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blietaer
Tux's lil' helper
Joined: 27 Apr 2006
Posts: 103
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 Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 9:33 am Post subject: [Guidelines] USE FLAGS ..too much/few ? |
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Hello,
I am used to come back and forth to/from the purple distro on regular basis.
Feeling *ubuntu's too 'windowesque', I love the idea of compiled Linux.
Plus, emerge is so nice and a good Linux forum/wiki/howto/community is only to be found around Gentoo.
But my idea is not to start the debate on distro  : I just feel I am coming back in a Gentoo mood (Geez I _am_ an natural born optimizer) in the next days...and would like to keep it (not wasting my electrons/time once again)
So... why didn't I keep Gentoo on my machines so far 
Simply because one day or the other I manage to break it sadly. 
(after +/- 4months)
How?
By adding one too many USE FLAG?
By unmasking the wrong package?
I don't know actually..
The thing is that one fine day I emerge -auDN my little world and it just won't.
Nor I will be able to add a new package thus...
So my question here is: what are the best guidelines to keep my house clean?
Shall I reduce the USE FLAGS ?
Shall I avoid trying to install masked packages?
I do understand Gentoo is a demanding distro you don't install to get rid of configuration tricks and tunings, but is it incompatible with stability somewhere?
I always end up using Debian which is the best balance between usability and stability and optimizing so far...
I just wish I could go a bit further on the optimizing direction with Gentoo...
Thank you for your advices!
Best regards,
Ben |
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hitachi
Guru
Joined: 20 Feb 2006
Posts: 478
Location: Freiburg / Deutschland
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| Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 10:53 am Post subject: |
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Hi,
I do have a lot of use flags and I don't see that this would lead to any problems. Also I sometimes do define use flags in /etc/portage/package.use for only one or two programs.
I would not run an all unstable system. But running some programs unstable is not a problem for the hole system. Maybe you should not run system programs unstable and NEVER emerge -avC programofthesystem.
Also you can create binary backups from your programs so you will be able to change back in any case. |
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Iced-Tux
Apprentice
Joined: 14 Apr 2004
Posts: 183
Location: Germany, Cologne
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| Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 10:55 am Post subject: |
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If you break your system, probably you tried to play with masked packages and their eventually masked dependencies.
I generally would NOT run a complet ~x86 system. Especially not on anything like libc or somthing similiar.
Try to focus on some apps you would like to be ~x86, like firefox or pidgin etc. Normaly all that can break then is just the app itself and thats quiet easily fixed 
As for USE flags: I am a believier in as less USE flags as possible in my make.conf. I like them nice and neat in package.use. But thats just my style 
Greetings from the light side of the (OS-)force
iced-tux
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!! The road to hell is full of good intentions !! |
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blietaer
Tux's lil' helper
Joined: 27 Apr 2006
Posts: 103
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| Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 11:16 am Post subject: |
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OK, great!
Thank you for your answers!
| Iced-Tux wrote: |
If you break your system, probably you tried to play with masked packages and their eventually masked dependencies.
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Correct.
I have to admit that it was probably that way (and only that one) I screwed up my gentoo experience.
Probably tried to follow a guru's advice in order to install a cutting-edge package (skype back at that time?)
| Iced-Tux wrote: |
I generally would NOT run a complet ~x86 system. Especially not on anything like libc or somthing similiar.
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OK...but is it something I could end up doing without knowing? simply by following the documentation and the install book ?
Or is it the kind of thing that if done, you MEANT to do it?
| Iced-Tux wrote: |
Try to focus on some apps you would like to be ~x86, like firefox or pidgin etc.
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Why/how would I like to do that? is it the default?
I am a bit confused here since I do download the "x86" of the install CD (I might be goofing here...ok, nothing to do with the Cd version?)
| Iced-Tux wrote: |
As for USE flags: I am a believier in as less USE flags as possible in my make.conf. I like them nice and neat in package.use.
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I am not sure to get the exact difference...are we talking about same flags in two different files?
hitachi> "running a program unstable" is synonym of "unmasking a package" ?
If not, again, is it something I have to decide at install time?
BTW, I would be tempted to use the "Desktop" or "Multimedia" profile instead of the Default one...
Bad idea? what should I be prepared to encounter if I do so? |
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Iced-Tux
Apprentice
Joined: 14 Apr 2004
Posts: 183
Location: Germany, Cologne
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| Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 11:42 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: | OK, great!
Thank you for your answers! |
No problem
| Quote: | | Iced-Tux wrote: |
I generally would NOT run a complet ~x86 system. Especially not on anything like libc or somthing similiar.
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OK...but is it something I could end up doing without knowing? simply by following the documentation and the install book ?
Or is it the kind of thing that if done, you MEANT to do it? |
You start with a x86 install aka stable, _most_ of the times . ~x86 are unstable packages. You can, although I would strongly advise against it, set your ACCEPT_KEYWORDS="~x86". As a result you would have a system which is completly based on the "unstable" tree. Mind that I am not saying, the system is unstable, it is just the packages are not marked stable in portage.
| Quote: | | Iced-Tux wrote: |
Try to focus on some apps you would like to be ~x86, like firefox or pidgin etc.
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Why/how would I like to do that? is it the default?
I am a bit confused here since I do download the "x86" of the install CD (I might be goofing here...ok, nothing to do with the Cd version?) |
The default behaviour is x86, if not overridden in your make.conf
To unmask a package like firefox can be needed, if you would like to have, say Firefox3 when in portage Firefox2 is the only x86=stable marked version.
Or you need the bleeding edge version of package XYZ, because of some sorely missed features.
| Quote: | | Iced-Tux wrote: |
As for USE flags: I am a believier in as less USE flags as possible in my make.conf. I like them nice and neat in package.use.
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I am not sure to get the exact difference...are we talking about same flags in two different files? |
You can define your USE flags globally => /etc/make.conf or per package => /etc/portage/package.use. For more info please refer to your next gentoo online documentation regarding USE flags
| Quote: | [BTW, I would be tempted to use the "Desktop" or "Multimedia" profile instead of the Default one...
Bad idea? what should I be prepared to encounter if I do so? |
I would stick to the default profile. I am not sure but everything else is just some added USE flag *anyone can correct me at this *
iced-tux
_________________
!! The road to hell is full of good intentions !! |
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hitachi
Guru
Joined: 20 Feb 2006
Posts: 478
Location: Freiburg / Deutschland
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| Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 12:24 pm Post subject: |
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| blietaer wrote: |
| Iced-Tux wrote: |
Try to focus on some apps you would like to be ~x86, like firefox or pidgin etc.
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Why/how would I like to do that? is it the default?
I am a bit confused here since I do download the "x86" of the install CD (I might be goofing here...ok, nothing to do with the Cd version?) |
You can do that global like Iced-Tux said by setting it in you /etc/make.conf or locale just for some program by adding those programs to /etc/portage/package.keywords. Like mine for firefox is: | Quote: | =www-client/mozilla-firefox-3.0.1 ~amd64
=dev-libs/nss-3.12 ~amd64
=dev-libs/nspr-4.7.1 ~amd64 |
Also take a look at: http://gentoo-portage.com/ There you can search for programs and you also can see whether they are stable or not.
| blietaer wrote: | | hitachi> "running a program unstable" is synonym of "unmasking a package" ? |
Yes I meant it like synonym. |
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blietaer
Tux's lil' helper
Joined: 27 Apr 2006
Posts: 103
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| Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 2:06 pm Post subject: |
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OK, it is now time to give a new go.
Thank you for your nice and pleasant way to suggest reading the documentation (sound better than thoses RTFM), Tux
It is very good advices and I will try it...
hitachi> thank you for the examples, it speaks by itself. |
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Iced-Tux
Apprentice
Joined: 14 Apr 2004
Posts: 183
Location: Germany, Cologne
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| Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 2:27 pm Post subject: |
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| blietaer wrote: | OK, it is now time to give a new go.
Thank you for your nice and pleasant way to suggest reading the documentation (sound better than thoses RTFM), Tux
It is very good advices and I will try it...
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Glad to have helped
So whatever way you take, like so often Linux is all about choice
And BTW this forum is a kind of documentation, so in a way you RTFM'd.
Greetings
iced-tux
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!! The road to hell is full of good intentions !! |
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Installing Gentoo
