Aw: Re: Re: [gentoo-user] Updating portage, continued

The handbook is great information, but unfortunately, it uses concepts - specific gentoo concepts - that many readers doesn't know.  They are then often cross-referenced to other pages, which likewise define things based on expected internal understanding of the mechanisms, goals, and potential scenarios.

I have "read" the handbook - multiple times.  But not really understood what it was saying - and I have decades of development experience.

Consider slots.  I'm sure I've read that slots are used to allow multiple ... versions? configurations? of the same package to be installed.  It was gradually dawning on me, that it's the developer who specifies the slot.   Now, I can't figure out what use case that benefits, but the ability to have slots react to realities at a particular installation see to me to make a lot of sense.  So, there must be something basic  that I don't understand.

I think cases like my simple case would help new comers and I'm hoping to make a blog describing it, once I fully understand the implications.

> Gesendet: Mittwoch, 05. Juni 2019 um 00:31 Uhr
> Von: "Neil Bothwick" <neil@××××××××××.uk>
> An: gentoo-user@l.g.o
> Betreff: Re:  Re: [gentoo-user] Updating portage, continued
>
> On Tue, 4 Jun 2019 21:56:14 +0200, n952162@×××.de wrote:
>
> > Apparently, rddtool got installed with harmless, default values, which,
> > however, are not sufficient for  monitorix.  So, now I can accept the
> > changes, and re-emerge rddtool - or probably, emerging monitorix will
> > arrange for that.
>
> It will, portage lnows that monitorix needs rrdtool with the extra USE
> flags and will take care of it, now you have given it permission.
>
> > Then,  if someday, I get a nasty message that there's a keyword
> > conflict, I'll have to sacrifice either the new package or monitorix ...
> >
> > In the meantime, I'll install this package and that, and some of them
> > may be dependent on rrdtool.  In that case, unless they explicitly
> > disallow that unmasked version, they'll use the same, possibly
> > experimental, version.  When the day comes that I have to back the
> > unmasked version of rrdtool out, then all other dependent packages will
> > get the standard, default version again.
>
> You aren't changing the version, this has nothing to do with keyword
> masking. You will get the same version of rrdtool, but with extra
> features compiled in - that's what USE flags do.
>
> > I'm catching on, bit by bit  ;-)
>
> It can take a while, but you would probably find it useful to read the
> rest of the Gentoo Handbook. Many people read it to install and boot
> their Gentoo system, but that is only the first part. The rest contains
> useful information on running and maintaining a Gentoo system.
>
>
> --
> Neil Bothwick
>
> A pessimist is an optimist who's given it some thought.
>