Re: [gentoo-amd64] recommended USE flags

[Peter Humphrey <prh@gotadsl.co.uk>]

On Friday 11 August 2006 23:01, Hemmann, Volker Armin wrote:

> install ufed
>
> as root:
> ufed
>
> then go down the list, read the descripition, think about it, decide,
> next flag, read descriptition, think about it, decide ...

I remember reading of a proposed overhaul of the USE flag documentation; has 
anything come of that? At the moment, many flags are described as "adds 
support for foo", but that is woefully inadequate. In some cases it means 
the inclusion of some extra code in packages to handle the data specified 
by the USE flag, whereas in others it implies a wholesale inclusion of 
reams of packages. Examples: 

-- 
~ # grep wmf /usr/portage/profiles/use.desc
wmf - Adds support for the wmf vector image format
~ # grep X /usr/portage/profiles/use.desc
X - Adds support for X11
-- 

In the wmf case, only a small amount of code is affected, but in the X case 
you get the entire X Window System!

Besides, the "adds support for foo" construction reminds me of BASIC 
programs we used to see 25 years ago, in which the programmer had included 
such gems as:

LET X=0;	REM set X to 0

What's needed is a brief explanation of what including foo implies, and I 
thought a plan was in place to do that. I'd be happy to help out with such 
an effort.

-- 
Rgds
Peter
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