From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 4.0.0 (2022-12-14) on finch.gentoo.org X-Spam-Level: ** X-Spam-Status: No, score=2.0 required=5.0 tests=DATE_IN_PAST_12_24, DMARC_REJECT,INVALID_DATE,MAILING_LIST_MULTI autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=4.0.0 Received: from g254.lweb.net ([209.167.237.254] helo=mercury.phoenix-interactive.com) by cvs.gentoo.org with esmtp (Exim 3.30 #1) id 15MrSA-0001yp-00 for gentoo-dev@cvs.gentoo.org; Wed, 18 Jul 2001 07:33:26 -0600 Received: by murcury with Internet Mail Service (5.5.2650.21) id <3XV66RJK>; Wed, 18 Jul 2001 09:31:27 -0400 Message-ID: <1DCB85BD45DED211B12D009027279E4F4767C8@murcury> From: Sean Mitchell To: gentoo-dev@cvs.gentoo.org Subject: RE: [gentoo-dev] Suggestion: DONT_USE flags MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2650.21) Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Sender: gentoo-dev-admin@cvs.gentoo.org Errors-To: gentoo-dev-admin@cvs.gentoo.org X-BeenThere: gentoo-dev@cvs.gentoo.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.0 Precedence: bulk Reply-To: gentoo-dev@cvs.gentoo.org List-Help: List-Post: List-Subscribe: , List-Id: Gentoo Linux development list List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: Date: Wed Jul 18 07:34:02 2001 X-Original-Date: Wed, 18 Jul 2001 09:31:19 -0400 X-Archives-Salt: 340b9a03-955c-4a2f-a6c3-bb0a63cd8297 X-Archives-Hash: 77032589b99884b0223ce67ca4a3bbf7 Here's my 2 cents worth.... > Now, there exists a USE vorbis flag. I can depend on this in > deciding, in the > ebuild, whether to include vorbis support or not. > However, if USE vorbis isn't set but Vorbis is already > installed, should I > use it? To me, vorbis should only be used if the USE variable is set. I'd me annoyed if I installed vorbis to test something out and ended up with a package that decided to use it without a USE. > A worse situation: there is no smpeg USE flag. I have 4 options: > 1. Force usage of smpeg. > 2. Use smpeg if it's already installed. > 3. Never use smpeg. > 4. Create a USE smpeg flag. > > Option 4 I dismiss. If we create USE flags for every shared > library and util > which might possibly be used by another package, there will > be a hundred > falgs or more and a user won't be able to take time to > understand the meaning > of each and decide on setting it or not. Agree. > There seems no reason to do option 3. Option 2 might seem to > be a good > default, but what about option 1? Is there any good reason > not to use smpeg, > if it takes only 20 mins to d/l and install and adds > important functionality? This comes down to the ebuilder's decision. I am in favour of comments in the .ebuild file so that intermediate users can fine tune things like this. > If there is, we should create a DONT_USE smpeg flag :-) I don't like that. > This is why I think that instead of using cumbersome USE > flags, we should > very simply ask the user (interactively) what optional > dependencies he wants. > The USE flags would be used as default choices for a non-interactive > installation process. I think this is much more simple and > elegant than > making the user's choices for him! As soon as you presented the problem this is what I thought the solution should be. Of course, in order to be script-driven we should be able to specify these on the command line. This keeps the USE variable down to things that are system-wide choices (ALSA, MMX/3DNOW, etc) but still allows fine tuning of the end product. The only drawback that I see is that it will complicate the process of making ebuilds a bit. If emerge could support package specific USE variable (maybe WITH?) then it could not only accomodate the scenario you present but even allow a really eager ebuilder to create (for example) an ebuild for XFree86 that asks you for your mouse, keyboard, etc and sets XF86Config appropriately. Now perhaps Daniel, Achim, and everyone might not want something like this for Gentoo Linux proper, but if I were making a Gentoo based distibution targetted at a customer with multiple configurations (which I hope to one day do) it would become very attractive. At any rate I'd like to see something like... lucaya /root > emerge --interactive sys-lib/STLport.4.0.ebuild Use SGI IOstreams? [Y/n] ...or the alternate form... lucaya /root > emerge --with SGI_IO sys-lib/STLport.4.0.ebuild ...which could have the ebuild read something like... src_compile() { if [ "`with SGI_IO`" ] then CONFIGURE_OPTIONS="--enable-SGI_IOSTREAMS" fi try ./configure --prefix ${D}/usr ${CONFIGURE_OPTIONS} } Keep in mind that this 2 cents Canadian, so depending on the current exchange rate it's really only around 1.2 cents worth.... Cheers, Sean ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sean Mitchell Software Engineer smitchell@phoenix-interactive.com Phoenix Interactive Design Inc tel. 519-679-2913 x237 4th Floor, 137 Dundas St fax. 519 679 6773 London, ON, Canada N6A 1E9 ICQ# 104246806 ------------------------------------------------------------------------