function for installing emacs packages, copied from here: https://bigmac.caelum.uberspace.de/paste/ensure-package-installed.html

ensure-package-installed.el

(defun ensure-package-installed (&rest packages)
  "Assure every package is installed, ask for installation if it’s not.
Return a list of installed packages or nil for every package not installed."
  (mapcar
   (lambda (package)
     (package-installed-p 'evil)
     (if (package-installed-p package)
         package
       (if (y-or-n-p (format "Package %s is missing. Install it? " package))
           (package-install package)
         nil)))
   packages))

Generated by Profpatsch using scpaste at Sun Dec 8 01:24:51 2013. CET. (original)