Re: [gentoo-user] emerge --update behavior

[Alan McKinnon]

On Sun, 01 Jan 2012 16:12:34 -0600
Dale <rdalek1967@×××××.com> wrote:

> Michael Orlitzky wrote:
> > Using "emerge --update foo" adds "foo" to your world file. This is
> > responsible for pretty much every package that incorrectly found
> > its way into one of my world files.
> >
> > Is there any reason to desire the current behavior? I'd like to
> > suggest that it be fixed, but want to be sure I'm not just being
> > short-sighted.
> >
> >
>
> We noticed that a while back too.  I added --oneshot to my make.conf
> setting to prevent this.  When you want something added to the world
> file, check into the --select option.  I'm pretty sure that is the
> one.
>
> I do agree that updates shouldn't add things to the world file but I
> wouldn't hold my breath on it getting changed.


The current behaviour is the correct and expected one - you told
portage to emerge something and it did. Why else would you emerge
something if you didn't intend it to become a permanent feature of the
system and part of world? This has always been the definition of emerge
- to make it permanent.

If you want to emerge something and NOT have portage put it in world
then you must use the -1 option. Remember that emerging something is
supposed to be a permanent action that you (as root) intended to
happen. If what you intend is something more unusual like a mere test
or "just to see what would happen" then you must take additional steps
(to make it clear that you are doing something out of the ordinary).

It's the same logic as rm uses:

the user told the computer to delete a file so the computer did what it
was told by it's master and deleted the file. What else would you
expect it to do? 


p.s. before I forget: Happy New Year :-)



-- 
Alan McKinnnon
alan.mckinnon@×××××.com