USE Parameter and bootstrapping

[DaSilentStorm]

Hi,

I'm going to install gentoo on my home machine (booting from knoppix).

I already installed the stage 1 package and altered the USE parameter

As I'm going to install a desktop and development system I added about 90% of all available USE parameters (including X, kde, gnome, mysql, apache2, etc.).

After doing these changes I started "bootstrap.sh -f" and went to bed

This morning I had a look at the downloaded packages and saw that even the complete X package has been downloaded.

Is there a way to check which packages will be installed when I run "bootstrap.sh"?

And, is it generally a good idea to add all necessary USE parameters even before the bootstrap installation, or should I install with bootstrap.sh with a minimum / default configuration and add all other USE parameters afterwards?

Oh, when I'm already asking dumb questions, I've got one last for you:

I've got a SB PCI 512 which works with the emu10k1 driver. Is it better to compile the driver as a module (as described in the gentoo install handbook) or may/should I compile the driver directly into the kernel?

Very big thanks in advance,
yours Storm

[Cosmin]

As you already have probably guessed, the USE is useful AFTER the bootstrap. I don't know why it downloaded just everything at bottstrap (I haven't checked the script). In the bootstrap stage, the only things that are needed are downloaded automatically, so USE="" (blank), should do OK. In fact, bootstrap and emerge are different things, the bootstrap script shouldn't use the USE variable at all (I presume). You may check the script to see what it needs. After all, because you will use those packages anyway, your time was not entirely wasted...
As a guideline, the USE tells emerge how it should control the dependency tree. The USE is for programs that have optional dependencies, for example X support. A program can have X support but it's not dependent on X, it runs with or without X. You can have, for example, -X kde gnome. This will not install X support from packages, but will install kde/gnome, which depend on X (and X will be installed too, because kde/gnome depend on it).
About the second question, you should have posted in another thread. But my short answer would be: if you know your hardware won't change, compile it in kernel (less trouble). If you are not going to use that device a lot, compile as a module (floppy for example). If you don't have that piece of hardware, you don't need it, so don't compile at all. Pick your choice.

[Corw|n of Amber]

I haven't tried to compile the emu10k1 in the kernel, but the script /etc/init.d/alsasound takes care of loading the modules so I compiled it as module (SBLive! 5.1 digital), and it works. So, I figured using the script for what it's been written is just safe...
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[DaSilentStorm]

Thanks a lot for your fast answers!

@CoA: Thanks for the tip... so I don't have to load the module into the kernel myself, right?

@Cosmin: I'll go and check the script for "USE"-usage, but I'm pretty sure, the USE parameters will be respected. Isn't there a hint in the installation handbook which says USE="-java" for faster compilation?

Is there a command line parameter for the bootstrap.sh (like --pretend --verbose) to check the packages? I guess bootstrap.sh will just run emerge several times?

Well however, I'll check this tonight at home and post the answer here "You're never the only one who has a specific problem"

Will it be somehow faster or "better" to have the sound card driver directly in the kernel (yes, I'm going to use this device every single day (Internet-Radio Junkie ))?

Thanx again,
ya Storm

[Corw|n of Amber]

[DaSilentStorm]