noobie selecting USE flags... assistance?

[jodansmif]

I'm up to the point in the installation process where I'm supposed to select USE flags for my system... the problem being that this is my first Linux install, and I have no idea what packages I plan to use, or what USE flags are necessary for those packages. I've read the USE flags section in the "Working With Gentoo" handbook thingy, but it's aimed a bit over my head.

I'm going to post my specs and the intended uses of the machine... I would greatly appreciate any guidance that can be given here. Otherwise, I'm probably going to just go with the default set, even though I know I should optimize given my older equipment. Thanks!

Specs:
Pentium II 233, 96 MB RAM
IDE CD-ROM (no burner)
3 GB IDE Harddisk
S3 Virge 375 video card (PCI)
Ensoniq Wavetable Sound (PCI)
Generic Ethernet (PCI)

Intended Uses:
listening to cd's, ripping MP3s, listening to mp3s
watching divx movies
word processing/spreadsheet (need pdf reader too)
IMAP email client
AIM, IRC
web browsing (Firefox)
bittorrent
FTP server
Samba host (for printer)

PS - Sorry to repeat my earlier question in the Desktop forum, that merely concerned package choice, here I'm only concerned with relevant USE flags.

[ectospasm]

It can be difficult to gauge what support you want or don't want. If you're new to all of this, I would first browse the list of all available USE flags:

http://www.gentoo.org/dyn/use-index.xml

In your case, I would add these, just for starters. You might see some that you like that aren't in this list, so please make your own decisions:

samba
oscar (for AIM support)
mozilla
X
cups (for printing)

Since your HD space is limited, I would suggest you pick either kde or gnome, but not both, or even better: neither. I don't use either, so I don't know which one you like. I do use some KDE apps, and some Gnome apps. You'll have to scour the web to determine which one you want, if you want either. They may be too much of a space hog, hence my recommendation to go with a more lightweight window manager. I am partial to fluxbox.

Okay, enough rambling...
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[jodansmif]

Good point! Yes, i was hoping to avoid both kde and gnome just for size and speed purposes, but if I absolutely need one or the other that's fine. After reading this guide (https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=132201) it sounds like XFCE4 is right up my alley. So I guess that means I need some GNOME USE tags after all?

Anyway, thanks for the recommendations on tags to add... are there any in the default set that I most likely won't need? I appreciate the help, it's a bit overwhelming to be exposed to all this non Microsoftian choice all at once.

[Birnenpfluecker]

You don't need the use flags for the gnome applications. If you want to install a gnome application, you can set the use flag manually by a
USE="*". I think it will be enough if you just use it with USE="gtk", but no gnome as a use flag, cause that will install the gnome basic. I use windowmaker and have neither kde or gnome set as a flag. I use gtk or qt for some applications, who need it for a gui.

In your case I would also use alsa (for sound) and avi as flags

[Chiefcooker]

hy.
what useflags should i write in the make.conf file?
my hardware: Notebook amilo d 8830, p4 3,06ghz HT, 1GB Ram, ATI Radeon mobility 9000, chipset and sound from intel, bluetooth usbstick, dvd&cd burner, pcmcia wlan realtek 8185
the software i want be able to use: X, kde, k3b, a mobilphone sync software with bluetooth or usb, firefox, a video player with gstreamer and all plugins, xmms, openoffice, ftp, samba, acroread, and other useful tools (like gkremml,..)
or is there a simple possibility to find all nEEDED useflags?
thx, mfg chief

[sirdilznik]

For starters:

[nixnut]

merged above two posts here.
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[fkryszon]

[atsanquentin]

I'm a newbie with this being my first that I've attempted at gentoo.
I use Linux as my main Os so I'm aware of gentoo capabilities in general but now that I'm getting my hands dirty I'm in need of a little help. I want to use a light weight window manager, like blackbox, fluxbox or IceWM. Really I haven't decided but when I do what use flags should I set or unset as the case may be. I figure that unsetting KDE and gnome is a start but what about all the other settings.
thank for your responses.

[nixnut]

merged above post here.
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[pdr]

I've installed gentoo quite a number of times now, and here is the methodology I've settled on. Might not be for everyone.

Back in the "bad old days" when I got to that part of the install, I would go through the use descriptions, gentoo-portage.com, et al and spend a few hours trying to figure out what use flags I needed to install all the packages I was sure I wanted. BTW I use fluxbox window manager and do not want (yet) the gnome or kde base bloat...

Now when I get to that part of the install, I set up a very minimal set of use flags - basically just for things I know off the top of my head that I want enabled or disabled (-kde -gnome for all installations - I use fluxbox - X for desktop, -X for server). That is about it. Takes all of a couple of seconds.

Now whether I am going to do the "emerge world" part of install, or my daily updates, I work like so:

I never directly emerge - I always pretend first (either --pretend or -p option). This will list all the packages that will get emerged AND THEIR USE FLAGS. For my daily updates (after install) I also always do a deep update (-D) and new-use-flags (-N). This is the part that might not be for everyone.

Now before removing the -p (pretend) option and doing the actual emerge/update, I go through every one of the use flags and see if I want it. For me this is where www.gentoo-portage.com can be indispensable (well, somewhat - the USE flag descriptions often tell you little and sometimes you have to intuit if it is a good thing). At the same time I am deciding if I want to globally enable a new (to me) USE flag, or if I only want it enabled for that particular package. If I want it global, I go into /etc/make.conf and add it to USE="..." list. If only for that package I concatenate it to the /etc/portage/package.use file (usually I check first to see if that app is already in package.use - don't want to list the same package on multiple lines).

This is iterative; first I --pretend the emerge and check use flags; if I add any flags to either make.conf or package.use, I run the --pretend again because the flag changes might have pulled in more dependencies and I need to check their flags. When I have gotten to the point of adding no more flags - which is often the case after all my usual packages have been installed - I run the emerge for real.

So after install, my daily update is to 1) emerge --sync to update my portage - uh - repository (whatever), and then iterate through:
2) emerge -upvDN world (update, pretend, verbose Deep New-use)
3) if there are new USE flags I want, update /etc/make.conf or /etc/portage/package.use as necessary and go back to (2) again.
4) if the USE flags are (now) stable then I remove the 'p' option (ie emerge -uvDN world) and run it.
5) of course if config files have changed I then run dispatch-conf to update/zap/merge the new /etc files.

If I am installing a new package it is similar:
1) emerge -pv the-new-package and look over the use flags.
2) if I have to modify /etc/make.conf or /etc/portage/package.use, do so and return to step (1).
3) if (now) happy with the use flags, remove the pretend (ie emerge -v the-new-package) and run it.
4) of course it /etc/ got munged then run dispatch-conf to use/zap/merge.

The reason this might not be for everyone is that the first time you 'emerge -upvDN world' after an install, a LOT of the initial packages will be listed again, because during install the had the 'build' use flag enabled, and now they don't. However this is a one-time hit I'm willing to accept. The other reason is that more often than you might think ebuilds are changed to just add some more USE flags; even if the defaults for them would work perfectly for you, you still end up re-emerging them because the -N (new use) option was enabled. My systems are not that slow, so even if glibc or xorg-server get a new use, I am again willing to re-emerge. And, at least for the packages I use, this still does not occur very often.

The biggest benefit for me is that I no longer spend hours originally setting various USE flags that I actually may not need, or later might not want, or later want to be package-specific. Also because of this it is normal procedure for me to keep my USE flags up-to-date, meaning that I am not building up cruft and/or losing out on new USE features.

[Crooksey]

Well, when emerging gnome there is a python program that dosent support most use flags, so when i get that error, i comment out my use flag section, emerge that program, uncoment my useflags and continue to compile.

http://gentoo-wiki.com/FAQ_USE_Flags

http://gentoo-wiki.com/USE_Flags_explained

Default use flags:

http://gentoo-wiki.com/FAQ_USE_Flags#Default_USE_flags


... enjoy