Ben> [a] Have a --late-package-path option that lets you
specify
Ben> the exact locations of all package hierarchies. [b] Also
Ben> have a --late-package-prefix option that lets you specify the
Ben> directory under which the package hierarchies are
located. [...]
Those are horrible names. Since configure almost by
definition doesn't need to be backward-compatible, just use
--package-path and --package-prefix (or --packages-path and
--packages-root, which I like better).
I agree, I just didn't want to suggest something more radical for fear that
Mike would disagree.
I think --package-roots or something of that sort would be better than
--package-prefix; before I realized what --prefix did I had a very hard time
figuring out how to specify where to install XEmacs, since --prefix is a
pretty damn opaque name. I was looking for --install-location or something
obvious.
Although maybe no one has asked for this kind of stuff, I think that's
because most people just give up before trying to install packages
themselves since it's too complicated and not well documented. I have a
feeling this turns off a fair number of people, who may just go use GNU
Emacs because everything comes with it automatically.