Re: [gentoo-dev] [RFC] Global USE=gui

[Michał Górny]

On Wed, 1 Jun 2016 22:13:24 -0400
waltdnes@××××××××.org wrote:

> On Wed, Jun 01, 2016 at 07:56:41PM +0200, Micha?? Górny wrote
>
> > waltdnes@××××××××.org wrote:
> >
> > >   I see this as at least a redundancy, if not a problem.  First, let's
> > > look at the general case.  An optional "UI" (User Interface) is also
> > > selected...
> > > * via the "tools" useflag 78 times in use.local.desc
> > > * via the "ncurses" useflag 10 times in use.local.desc.
> > > * for a lot of ebuilds via the "ncurses" useflag in use.desc (So why
> > >   does "ncurses" show up in use.local.desc ???)
> > >
> > >  There is no need for an additional "TUI" (Text User Interface) use flag
> > > for these cases.  "tools" and/or "ncurses" tells you enough.  Similarly,
> > > "GUI" is grab-bag of gtk2/gtk3/qt4/qt5/X/Wayland/whatever.  The only
> > > thing they have in common is a hard-coded dependancy on graphics libs.
> > > "GUI" is an implicit dependancy of gtk2/gtk3/qt4/qt5/X/Wayland/whatever.
> > > Using any of them tells you enough.  What do we accomplish by requiring
> > > one more USE flag?  This will also make dependancy resolution of ebuilds
> > > more complex, i.e. slower.  Why?
> >
> > Simple regular users don't want to be concerned with choice of toolkit
> > for every single package, as long as a GUI is provided.
>
>   Then put one of X/xorg/wayland/mir/qt4/qt5/gtk2/gtk3/fltk into USE in
> make.conf.  This will *FORCE* a gui where applicable.

And also a dozen random things, and USE flag conflicts where multiple
GUIs are applicable.

> > Furthermore, this matches the recommended USE flag design where the
> > more important flags are provided as feature flags, while specific
> > dependency choice flags are minor.
>
>   This is going to require *THREE* levels of flags, with the first one
> being totally unnecessary...
>
> Level 1) GUI
>
> Level 2) X or xorg or Wayland or Mir
>
> Level 3) qt4 or qt5 or gtk2 or gtk3 or fltk
>
>   Let me re-phrase my question... is there *ANY* set of circumstances
> under which any of X/xorg/wayland/mir/qt4/qt5/gtk2/gtk3/fltk USE flag
> can be set for a package *WITHOUT* requiring a gui?  I can see any of X
> or xorg or Wayland or Mir being a requirement for any of
> qt4/qt5/gtk2/gtk3/fltk.  But any of the Level 2 or Level 3 flags *FORCES*
> a GUI of one sort or another.
>
>   I repeat, requiring a "GUI" use flag for GUI apps makes as much sense
> as requiring a "TUI" flag for commandline apps.  I hope I'm not giving
> people ideas the wrong way.  No I don't want a "TUI" flag either.

That's your opinion, and that is how far it goes as I'm concerned. Next
thing you complain, that USE=ssl doesn't mean 'openssl only'.

-- 
Best regards,
Michał Górny
<http://dev.gentoo.org/~mgorny/>