + corrupt</code>' and if you have the GPG key imported, + try again updating the package index, maybe again + another time. Sometimes, verification with GPG does not + succeed for unknown reasons.</li> + <li>If you have PGP installed, confirm the question that + keys shall be fetched.</li> + <li>If you still have problems with package index + verification, use Customize to turn it off. By menu, + that's <strong>Options -&gt; Customize -&gt; Emacs -&gt; + Package Tools -&gt; Package Get -&gt; Require Signed + Base Updates</strong>. As command, type <code>M-x + customize-variable RET + package-get-require-signed-base-updates RET</code>. + But this should be the last resort, as verifying + downloads is an important security measure.</li> + <li>If you had any GPG or PGP problems, you have to + restart this task item; list and install the packages + again.</li> + </ul> + </li> + </ul> + </li> <li>XEmacs will show you a buffer named <code>*Packages*</code> with an overview of available and installed packages, including a Index: Install/index.content =================================================================== RCS file: /pack/xemacscvs/XEmacs/xemacsweb/Install/index.content,v retrieving revision 1.32 diff -u -r1.32 index.content --- Install/index.content 2004/12/10 00:25:10 1.32 +++ Install/index.content 2005/02/06 21:59:49 ＠＠ -237,9 +237,12 ＠＠ List and Install</strong>. Or, if you are using an XEmacs &gt;= 21.4, you would choose: <strong>Tools -&gt; Packages -&gt; List and Install</strong>. This will download the - most recent package index (PGP errors may occur and can be - ignored) and list the packages available for - install. Instructions and key bindings for this buffer are at + most recent package index and list the packages available for + install. If you get EFS, PGP, or GPG errors (``<code>Can't check + signature...</code>''), refer to the description in the <a + href="<!-- _GP_ relPath(qq{Documentation/packageGuide.html}) + -->">package guide</a> how to resolve them. + Instructions and key bindings for this buffer are at the bottom; use the scroll bar to view them. If in doubt about a particular package, it is generally safe to just install it.</p></li> -- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Joachim Schrod The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the Roedermark, Germany one that heralds new discoveries, is not "Eureka!" <jschrod(a)acm.org&gt; (I found it!) but "That's funny..." [Isaac Asimov]