[gentoo-dev] ROOT variable (was: Creating multiple "installations" on the same host)

[Paul Smith]

%% david@×××××××××.com writes:

  d> On Tue, Mar 23, 2004 at 01:57:06PM -0600, Joseph Booker wrote:

  >> for merging the packages..........$ROOT sounds like to me (and I
  >> havn't checked) that when an emerge is done, when it 'merges'
  >> /..../image with /, it insteads merges it with $ROOT, for example,
  >> if $ROOT was /usr, then all the files installed in /etc would to
  >> got /usr/etc, all in /usr/bin goto /usr/usr/bin, etc.

  d> I have use $ROOT quite extensively.  I can vouch for it's working
  d> in this fashion, the only time it doesn't produce expected results
  d> is specific checks in ebuilds.  Some ebuilds will check for a
  d> library(in the actual ebuild, not a configure script, ex: perl
  d> checks for libperl) and the check will be done on / not $ROOT So if
  d> the file/library required exists on $ROOT but not / the build
  d> fails.

Either I'm doing something wrong, or I'm still not understanding, or
there are problems in $ROOT handling.


I just tried a basic setup with a vanilla Portage install without any of
our local changes (from Portage CVS circa 2003/03/19).

When I run "ROOT=/tmp/ptest emerge someapp" I get these errors:

  >>> /tmp/ptest/tmp doesn't exist, creating it...
  >>> /tmp/ptest/var/tmp doesn't exist, creating it...
  Traceback (most recent call last):
    File "/tmp/ptest/usr/lib/portage/bin/emerge", line 14, in ?
      import portage
    File "/tmp/ptest/usr/lib/portage/pym/portage.py", line 6320, in ?
      os.makedirs(cachedir,0755)
    File "/usr/lib/python2.2/os.py", line 203, in makedirs
      mkdir(name, mode)
  OSError: [Errno 13] Permission denied: '/var/cache/edb'


Looking the code, it's looking for _BOTH_ /var/cache/edb _AND_
$ROOT/var/cache/edb.

I don't want to have to have the former, if $ROOT is set.  In fact in
our environment it won't exist.  Is there a reason we need to test for
both?


Anyway, I'll continue with this and report problems as I find them.
Is this better discussed on the gentoo-portage-dev list?  Or should I
just file bugs in Gentoo Bugzilla without discussion?  Or...?

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 Paul D. Smith <psmith@××××××××××××××.com>   HASMAT--HA Software Mthds & Tools
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