how to contribute to use/slot deps: was Re: [gentoo-dev] Multiple Repo Support

[Brian Harring]

On Sat, Dec 24, 2005 at 12:40:35PM +0900, Jason Stubbs wrote:
> On Saturday 24 December 2005 05:45, Spider (DmD Lj) wrote:
> > On Sat, 2005-12-24 at 03:37 +0900, Jason Stubbs wrote:
> > > On Saturday 24 December 2005 03:23, Paul de Vrieze wrote:
> > > > On Friday 23 December 2005 19:12, Ciaran McCreesh wrote:
> > > > > On Fri, 23 Dec 2005 18:57:44 +0100 Paul de Vrieze <pauldv@g.o>
> > > > >
> > > > > | Do those already work then? I'd like to be able to use them.
> > > > >
> > > > > Not in anything end users should be using. The syntax is pretty much
> > > > > decided upon though...
> > > >
> > > > Glad that they are comming though. Even though I'd probably not hold my
> > > > breath.
> > >
> > > Trolling?
> >
> > Erm..  No, I don't think he is. We've been asking / waiting for the
> > [use] syntax to appear since before you joined the project. It's been on
> > "the list" for so long that many of us have given up... ; )
>
> Yep, bug 2272.

(still was trolling).

> > I don't think its trolling when we've been let down on it in the past,
> > had it postponed to "the great redesign"  ( project baghira,  I think,
> > too)   And so on.
>
> "Even though I'd probably not hold my breath"? It's something that many people
> want but most are not evening willing to attempt implementing it. What was
> the purpose of that comment?

Expanding on this since jason's email is quite a bit nicer then my 
original response.  Frankly... the potshot at portage is mild 
bullshit, but at this point I'm getting accustomed to it- bit easier 
to take a swipe at portage rather then to do actual work 
improving things (low blow potentially, but it sure as hell seems to 
be the case).

If folks are looking to get this feature, here's how you scratch that 
itch.

1) design and implement your own stable based patch that is 
maintainable.
2) help complete the saviour branch which holds a massive 
refactoring (including use/slot required refactoring).  Use/Slot is 
already sitting in that branch btw, although the resolver handling of 
it (ability to dig itself out of use cycles) isn't there yet.
3) help with the day to day bug mangling, regression fixes, and 
general maintenance.  Or work on the small features that need to be 
dealt with; either way, help reduce the load so existing portage devs 
can implement the beast.

Note that nowhere in that list, is nagging/snarky comments/general 
asshattery on public ml's listed as a means to get what you want.  

That's actually something of a negative contribution, since time is 
spent sending pissy emails such as this, or just results in 
people saying "screw portage work".  Devs making noise, you know what 
the scenario is, you're on the receiving end of it too for your area 
of work.  Portage is no different.

It's really pretty simple- get off your butt and chip in if you want 
it, else you're on _our_ timeline (eg, we implement it when we deem it 
sane/ready to go).  It's been 3 years for the bug- more then ample 
time to have contributed for some of the devs complaining in this 
thread.

Chip in, or bite your tongue essentially.
~harring