Re: [gentoo-dev] [PATCH] profiles/default/linux: Add USE="bzip2 lzma zstd" to defaults

[Peter Stuge]

Ben Kohler wrote:
> Nobody is "disabling choice" here,

Fair! Sorry about the hyperbole.


> a change in defaults doesn't remove your ability to choose something else.

True. My argument is more specificically that setting USE flags by
default in a "low-level" profile goes in the wrong direction.


> And I understand your sentiment that adding more default-on flags goes
> against YOUR goals of a minimal gentoo, but I'd like to remind you and
> others that this minimalism is not the goal of every gentoo user.

It's important that this is a low-ish-level profile. Unfortunately Matt
didn't respond to my question/point about profile inheritance.

I don't expect a gentoo desktop system to be minimal. I would however
like being able to build upon a minimal profile (not a desktop one)
with nothing in it, as opposed to having to essentially create a new
profile for each of my configurations.


> I want to be clear that I'm not saying you are wrong, but remember that
> your perspective is not the only correct one on this topic.

Maybe the discussion should focus on different kinds of profiles?

I'm not concerned about typical "user-facing" profiles here, it can
make plenty sense to enable these USE flags by default in those.


Michael Orlitzky wrote:
> all I personally want is to be reasonably sure what my configurations
> are going to do without having to list every individual package and
> USE flag explicitly.

Exactly this. Unfortunately I've had to give up on it, as USE flags
are set by default here and there, but I'd love to be able to rely
on a minimal starting point that will stay minimal.

Thank you for your mail Michael, you expressed my concern very well.


Kind regards

//Peter