don't throw if there is no specified version, unless told to. Mostly because programs don't need versions anymore

tools/bundler.js

@@ -1948,7 +1948,8 @@ exports.buildJsImage = function (options) {
     serveRoot: path.sep,
     npmDependencies: options.npmDependencies,
     npmDir: options.npmDir,
-    dependencyVersions: options.dependencyVersions
+    dependencyVersions: options.dependencyVersions,
+    noVersionFile: true,
   });
 
   var unipackage = compiler.compile(packageSource).unipackage;

tools/catalog.js

@@ -408,7 +408,10 @@ _.extend(CompleteCatalog.prototype, {
         title: "reading package `" + name + "`",
         rootPath: packageDir
       }, function () {
-        packageSource.initFromPackageDir(name, packageDir);
+        // All packages in the catalog must have versions.
+        packageSource.initFromPackageDir(name, packageDir, {
+          requireVersion: true
+        });
         if (buildmessage.jobHasMessages())
           broken = true;
       });

tools/commands-packages.js

@@ -207,7 +207,10 @@ main.registerCommand({
       }
 
       packageSource = new PackageSource;
-      packageSource.initFromPackageDir(packageName, options.packageDir);
+
+      // Anything published to the server must have a version.
+      packageSource.initFromPackageDir(packageName, options.packageDir, {
+        requireVersion: true });
       if (buildmessage.jobHasMessages())
         return; // already have errors, so skip the build
 
@@ -293,7 +296,11 @@ main.registerCommand({
   // immutable. It should be built exactly as is. If we need to modify anything,
   // such as the version lock file, something has gone terribly wrong and we
   // should throw.
-  packageSource.initFromPackageDir(options.name, packageDir, true /* immutable */);
+  packageSource.initFromPackageDir(options.name, packageDir,  {
+        requireVersion: true,
+        immutable: true
+  });
+
   var unipkg = compiler.compile(packageSource, {
     officialBuild: true
   }).unipackage;
@@ -529,7 +536,9 @@ main.registerCommand({
 
                 // Initialize the package source. (If we can't do this, then we should
                 // not proceed)
-                packageSource.initFromPackageDir(item, packageDir);
+                packageSource.initFromPackageDir(item, packageDir,  {
+                  requireVersion: true });
+
                 if (buildmessage.jobHasMessages()) {
                   process.stderr.write("Error reading package:" + item + "\n");
                   return;

tools/package-cache.js

@@ -100,7 +100,9 @@ _.extend(PackageCache.prototype, {
         isUpToDate = true;
       } else {
         var packageSource = new PackageSource;
-        packageSource.initFromPackageDir(name, loadPath);
+        // For now, if it turns into a unipackage, it should have a version.
+        packageSource.initFromPackageDir(name, loadPath, {
+          requireVersions: true });
         unipackage = new Unipackage.Unipackage;
         unipackage.initFromPath(name, entry.buildDir);
         isUpToDate = compiler.checkUpToDate(packageSource, entry.pkg);
@@ -129,9 +131,11 @@ _.extend(PackageCache.prototype, {
       return unipackage;
     };
 
-    // It's a source tree. Load it.
-    var packageSource = new PackageSource;
-    packageSource.initFromPackageDir(name, loadPath);
+    // It's a source tree. Load it. It is going to turn into a unipackage, so it
+    // requires a version.
+    packageSource = new PackageSource;
+    packageSource.initFromPackageDir(name, loadPath,  {
+        requireVersion: true });
 
     // Does it have an up-to-date build?
     var buildDir = path.join(loadPath, '.build.'+  name);

tools/package-source.js

@@ -284,6 +284,12 @@ var PackageSource = function () {
   // specify the correct restrictions at 0.90.
   // XXX: 0.90 package versions.
   self.isCore = false;
+
+  // Alternatively, we can also specify noVersionFile directly. Useful for not
+  // recording version files for js images of plugins, since those go into the
+  // overall package versions file (if one exists). In the future, we can make
+  // this option transparent to the user in package.js.
+  self.noVersionFile = false;
 };
 
 
@@ -360,6 +366,8 @@ _.extend(PackageSource.prototype, {
 
     self.dependencyVersions = options.dependencyVersions ||
         {dependencies: {}, pluginDependencies: {}};
+
+    self.noVersionFile = options.noVersionFile;
   },
 
   // Initialize a PackageSource from a package.js-style package directory. Uses
@@ -369,7 +377,14 @@ _.extend(PackageSource.prototype, {
   //
   // name: name of the package.
   // dir: location of directory on disk.
-  initFromPackageDir: function (name, dir, immutable) {
+  // options:
+  //   -requireVersion: This is a package that is going in a catalog or being
+  //    published to the server. It must have a version. (as opposed to, for
+  //    example, a program)
+  //   -immutable: This package source is immutable. Do not write anything,
+  //    including version files. Instead, its only purpose is to be used as
+  //    guideline for a repeatable build.
+  initFromPackageDir: function (name, dir, options) {
     var self = this;
     var isPortable = true;
 
@@ -616,7 +631,7 @@ _.extend(PackageSource.prototype, {
       npmDependencies = null;
     }
 
-    if (! self.version) {
+    if (! self.version && options.requireVersion) {
       if (! buildmessage.jobHasMessages()) {
         // Only write the error if there have been no errors so
         // far. (Otherwise if there is a parse error we'll always get
@@ -988,7 +1003,7 @@ _.extend(PackageSource.prototype, {
     // If immutable is set, then we should make a note to never mutate this
     // packageSource. We should never change its dependency versions, for
     // example.
-    if (immutable) {
+    if (options.immutable) {
       self.immutable = true;
     };
 
@@ -1240,6 +1255,13 @@ _.extend(PackageSource.prototype, {
       return;
     }
 
+    // If we have specified to not record a version file for this package,
+    // don't. Currently used to avoid recording version files for separately
+    // compiled plugins.
+    if (self.noVersionFile) {
+      return;
+    }
+
     // If nothing has changed, don't bother rewriting the versions file.
     if (_.isEqual(self.dependencyVersions, versions)) return;