failed to get any feedback on this from wp-hackers, posting anyway:
- filter get_plugin_data: allows plugging functions that handle additional plugin metadata
- action before_activate_$plugin: allows the plugin to do some stuff before being activated, and refuse activation if it doesn't like something
2nd opinion needed on the first point: perhaps a more efficient/extensible rewrite of get_plugin_data would also be appropriate (preg_match is not really needed, neither is reading beyond the end of the first comment block; see, some people have a nasty habit: they put everything about their plugin in one huge file)