[gentoo-user] Re: using package.provided

[Harry Putnam]

First off, thanks to all posters for the excellent input

> Nikos Chantziaras <realnc@×××××.com> writes:

> On 25/02/16 05:55, Harry Putnam wrote:
>> I'd like to stay on kernel-4.1.6, rather than keep installing the
>> newest version at each upgrade.
>
> I'd instead recommend putting
>
>   >=sys-kernel/gentoo-sources-4.2
>
> in package.mask to stay with 4.1 (it's an LTS kernel) and always get
> the patches for that one.

In /etc/portage/package-mask, using the line you suggest:

  >=sys-kernel/gentoo-sources-4.2

Makes emerge want to install 4.1.18:

  emerge -vp gentoo-sources
   [...]
  Calculating dependencies... done!
  [ebuild  NS    ] sys-kernel/gentoo-sources-4.1.18:4.1.18::gentoo
  [4.1.6:4.1.6::gentoo] USE="-build -experimental -kdbus -symlink" 575 KiB

Using `>=sys-kernel/gentoo-sources-4.1.6'
emerge wants to install 4.0.9:

   [ebuild  NS    ] sys-kernel/gentoo-sources-4.0.9:4.0.9::gentoo
   [...]

Using `>sys-kernel/gentoo-sources-4.1.6'
emerge want to install 4.0.9 as well

  [ebuild  NS    ] sys-kernel/gentoo-sources-4.0.9:4.0.9::gentoo [...]

So apparently none of the suggestions causes emerge to just stay with 4.1.6    

-------       -------       ---=---       -------       -------

However, after creating /etc/portage/profile and placing
package.provided with `sys-kernel/gentoo-sources-4.1.6' inside.
(NOTE:package.provided does not allow any <,>,= type signs)

root # emerge -vp gentoo-sources

  These are the packages that would be merged, in order:

  Calculating dependencies... done!

  Total: 0 packages, Size of downloads: 0 KiB

  WARNING: A requested package will not be merged because it is listed in
  package.provided:

  gentoo-sources pulled in by 'args'

This appears to do what I was after.  Should I expect any `gotchas'?