[gentoo-dev] Re: ${PORTDIR}/profiles/package.use

[Duncan <1i5t5.duncan@cox.net>]

Dave Nebinger posted <36596.127.0.0.1.1129861153.squirrel@cornholio>,
excerpted below,  on Thu, 20 Oct 2005 22:19:13 -0400:

>>> > i still dont see how this addresses the nocxx / USE=-*
>>>
>>> noFOO is used because "FOO" is on by default, and noFOO turns it off.
>>> AutoUSE is the same way, package bar is included in the buildplan and to
>>> have sane defaults, certain flags are turned on.
>>
>> that was a great explanation however irrelevant it may have been
>>
>> i guess we will have to make 'nocxx' a special case as we strip all other
>> 'no*' USE flags from portage
> 
> Sorry, guys, but isn't that what "-FOO" is supposed to be for?  If we
> already have support for "-FOO", why then do we need a "noFOO" also?
> 
> Or is there some distinction I'm missing here?

Also consider the case of media-libs/libsdl.  It uses novideo, noaudio,
and nojoystick, for the simple reason that for the vast majority of folks
who'd have reason to merge the package, turning OFF that functionality
makes entirely NO sense and having it OFF by default, if the USE flags
weren't enabled for some reason, would be entirely unintuitive.

Put another way...  It is said over and over again that USE flags cover
OPTIONAL functionality.  Few would consider video/audio/joystick support
in a library with a primary use of supporting games as optional.  Rather,
the "option" would be to /not/ have support compiled in, and that's
/exactly/ what the no* USE flags express in this case, just as it's
/exactly/ what the nocxx USE flag expresses.  Doing it any other way is,
as stated, counterintuitive to the way portage normally works, and the
defined use of USE flags.

-- 
Duncan - List replies preferred.   No HTML msgs.
"Every nonfree program has a lord, a master --
and if you use the program, he is your master."  Richard Stallman in
http://www.linuxdevcenter.com/pub/a/linux/2004/12/22/rms_interview.html


-- 
gentoo-dev@gentoo.org mailing list