Starting from Elgg 2, the installation directory *itself* is considered a custom plugin, if Elgg has been installed as a composer dependency.

So instead of creating a custom plugin to e.g. override a view, you can simply drop the new view to the installation directory.

The installation root also supports start.php. So again, no need for a custom plugin. Just add start.php and make the changes you need!

I make Elgg 2 sites like this:

First on my local development environment:

1. I install Elgg either by:
   • Cloning https://github.com/Elgg/starter-project
   • Composer command: "composer create-project elgg/starter-project:dev-master ."
2. I install the plugins I need using composer (e.g: "composer install juho-jaakkola/notifier")
3. I make site-specific customizations directly to the installation root
4. I commit everything (except vendor/ dir) to git

Then on the production server:

1. I clone the project I just made
2. I run "composer install"
3. Now my production site has identical versions of all the same plugins and customizations that I made in my development environment thanks to the composer.lock file!

Despite installation root working as a "plugin", generic features should of course still be made as separate plugins so that it's possible to share them to others.

I understand now. Thank you very much!