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I'm trying to get the same functionality as in spacemacs where package-install gives you a list of packages with fuzzy search. Pretty much smex for package-install. That way even if I don't know the exact name, I can still install the package. However, when I search this all I get are issues installing other packages.
Edit:
Here's a picture of what I would like:
. I would like fuzzy search combined with a menu instead of just a minibuffer for package-install
I'm using Ivy and I get the fuzzy search feature you seek. In general ivy is really nice, and offers smex-like completion in a lot of places, including M-x.
You can install and try it with (if you use use-package) with:
(use-package ivy
:ensure t
:diminish (ivy-mode)
:config
(ivy-mode 1))
and then run M-x package-install. Also worth knowing in ivy completions spaces are considered as any character so "ha de" is valid search for "haskell-mode".
Spacemacs defaults to helm narrowing framework that also offers similar capabilities but personally I prefer ivy.
One package that may provide you with the intended behavior is ido-ubiquitous.
Install it with:
package-install RET ido-ubiquitous
Activate it with:
(require 'ido-ubiquitous)
(ido-ubiquitous-mode)
Disclaimer: After I just installed it, the package says the following:
Warning (ido-ubiquitous): The ido-ubiquitous package is now redundant. All functionality, including ido-ubiquitous-mode, has been merged into the ido-completing-read+ package. You should replace ido-ubiquitous with ido-completing-read+ in your Emacs config. For more information, see: https://github.com/DarwinAwardWinner/ido-ubiquitous#version-40-changes
So the functionality may be moved to an other package.
ido-completing-read-plus. You could, of course, still recommend ido-completing-read-plus, but you should the distinction clear in your answer.
package-install command which instigates completion by calling completing-read. Try this: 1. emacs -Q 2. M-x package-initialize RET 3. M-x ivy-mode RET OR M-x helm-mode RET 4. M-x package-install RET. You should get a completion session not too unlike the picture in the OP.
ido-ubiquitous) in spacemacs without explicitly pulling it in via a layer, spacemacs will uninstall it at next startup or on SPC f e R.
Dec 11, 2017 at 20:57
*for glob-patterns, so you can type*py TABto see packages whose name includespy.completing-read-functionand related minibuffer/in-buffer completion options to provide "fuzzy" completion almost everywhere in Emacs. Enabling such modes automatically makes theM-x package-install RETcompletion session use "fuzzy" filtering.