Rafael,
dotLRN is a separate product from OpenACS (though obviously it requires OpenACS) and has it's own release schedule. And no, I don't know what that will be. :) All I can say with reasonable confidence is that it can't be released before 4.6, since it doesn't work properly with 4.5 and you can't be telling people to go check out from CVS to install a released product.
As far as the duplicated packages go, as far as I know they will stay that way for the moment. Packages that are part of dotLRN generally don't work outside it without work that there isn't time for. I don't know what Don's future plans in this area are; he's really the one who should answer this part of your question.
