Can we merge repositories?

[Mr. T.]

It is painful to manage other repositories to add or modify some packages.

[NeddySeagoon]

helecho,

Gentoo works with multiple repositories.

Portage merges them when you run the emerge command.
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

[Mr. T.]

Gentoo developers created eselect repository to facilitate the management of repositories.

NeddySeagoon, I would like to act directly on the Portage tree without having to create/add local or external repositories.

[NeddySeagoon]

helecho,

Describe the problem you need to solve, rather than your perceived solution.
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

[szatox]

Helecho, git does allow it, and in fact this is what "merge request" or "pull request" on github and similar websites mean.
However, emerge's overlays support would be far easier to manage and lower maintenance because this is the gentoo way of running things. Everyone is doing it this way, the workflow is optimized for this approach, and if you try to do that differently, you'll be the only maintainer of your metafork. Mind that the upstream will not be aware of your local changes, and - unlike overlays - git does not simply prioritize local changes over upstream.

[Mr. T.]

Thank, I appreciate your help!

szatox, I think I'm converging in this direction.

NeddySeagoon, I feel my system has an hybrid design because it needs an additional repository to work. I would have liked the package manager mask the differences
between my system and a typical system. It's weird to see pkg::musl that replace pkg::gentoo during an installation because the fundamental package will
always be pkg::musl. My point of view must prevail over Gentoo's point of view. Idem, we need to create a local repository to patch some packages.

Edit: I know we may use some internal mechanisms of Portage to apply patches. Nonetheless, I doubt about consistency between different repositories (ebuilds,
packages, local, external).

[szatox]

Patches are good when you want to fix a bug in a particular version that slipped through ebuild maintainer's hands. And you expect that bug to be fixed in the main repo later, but you just want to get the correct results right NOW.

By all means go after an overlay. You don't have to do anything fancy beside enabling it, emerge knows how to handle multiple repositories in a fully transparent manner. Like in you may not even notice it's doing it.
Depending on your particular use case, you may want to either make your overlay a higher priority than the main repo to make emerge prefer those ebuilds, or make it lower priority and explicitly emerge an ebuild line from your overlay. I'm pretty sure you could select the right line base on other rules as well, but those solutions I mentioned would be prettier and cleaner.

[asturm]

[Mr. T.]

A patch may be applied to an ebuild or may be applied to a package. Currently, users have to create repositories to apply patches for ebuilds, haven't they?
In my case, my system have three repositories: gentoo, musl and local. I would like to have only one repository. How can I proceed?

Multiple repositories are supported by Gentoo but this solution may be unsuitable for some cases.

Forum topics

• Use overlay only for packages that are not in the main tree
  
• local overlay without repository [SOLVED]
  
• [Solved] Mask overlay by default
  
• mask package from an overlay?
  
• How to tell Portage that a package is equivalent to another?

Wiki

• Ebuild repository: masking repositories
  
• Handbook: custom repository

[NeddySeagoon]

helecho,

Lets start with the definition that an ebuild is a recipe for fetching and installing a package.
The ebuild is thus separate from the package.

To patch an ebuild, you should do the work in an overlay or the next sync will revert your changes.
To patch a package, the patch goes in /etc/portage/patches/ and in many cases, portage will apply it.

If you are making changes that benefit the community, file bugs or github PRs, so that the changes get into the main tree.
Some devs started out that way.
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

[Mr. T.]

Thank, your explanation is clear!

I believe the package manager could be simplified managing concepts associated to the Portage tree. How? I do not know!
I suppose some users may consider other parameters than developers. The issues should be identified to make an improvement.

[asturm]

You haven't raised an issue yet.

[krinn]

And i think you can add in world the repo name to force it over "gentoo normal" repo.
ie: vlc::myrepo instead of just vlc

[Mr. T.]

Currently, the Portage tree is downloaded and integrated into the system. Maybe, the package manager could natively build an ebuild tree?
The modifications would be done automatically and repositories would no longer be fundamental.

Edit: These are experimental or fanciful ideas.

[asturm]

Erm...

[Mr. T.]

Funtoo tries to improve their tree with Funtoo Kits !

[NeddySeagoon]

helecho,

The idea has been discussed in the Gentoo mailing list too.

All the repos are controlled by their respective owners. That isn't going to change any time soon.
Portage allows you to pick and choose from all the repos you have installed, effectively merging them 'on the fly' according to your instructions.

You could manually merge all the git repos yourself but you would need to manage the conflicts yourself.
That's not something that could be automated.

The Funtoo kits is a way of fragmenting things further rather than merging them.
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

[Mr. T.]

My point of view may be limited because it may offer little possibilities. I believe this merge could be achieved but the package manager would have a new design.

Gentoo only supports one package manager so further conception is hypothetical.

[Zucca]

[NeddySeagoon]

helecho,

There are at least three package managers. Portage is the default.
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.