Welcome to Portage

+Licenses + + + +

+Beginning with Portage version 2.1.7, you can accept or reject software +installation based on its license. All packages in the tree contain a +LICENSE entry in their ebuilds. Running emerge --search +packagename will tell you the package's license. +

+ +

+By default, Portage permits all licenses, except End User License Agreem= ents +(EULAs) that require reading and signing an acceptance agreement. +

+ +

+The variable that controls permitted licenses is ACCEPT_LICENSE, = which +can be set in /etc/make.conf: +

+ +

+ACCEPT_LICENSE=3D"* -@EULA"
+

+ +

+With this configuration, packages that require interaction during instal= lation +to approve their EULA will not be installed. Packages without an = EULA +will be installed. +

+ +

+You can set ACCEPT_LICENSE globally in /etc/make.conf, or +you can specify it on a per-package basis in +/etc/portage/package.license. +

+ +

+For example, if you want to allow the truecrypt-2.7 license for +app-crypt/truecrypt, add the following to +/etc/portage/package.license: +

+ +

+app-crypt/truecrypt truecrypt-2.7
+

+ +

+This permits installation of truecrypt versions that have the +truecrypt-2.7 license, but not versions with the truecrypt-2.8= +license. +

+ + +Licenses are stored in /usr/portage/licenses, and license g= roups +are kept in /usr/portage/license_groups. The first entry of= each +line in CAPITAL letters is the name of the license group, and every entr= y after +that is an individual license. + + +

+License groups defined in ACCEPT_LICENSE are prefixed with an = @ +sign. Here's an example of a system that globally permits the GPL-compat= ible +license group, as well as a few other groups and individual licenses: +

+ +

+ACCEPT_LICENSE=3D"@GPL-COMPATIBLE @OSI-APPROVED @EULA atheros-hal Bitstr=
eamVera"
+

+ +

+If you want only free software and documentation on your system, you mig= ht use +the following setup: +

+ +

+ACCEPT_LICENSE=3D"-* @FREE"
+

+ +

+In this case, "free" is mostly defined by the FSF and OSI. Any package whose= license +does not meet these requirements will not be installed on your system. +

+ + + +

When Portage is Complaining... @@ -491,6 +581,7 @@ - dev-util/cvsd-1.0.2 (masked by: missing keyword) - games-fps/unreal-tournament-451 (masked by: package.mask) - sys-libs/glibc-2.3.2-r11 (masked by: profile) +- net-im/skype-2.1.0.81 (masked by: skype-eula license(s)) =20

@@ -525,6 +616,13 @@ profile. The application might break your system if you installed it= or is just not compatible with the profile you use. +

+ license means that the package's license is not compatible wi= th your + ACCEPT_LICENSE setting. You must explicitly permit its licens= e or + license group by setting it in /etc/make.conf or in + /etc/portage/package.license. Refer to Licenses to learn how licenses work. +

=20