About "download and enable plugins from a white-list" : i think we need a way to have 'repo' system.

This repo system need to answer with :

• plugin list in this repo

For each of this plugins :

• Name
• description/purpose
• version

After we can do an 'autoupdater'

PS : this "plugin management' can be a plugin (and user can 'select it' after installing. Maybe with 'core repository' prefilled link

PS2:
Worpress have only 'one repository available' : think it's bad : https://codex.wordpress.org/Plugins_Add_New_Screen
Don't know for joomla
Spip can have different repo url (and multiple)

You want a public repo anyone can register plugins?

Send a picture to be more clear:

• A repo url return information : http://files.spip.org/spip-zone/archives.xml on all the plugin. Each plugin return information too (in xml here, but can be json or anything else).
• User can add 'anything' in repo, but we can prefill it (if not already set and activated) a 'limesurvey official plugin repository'

PS : about download and enable plugins from a white-list : i think it's a different feature :)

yunohost use alternative solution : download via github : https://yunohost.org/#/apps_in_progress_en

Maybe : for starting :

• add an url to a zip file (?)
• LS try to dl this zip, extract in 'test plugin' directory (or a reserved directory ?)
• If it's seems to be a plugin (directoryName/directoryName.php and class name : directoryName) : move it to 'plugins' directory (or a reserved directory ?)
• If plugin have a 'plugin.json/plugin.xml/config.json....' file : add the informtion to an extra table with 'dowload url / update url/ version installed / .....'

I can start a plugin like that, and add it in plugins directory when it's ready and tested. After we can update it and add 'repository' system/search/install from repo etc ....

I was thinking about letting the system do git clone. Then you can easily do git pull when you want to update.

You look for updates by looking for tags in the repo. So not different from ComfortUpdate.

git clone is available without issue after https://github.com/LimeSurvey/LimeSurvey/commit/5ca6120e9daa4ffe90b34ccc8f95ecc4b58b2b92

But : not all user have git :)

ComfortUpdate system : download diff, here , i think we can download all