Is there any way to install packages without layers?

[BrandonShega]

I'm trying to set up a literate config for Spacemacs and I have everything working except for my private layers that I have packages set up in. Going through the Spacemacs documentation it looks like the only way to install packages is by using layers, having them in the packages.el file, putting them in a list and then having an init function for each one. Is it possible to use package.el and just having ensure: t on them to install them? Or is there a way to implement custom layers somehow with a literate config?

[Novite5]

You can just install packages by adding them to dotspacemacs-additional-packages section in .spacemacs.

[BrandonShega]

Do I still have to have an init line for each one in a layer? Or can I just use use-package like normal?

[Novite5]

In most instances, both are unnecessary.

[BrandonShega]

It looks I probably have to have 2 org files, one for dotspacemacs/init and one for dotspacemacs/user-load or I guess maybe I can just keep everything in the init portion that comes from Spacemacs and make the load portion my actual config?

[Novite5]

there is a ˋuser-configˋ section in .spacemacs, you can put configuration for packages in it.

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Am 23.06.2020 um 11:33 PM schrieb Brandon Shega ***@***.***>:  It looks I probably have to have 2 org files, one for dotspacemacs/init and one for dotspacemacs/user-load or I guess maybe I can just keep everything in the init portion that comes from Spacemacs and make the load portion my actual config? — You are receiving this because you commented. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub, or unsubscribe.

[emacs18]

I would set dotspacemacs-install-packages variable in ~/.spacemacs to 'used-but-keep-unused. This prevents spacemacs from removing packages unknown to spacemacs on startup.

Next just use use-package as you would have done without spacemacs to install packages. This is how use my personal setup code that I've been using prior to spacemacs, so that I can start emacs with or without spacemacs, and with or withou my personal setup.

[pataquets]

For reference, this the official documentation:
https://develop.spacemacs.org/doc/FAQ.html#install-a-package-not-provided-by-a-layer