[gentoo-user] Profile listings

[James]

Hello

Background:
As a minimalist I'm trying to ferret out the differences in some of the more
minimal profiles versus potential embedded profiles, across several
different architectures: (arm32, arm64 x63_32 x86_64 ppc etc). I am also
quite curious to find a tool that will clearly list the complete set of 
packages a given (eselected) profile will yield and the best ways to
customize that list of minimal (critical) packages.



So in /etc/portage/profiles, we have lots of good information. For example
the 'base' dir currently lists 77 packages found in most profiles (?). The
'/usr/portage/profiles/arch.list' dir lists not only the recognized arches
but  also "Prefix Keywords". I'm not exactly sure how all of this profile 
stuff works; who decides what's (packages) in and out, package_masks etc etc.


So my questions related to how does gentoo actually determines the exact
list of programs that are minimally installed, with the specific 
arch and the profile selected? In previous times, I just put USE='-*' in the
make.conf file and built upwards from there. Still there were baseline
packages in the most minimal of stage based gentoo builds. I'm looking for a
current approach to bridging between a baseline default profile (for amd64
that would be: [1]   default/linux/amd64/13.0 *) and  an embedded amd64
profile (if one currently exist? How do I find the potential profiles for
say another arch (ppc for example), from an amd64 based gentoo system?
Tools? Recommended scripts to review?


'eselect profile list' currently shows 21  amd64 choices:

 [1]   default/linux/amd64/13.0 *
  [2]   default/linux/amd64/13.0/selinux
  [3]   default/linux/amd64/13.0/desktop
  [4]   default/linux/amd64/13.0/desktop/gnome
  [5]   default/linux/amd64/13.0/desktop/gnome/systemd
  [6]   default/linux/amd64/13.0/desktop/kde
  [7]   default/linux/amd64/13.0/desktop/kde/systemd
  [8]   default/linux/amd64/13.0/desktop/plasma
  [9]   default/linux/amd64/13.0/desktop/plasma/systemd
  [10]  default/linux/amd64/13.0/developer
  [11]  default/linux/amd64/13.0/no-multilib
  [12]  default/linux/amd64/13.0/systemd
  [13]  default/linux/amd64/13.0/x32
  [14]  hardened/linux/amd64
  [15]  hardened/linux/amd64/selinux
  [16]  hardened/linux/amd64/no-multilib
  [17]  hardened/linux/amd64/no-multilib/selinux
  [18]  hardened/linux/amd64/x32
  [19]  hardened/linux/musl/amd64
  [20]  default/linux/uclibc/amd64
  [21]  hardened/linux/uclibc/amd64



But looking here at the files and directories ( ls /usr/portage/profiles)

I see an organization structure that differs from the profile listing
semantics. So is there a  script(s)  that shows me what is being read from
the directory tree that yields those 21 choices? It seems a bit convoluted
to me, but I could easily have missed the documents that organize and
discuss such details? Or at least a listing of the scripts that build these
profile lists? Or is this adhoc?


The next thought is how then to best (succinctly) determine the complete
list of packages that will be pulled into any given (arch) profile. Is this
a fiefdom situation where those devs that maintain that arch (tongue in
cheek) quasi-use these scripts, config files and the /usr/portage/profiles
tree structure, consistently or as they wish? I'm not looking for emotional
responses, just clarity on where we are.

Finally. What if I want to "roll my own profiles"; should I just build on
one of the minimal ones or create something anew that exists only on my
systems?  If the latter, any insight or examples would be keen information.
Yes, I know messing with the 'will of the dev(masters) will put me on a
course of little help; but I just see a better way that I want to experiment
with the profile pieces that are integral to my efforts. My main goal is to
bridge the gap between what is embedded (truly minimalistic)
and a minimized (via the profile) gentoo system.


TIA,
James