Ridiculous dependencies, Portage, Python, Tcl/Tk, X ???

Guest

I believe that the latest portage and python introduces some ridiculous dependencies, really.

I'm installing a server machine, command line only, so why on earth would I want to install the X base package ?!?!? Even with the extra OpenGL, Mesa and you name it libraries - yeah, really useful on a machine which never will touch a graphical interface.

Have you any whatsoever idea of the size of these packages ?!? The compile time ?!?

The 1.9.3 version of portage will install python-2.2-r6 which will install tcl/tk which depends on X.

Yes, I have "USE=-X -gnome -kde -gtk -tcltk ..." and most "-" things but that obviously didn't work, perhaps because of the direct dependency on tcltk for python.

Ugh, that was almost it. Really, really tired now - not to mention my 266 MHz Pentium 2 with 128 MB which was aimed as a small FTP server at the company.

Guest · Posted: Fri Apr 26, 2002 10:16 am Post subject:

Try -x instead off -X

Guest · Posted: Fri Apr 26, 2002 10:27 am Post subject:

No, it's capital X - see /etc/make.profile/use.defaults for a list of all "USE" variables.

Guest · Posted: Fri Apr 26, 2002 2:03 pm Post subject:

Hi!

There is no direct dependency on tcltk in the python ebuild, i.e.

tcltk? ( >=dev-lang/tk-8.0 )

Its optional.

Some X related USE flag is set somewhere.

Regards,

tod

Guest · Posted: Fri Apr 26, 2002 2:55 pm Post subject:

You're absolutely correct. I can see that now, I checked the python ebuild file. The tcltk dependency is optional.

I really do wonder why it then downloaded (and still compiles) X? Complete mystery. The USE options I'm using is "-X -tcltk -gtk ..." and just about "-" everything.

I know that the "-X -tcltk" options worked yesterday since I built vim and without the "-X" option it will also include the x11-base/xfree-4.x.x, which it didn't.

Strange.

Guest · Posted: Fri Apr 26, 2002 3:17 pm Post subject:

You can try this:
1/ emerge --pretend python
First check the list for real dependent packages that python needs.
If you have all of them, you can install python only:
2/ emerge -b --nodeps python
This will install python without installing tcl/tk.
You can use step 2 to install all essential dependent package of python first they are not installed yet.
I use -b option to let ermerge generate binary packages of python in /usr/portage/packages/All folder.
These binary packages will be helpful in case you need to reinstall thewhole system from the installation CD. You do not need to recompile these packages again.