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Hi All, |
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I just wanted to give you all an update on Gentoo Linux development. |
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General Notes |
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============= |
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Gentoo Linux 1.0_rc4-pre2 |
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------------------------- |
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As you probably know, Gentoo Linux 1.0_rc4-pre2 is on ibiblio.org. This is |
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a test version that should be installed by all active developers. When all |
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known quirks have been fixed, Achim will roll out a 1.0_rc4. So far, |
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1.0_rc4-pre2 is looking a lot better than 1.0_rc3. We're stomping on bugs |
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and Gentoo Linux is getting more and more refined. |
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|
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1.0_rc4-pre2 is fully compatible with all modern Intel and Intel-compatible |
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processors, from the i486 on up. While 1.0_rc4-pre2 is optimized for the |
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486, Achim plans to build several different versions of 1.0_rc4 optimized for |
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various processors. 1.0_rc4-pre2 has been tested on K6 systems and works |
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perfectly. The problem we had with the K6 was due to some inline assembly in |
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glibc -- included based on the value of the HOST environment variable. Since |
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we had the HOST set to i686-pc-linux-gnu, some i686-specific instructions |
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were included in glibc -- ones that the K6 didn't like. |
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|
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Developer-specific Notes |
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======================== |
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|
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Changelog Issues |
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---------------- |
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Developers, when you update the ChangeLog (/usr/portage/ChangeLog), make sure |
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that you stick to our "standard" format. Each package addition/modification/ |
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deletion includes a single line in our standard format, followed on the next |
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line by a _mandatory_ developer user name, followed by optional line(s) of |
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comments and a blank line. It's _not_ ok to do stuff like this: |
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|
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new foo/bar-1.0 |
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new foo/oni-2.0 |
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drobbins |
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|
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You need to do this instead |
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|
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new foo/bar-1.0 |
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drobbins |
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|
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new foo/oni-1.0 |
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drobbins |
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|
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sys-* layout |
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------------ |
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|
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Achim and I have resolved how to determine what goes in the sys-* categories. |
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We are breaking with FreeBSD tradition by making the sys-* categories contain |
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_only_ a barebones, minimal system -- the minimal Gentoo system that can still |
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recompile itself, with a few exceptions. Previously, what was included in |
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sys-* was more of a subjective thing, i.e. what I would like to see in a basic |
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Gentoo Linux server install, the tools I personally like, etc. |
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|
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Rather than do this, we're going to be integrating some new functionality into |
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Portage that's going to be very, very nice and will allow everyone to have the |
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kind of "base" system that they like. Portage will recognize your selection not |
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only at install time, but throughout the lifetime of your system, prompting you |
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to upgrade or add new packages when necessary. |
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|
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ebuild design |
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------------- |
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|
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Also, another semi-important note. It is no longer necessary to define the "A" |
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variable in an ebuild. Portage automatically determines the proper archive names |
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from the SRC_URI if present (and all current ebuilds are required to have valid |
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SRC_URIs.) You can use "A" if you like, but leave it out if you prefer. |
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|
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That's it for now. Sorry for being a bit distant for the last few weeks -- |
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I've been busy writing a bunch of new articles for IBM. Now that I'm (nearly) |
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caught up, you should start seeing me more often. |
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Best Regards, |
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|
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-- |
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Daniel Robbins <drobbins@g.o> |
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President/CEO http://www.gentoo.org |
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Gentoo Technologies, Inc. |
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