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Steve Long <slong@××××××××××××××××××.uk> posted |
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fen3qr$lu6$1@×××××××××.org, excerpted below, on Fri, 12 Oct 2007 07:26:12 |
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+0100: |
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|
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>> In that case, shouldn't the description mention that? Something like: |
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>> |
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>> MP3 encoding support using LAME (as opposed to ffmpeg) |
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>> |
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> What about when the next one gets added-- would it need to say "as |
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> opposed to ffmpeg or lame"? |
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Good point. However, my minor complaint with USE flags is that they too |
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often don't really say what the USE flag actually does. In this case as- |
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is, the implication is that with -lame, there's no encoding support, when |
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the general case is that there's still encoding support, but from |
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something else (ffmpeg). Ideally, the description isn't so vague as to |
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leave the user with the wrong impression, or having to dig into the |
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ebuild itself to find out what the practical effect is. |
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|
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So something like: |
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|
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Support LAME as mp3 encoder (see ffmpeg also) |
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|
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Then ideally, if a package supported both encoders, both would be flags, |
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and if possible, support for both would be built if both USE flags were |
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enabled. That's a bit more expandable, altho it still mentions ffmpeg. |
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|
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Making it generic "(other encoders may also be supported)" might be |
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better in some ways, but isn't as helpful in others. IMO, the ffmpeg |
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reference is more helpful, and the mention of ffmpeg could be expanded if |
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other options become popular enough to warrant it. |
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What I'd /really/ like would be a simple way to list what each flag does |
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in a particular package, sort of like what use.local sometimes does now, |
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if the description is specific enough, but for global flags as well. |
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Take USE=perl. Sure, it supports perl, but is it perl bindings, or |
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additional user scripts in perl, or documentation for perl devs, or ??? |
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A use.local.desc (or whatever) file listing every package with the flag, |
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and what the flag actually does in that package in practical terms, would |
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sure be useful! =8^) Of course, being a separate file, it'd be difficult |
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to keep up to date. Perhaps a better solution might be an IUSE_DESC |
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variable that every ebuild and eclass could (and would eventually be |
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required to) populate. Then it's metadata for the package kept right in |
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the ebuild/eclass, where it's easy to keep up to date when the package |
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itself changes. Then all we'd need would be a parsing tool for that |
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info... euse could be expanded to grab it if --verbose is set, perhaps, |
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and life would be /so/ much easier, at least for /some/ users. =8^) |
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|
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Yes, I know the chances of it happening would be better if I were to |
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become a dev and volunteer to help with all the updates, since it's my |
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itch I want scratched. Maybe it'll happen someday. In the mean time... |
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maybe I can spread the itch. =8^) |
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|
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-- |
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Duncan - List replies preferred. No HTML msgs. |
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"Every nonfree program has a lord, a master -- |
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and if you use the program, he is your master." Richard Stallman |
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-- |
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