Re: [gentoo-dev] Mozilla: Firebird-bin & Firebird-cvs

[John Robinson]

> There was a discussion a while ago (um, a couple years ago) about
> removing categories completely and having a flat list of packages.  The
> argument against this was that the categories provide an easy way for
> users (and developers) to see what is available in a given area.  It was
> not intended for categories to provide namespaces.

I wasn't around a few years ago, but I've watched this conversation go
back and forth from the previous one to the current. The following seems
(to me) to be a good summary of the two leading points and
counterpoints:


Q: Shouldn't we list the two packages for an interactive choice when two
or more are available?

A: Interactive choice is against the design of emerge. We need to be
able to use it more easily in scripts than that would allow. The best we
can do is to generate an error with that information and let the user
pick and re-run emerge.


Q: Why don't we let categories define namespace?

A: Because we've never used categories to define namespace.


Is there a reason why emerge couldn't have a command line switch to
cause it to deviate from its current behavior and give the user an
interactive choice? I gather that the error-choice option is currently
in the bugs db waiting for implementation, but a lot of users have
seemed to like the idea of the interactive option, which I think a
command line switch could integrate well. Is there a reason why this
should be avoided?

Also, although it isn't currently being done this way, is there a reason
why (given the above changes) the categories shouldn't be used to define
namespace? Unless I'm wrong, that would only involve a policy update, if
a way of avoiding merging the wrong package in the case of a collision
were in place. It seems like the intuitive way to go; most people seem
to assume it works that way until they're told otherwise. Additionally,
a lot of the discussion on this list of late (namely the Firebird issue)
would've been avoided if that system were in place, and I imagine the
same will be true of the future. Unless there's something I'm unaware
of, this system would allow emerge to continue to function just as it
currently does (besides the error on finding duplicate packages) while
relieving a lot of naming headaches.


- John Robinson

-- 

Love justice; desire mercy.


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