@htwai
Just tested with a clean user environment. set JULIA_PROJECT = "~/.julia/environment/v1.1
./julia/compiled is actually created. I might not have tested with the JULIA_PROJECT env var in the previous test.
Everything looks pretty good for the admin/user pattern if you put your central depot path at the end of JULIA_DEPOT_PATH, I have the central depot at the end of my JULIA_LOAD_PATH as well.
Users should set JULIA_PROJECT=~/.julia/environment/v1.1 or load julia with --project=~/.julia/environment/v1.1
For the admin you simply need to switch projects to point into the central repo before adding new packages. $ julia --project=<path_to_central_depot>/environments/v1.1 ]add` away and users should be able to use them.