it should be possible to create a new empty publication that is not based on the default pub, without getting errors. as it is now, some functionality that is assumed by the core is implemented in the default pub only, which is not good. we should identify those cases and provide very basic implementations in the core (such as a boilerplate publication sitemap and menu generation code).
IMO this is not a good idea. Publication code belongs into the publication. Too many assumptions endanger the framework approach of Lenya. I'd rather provide another minimal template publication to get started.
well, i agree in principle. *but* i still think that a publication that is not based on any template should not be throwing errors, even if it is almost non-functional. but that may be an instantiation issue (iiuc, the default publication instantiator makes assumptions about functionality provided by the default pub - maybe it shouldn't.) alternatively, we could provide a minimal base publication as you suggest.
i'm working on such a minimal base publication (in fact it's what i base all my production publications on), and i think we can easily tackle this issue for 2.0.1.