[moved to -beta] * Michael Albinus <michael.albinus(a)gmx.de&gt; writes: Only if there is a direct link in a library back to your package. Like there is with Tramp and Ediff. In the library, tramp-vc.el, there is the form: (require 'vc). That gives Tramp the VC dependence. In vc.el there is: (require 'vc-hooks) (require 'ring) (eval-when-compile (require 'dired)) (eval-when-compile (require 'sendmail) (require 'compile) (require 'ediff-util)) Taking each one of those in turn... vc-hooks.el -- has no build-time requirements outside of the VC package or core (XEmacs itself). So there is nothing here to cause extra dependencies for Tramp. ring.el -- No build-time requirements outside of the xemacs-base package or core. Tramp already has xemacs-base in $REQUIRES. This won't cause any additional dependencies. dired.el -- Nothing outside of the Dired package or core. Tramp already has dired in $REQUIRES sendmail.el -- Nothing outside of the mail-lib package or core. Tramp has mail-lib in $REQUIRES compile.el -- Nothing outside of xemacs-base or core. Tramp already has xemacs-base. ediff-util.el -- has hooks into ediff itself, plus mail-lib, both of which Tramp has (now). If one of those 6 libs had a build-time dependence on something that wasn't listed in Tramp's $REQUIRES, then _that_ dependency would become one of Tramp's. Starting to get the picture? When a package is being built, the items listed at $REQUIRES in the Makefile are the build-time dependencies. They are best thought about on a file by file basis. When you get to the other end of the tunnel where a user is installing that package with the XEmacs Package Tools, those build-time dependencies turn into the closest thing we have for run-time dependencies. They are best thought about on a package by package basis. Chiefly because you can't split a package up into its individual files at this point. To illustrate what I'm saying, set up XEmacs with only the EFS and xemacs-base packages installed. Then... M-x pui-list-packages scroll down to Tramp, hit RET to select it for install press `r' to add any required packages Notice which packages are now selected for install. I haven't done this, but my guess would be a hell of a lot more than what is listed in Tramp's Makefile $REQUIRES. :-) You're probably more confused than ever now, but I hope this helps the understanding a little. :-) -- |---<Steve Youngs>---------------<GnuPG KeyID: A94B3003>---| | I am Dyslexic of Borg. | | Fusistance is retile. Your arse will be laminated. | |------------------------------------&lt;steve(a)sxemacs.org&gt;---|