Fix plugins Makefile.am, settings initialization and validator

lodel/plugins/Makefile.am

@@ -4,10 +4,14 @@ pluginsdir=$(pkgpythondir)/plugins
 lodel2confdir=$(sysconfdir)/lodel2
 
 install-data-hook:
-	mkdir ${DESTDIR}$(pluginsdir); cp -R * ${DESTDIR}$(pluginsdir) && rm ${DESTDIR}$(pluginsdir)/Makefile* ;\
+	mkdir -p ${DESTDIR}$(pluginsdir); cp -R * ${DESTDIR}$(pluginsdir) && rm ${DESTDIR}$(pluginsdir)/Makefile* ;\
 	cd ${DESTDIR}; \
-	mkdir -p ./$(lodel2confdir); \
-	ln -rs -t ${DESTDIR}$(lodel2confdir) .$(pluginsdir)
+	mkdir -p $(lodel2confdir); \
+	if [ ! -d ${DESTDIR}$(lodel2confdir)/plugins ]; \
+    then \
+        ln -rs -t ${DESTDIR}$(lodel2confdir) $(pluginsdir); \
+    fi
+
 
 uninstall-hook:
 	-rm -R ${DESTDIR}$(pluginsdir)

lodel/settings/settings.py

@@ -166,6 +166,10 @@ class Settings(object, metaclass=MetaSettings):
                 plugin_list += cur_list
             except TypeError:
                 plugin_list += [cur_list]
+
+        # Remove invalid plugin names
+        plugin_list = [plugin for plugin in plugin_list if len(plugin) > 0]
+
         # Checking confspecs
         for section in lodel2_specs:
             if section.lower() != section:

lodel/validator/validator.py

@@ -365,29 +365,31 @@ def emfield_val(value):
 
 
 def plugin_validator(value, ptype=None):
-    LodelContext.expose_modules(globals(), {
-        'lodel.plugin.hooks': ['LodelHook']})
-    value = copy.copy(value)
-
-    @LodelHook('lodel2_dyncode_bootstraped')
-    def plugin_type_checker(hookname, caller, payload):
+    if value:
         LodelContext.expose_modules(globals(), {
-            'lodel.plugin.plugins': ['Plugin'],
-            'lodel.plugin.exceptions': ['PluginError']})
-        if value is None:
-            return
-        try:
-            plugin = Plugin.get(value)
-        except PluginError:
-            msg = "No plugin named %s found"
-            msg %= value
-            raise ValidationError(msg)
-        if plugin._type_conf_name.lower() != ptype.lower():
-            msg = "A plugin of type '%s' was expected but found a plugin \
-named  '%s' that is a '%s' plugin"
-            msg %= (ptype, value, plugin._type_conf_name)
-            raise ValidationError(msg)
-    return value
+            'lodel.plugin.hooks': ['LodelHook']})
+        value = copy.copy(value)
+
+        @LodelHook('lodel2_dyncode_bootstraped')
+        def plugin_type_checker(hookname, caller, payload):
+            LodelContext.expose_modules(globals(), {
+                'lodel.plugin.plugins': ['Plugin'],
+                'lodel.plugin.exceptions': ['PluginError']})
+            if value is None:
+                return
+            try:
+                plugin = Plugin.get(value)
+            except PluginError:
+                msg = "No plugin named %s found"
+                msg %= value
+                raise ValidationError(msg)
+            if plugin._type_conf_name.lower() != ptype.lower():
+                msg = "A plugin of type '%s' was expected but found a plugin \
+    named  '%s' that is a '%s' plugin"
+                msg %= (ptype, value, plugin._type_conf_name)
+                raise ValidationError(msg)
+        return value
+    return None
 
 
 Validator.register_validator(