Index: pluginconf/depends.py
==================================================================
--- pluginconf/depends.py
+++ pluginconf/depends.py
@@ -20,12 +20,13 @@
 #  Utilizes each version: fields and allows for virtual modules, or
 #  alternatives and honors alias: names.
 #
 
 
-import pluginconf
+import sys
 import re
+import pluginconf
 try:
     from distutils.spawn import find_executable
 except ImportError:
     try:
         from compat2and3 import find_executable
@@ -79,15 +80,15 @@
             if isinstance(meta, (int, float, str)):
                 meta = {"version": str(meta)}
             self.have[name] = meta
 
         # read plugins/*
-        self.have.update(all_plugin_meta())
+        self.have.update(pluginconf.all_plugin_meta())
 
         # add core modules
         for name in core:
-            self.have[name] = plugin_meta(module=name, extra_base=["config"])
+            self.have[name] = pluginconf.plugin_meta(module=name, extra_base=["config"])
 
         # aliases
         for name, meta in self.have.copy().items():
             if meta.get("alias"):
                 for alias in re.split(r"\s*[,;]\s*", meta["alias"]):
@@ -94,10 +95,12 @@
                     self.have[alias] = self.have[name]
 
     # basic plugin pre-screening (skip __init__, filter by api:,
     # exclude installed & same-version plugins)
     def valid(self, new_plugin):
+        if not "$name" in new_plugin:
+            self.log.warning(".valid() checks online plugin lists, requires $name")
         id = new_plugin.get("$name", "__invalid")
         have_ver = self.have.get(id, {}).get("version", "0")
         if id.find("__") == 0:
             self.log.debug("wrong/no id")
         elif new_plugin.get("api") not in self.api: