Re: [gentoo-user] why gentoo doesn't have long description?

[Michael Crute]

First of all, sorry about top posting that's the way Gmail does it and you 
cant change the settings. 

Also if you are looking for a lazy man's way of getting a package 
description try `emerge -s packagename` and it prints out a lot of 
information as well as a short description of the package. I have never seen 
a long description such as those used to build Debian packages anywhere in 
portage and don't really think it would be useful anyhow. So try emerge -s 
and if you need more info go to the packae's website. That would be my 
advice. Oh, and emerge -s works off the metadata so you dint need an 
Internet connection.

-Mike. 

On 8/24/05, Fernando Canizo <conan@××××××××××.ar> wrote:
>
> El 24/ago/2005 a las 04:01 -0300, Jonas me decía:
> > >Second, the whole idea is to do this for non-connected systems.
> Meaning, a
> > >solution not involving the Internet... =)
> > If you're refering to the fact that the person doesn't have an internet
> > connection when he wants to view this information throught the emerge
> > interface, then you're wrong. When you want to install or you're just
> > searching for a package you're using the emerge interface , when you
> > need more info you have to 1) open your browser 2) type in the url (if
> > you're lucky you know the url or it's in your browsers cache) 3) search
> > for the package on the website , while instead you could just do
> > something like emerge --desc package. Now what's quicker and makes more
> > sence ?
>
> Exactly! That's what i'm refering to. It's not an issues of connection
> it's an
> issue of lazyness! It's like: "-- hey what are you doing this weekend? --
> don't
> know, it's cold and raining, i think i'm gonna sit in my throne and check
> what's
> new on 'app-vim' to improve my vimyness, if find something interesting
> i'll
> check the package webpage."
>
> For now i'm using 'questo':
> === script ====
> #!/bin/bash
> # lun may 2 20:57:24 ART 2005
> # conan - GPLed
> #
> # script to check for apps on rainy sunday morning
>
> BASE_DIR="/usr/portage/"
>
> [ $# -ne 1 ] && echo "Uso: questo <category>" && exit 0
>
> cd $BASE_DIR$1
> for package in * ; do
> eix "^$paquete\$"
> echo "Looking for: $1/$paquete. ENTER to continue..."
> read
> done
> === end script ====
>
> Now i took sugestion from Ciaran to look in metadata.xml, i check a couple
> by
> hand and see the 'longdesc' field but... with short descriptions! Now
> maybe i
> just choose two with bad luck, but i got a feeling that gentoo maintainers
> doesn't like to provide longdesc, although there is the posibility.
>
> I was thinking of doing a little script that gives longdesc found in
> metadata to
> confirm this, but since i don't know nothing about xml, think it gonna
> take a
> little bit more that if there were already an application to check '
> metadata.xml'
> fields. 'emerge', 'equery' and 'eix' wich are the administration tools i
> use
> everyday don't say nothing about this, i think all of them use de
> description
> field in ebuilds. I wonder if somebody knows another app to do this?
>
> If not, the idea of the script is more less this:
> lslongdesc package|category|all
>
> where:
> - 'package' gives longdesc of package
> - 'category' gives longdesc of all packages in category
> - and 'all' gives them all flooding your screen with info you never gonna
> eat...
> but that is there.
>
> It's so simple that i'm sure there must be an app (or compound of them)
> that
> already do this.
>
> --
> Fernando Canizo - http://www.lugmen.org.ar/~conan/
> Olmstead's Law:
> After all is said and done, a hell of a lot more is said than done.
> --
> gentoo-user@g.o mailing list
>
>


-- 
________________________________
Michael E. Crute
Software Developer
SoftGroup Development Corporation

Linux, because reboots are for installing hardware.
"In a world without walls and fences, who needs windows and gates?"