Re: [gentoo-dev] [RFC] Forced/automatic USE flag constraints (codename: ENFORCED_USE)

[Kent Fredric <kentnl@gentoo.org>]

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On Tue, 30 May 2017 09:56:07 +0100
Ciaran McCreesh <ciaran.mccreesh@googlemail.com> wrote:

> First problem: encoding "don't change this from its current setting
> unless you have a reason to do so" is an utter pain in SAT.

I get the impression that this is harder to solve in Gentoo than it has
to be, because my impression of portage config is that all sources of
configuration are equal.

Configuration
in /etc/portage/* , /etc/portage/profile/*, /usr/portage/profile/* are
taken like equals, and as far as I can tell, portage has no way of
knowing if a use flag is disabled by user choice, or if the flag being
disabled is simply the default.

I think having a clear way to disambiguate between the two would give
the resolver more freedom to adjust the settings that the user didn't
specify as preferences, and try harder to conform to the users
preferences.... 

Instead of the current approach, where you can either "Change nothing"
or "change anything". 

"Change nothing at first" -> "Change anything within this subset
second" -> "Recommend changes in config if you can't solve within that
constraint" 

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