Re: [gentoo-dev] Please consider removing use.stable.mask and package.use.stable.mask

[Tom Wijsman <TomWij@gentoo.org>]

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On Fri, 15 Nov 2013 23:26:57 +0100
Peter Stuge <peter@stuge.se> wrote:

> Tom Wijsman wrote:
> > > portage should say, with as similar wording as possible:
> > > 
> > > "If you want to emerge libXt with those USE flags then you'll also
> > > have to set those same USE flags for libYt and libZt because libXt
> > > DEPENDs on them."
> > > 
> > > Bonus points:
> > > 
> > > "Would you like me to set those USE flags for libYt and libZt for
> > > you? [Y/n]"
> > 
> > Which part of this warns the user that the user is about to run into
> > something broken / experimental? We need to add that too, because
> > it is not clear from the output that you suggest. And if we add
> > that as well, it gets to be quite long;
> 
> It gets one word longer:
> 
> "If you want to emerge libXt with those experimental USE flags then
> you'll also have to set those same USE flags for libYt and libZt
> because libXt DEPENDs on them."

By making it a single word its true meaning is hidden; broken or
experimental are just two possible meanings, there are others (eg.
security masks). I think we will want to be more explicit here.

> > how would we condense that?
> 
> If something is a bit complicated then a bit more verbosity can be
> really good.

Extra words and verbosity's relationship depends on which extra words
and what verbosity that one aims to achieve; so, it might be possible
to condense this without making a change in verbosity, or even add
verbosity by reaching more with less output (in processable list form):

    emerge: there are no ebuilds built with USE flags to satisfy
    "x11-proto/kbproto[abi_x86_32]".
    (dependency required by "x11-libs/libXt-1.1.4" [ebuild])
    (dependency required by "libXt" [argument])
    because of default/linux/amd64/13.0/package.use.stable.mask:1:

        # Ian Stakenvicius <axs@gentoo.org> (20 Sep 2013)
        # on behalf of gx86-multilib project <multilib@gentoo.org>
        # Mask abi_x86_32 on stable until emul-* packages are made
        # fully redundant and end-user experience in resolving
        # flag changes and blockages is generally smooth.
        # Please keep in sync with hardened/linux/amd64.
        x11-proto/kbproto abi_x86_32

    Unmask at your own risk or set x11-libs/libXt[-abi_x86_32].

This is similar to the package.mask output.

(Automatic config writing behavior would indeed be nice to have.)

-- 
With kind regards,

Tom Wijsman (TomWij)
Gentoo Developer

E-mail address  : TomWij@gentoo.org
GPG Public Key  : 6D34E57D
GPG Fingerprint : C165 AF18 AB4C 400B C3D2  ABF0 95B2 1FCD 6D34 E57D

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