[gentoo-user] Why gpm?

[gentoo-user] Why gpm?

[Jes__s Garc__a Crespo]

Hi! I don't understand why gpm was included in the Gentoo base system.
It was not in there before and I didn't find information about the
reasons. But I could tell you my case: I installed Gentoo in my
dedicated server in EEUU (I am from Spain) and I had to uninstall gpm
since I won't use it anymore. I think that, for example, dhcpcd would be
more logical to be included than gpm, don't you think so?

Sorry for my bad English.
And thanks all! :)

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Jesús García Crespo (aka Sevein)
http://www.sevein.com
correo@sevein.com

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Re: [gentoo-user] Why gpm?

[Edward Catmur]

On Sat, 2005-09-10 at 18:00 +0200, Jes__s Garc__a Crespo wrote:
> Hi! I don't understand why gpm was included in the Gentoo base system.
> It was not in there before and I didn't find information about the
> reasons. But I could tell you my case: I installed Gentoo in my
> dedicated server in EEUU (I am from Spain) and I had to uninstall gpm
> since I won't use it anymore. I think that, for example, dhcpcd would be
> more logical to be included than gpm, don't you think so?

I suppose the reason is that when setting up a system on the console, it
helps to be able to cut-and-paste text with the mouse. While dhcpcd is
useful for servers, it isn't needed during initial setup, whereas gpm
is, even if it isn't used after that.

Ed

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Re: [gentoo-user] Why gpm?

[Holly Bostick]

Jes__s Garc__a Crespo (aka Sevein) schreef:
> Hi! I don't understand why gpm was included in the Gentoo base 
> system. It was not in there before and I didn't find information 
> about the reasons. But I could tell you my case: I installed Gentoo 
> in my dedicated server in EEUU (I am from Spain) and I had to 
> uninstall gpm since I won't use it anymore. I think that, for 
> example, dhcpcd would be more logical to be included than gpm, don't
>  you think so?
> 

....why would I think so? gpm and dhcpcd don't have anything to do with
each other.

gpm
  Description: Console-based mouse driver

dhcpcd
  Description: A DHCP client only

Actually, I find having gpm available quite useful, because without it,
you can't very easily copy and paste in the console (I can manage this
with a mouse available to select the text; even in nano, I'm not so
successful with using the keyboard alone to edit/move text around. I
have many such failings).

I don't actually know that dhcpcd is *not* included in the base system,
but assuming that it isn't, I would assume that dhcp, which includes
the server as well as the client, would be much more 'generally' useful
than just the client, as far as 'less config' goes, since otherwise the
base install would have to be further targeted (use this tarball if you
have a DHCP server-- which many people don't even know what DHCP is in
the first place-- and use this one if you don't, etc.).

Holly
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Re: [gentoo-user] Why gpm?

[Neil Bothwick]

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On Sat, 10 Sep 2005 19:39:18 +0100, Edward Catmur wrote:

> I suppose the reason is that when setting up a system on the console, it
> helps to be able to cut-and-paste text with the mouse. While dhcpcd is
> useful for servers, it isn't needed during initial setup, whereas gpm
> is, even if it isn't used after that.

dhcpcd is the client program too, so it is useful for many people,
especially those with laptops. however, I was pleased when it was removed
from system, it is not essential for everyone, and the docs clearly
mention merging it for those that need it.

I would say gpm is even less essential, it is useful for some but
essential for nobody. Having said that, it doesn't appear to be in
system. It isn't installed on my server (which doesn't have a mouse) and
in the world file on my desktop, which means I installed it myself.

Why does the OP think it is part of the base system?


-- 
Neil Bothwick

Disc space -- the final frontier!

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Re: [gentoo-user] Why gpm?

[Frank Schafer]

On Sat, 2005-09-10 at 21:19 +0100, Neil Bothwick wrote:
> On Sat, 10 Sep 2005 19:39:18 +0100, Edward Catmur wrote:
> 
> > I suppose the reason is that when setting up a system on the console, it
> > helps to be able to cut-and-paste text with the mouse. While dhcpcd is
> > useful for servers, it isn't needed during initial setup, whereas gpm
> > is, even if it isn't used after that.
> 
> dhcpcd is the client program too, so it is useful for many people,
> especially those with laptops. however, I was pleased when it was removed
> from system, it is not essential for everyone, and the docs clearly
> mention merging it for those that need it.
> 
> I would say gpm is even less essential, it is useful for some but
> essential for nobody. Having said that, it doesn't appear to be in
> system. It isn't installed on my server (which doesn't have a mouse) and
> in the world file on my desktop, which means I installed it myself.
> 
> Why does the OP think it is part of the base system?
> 
> 
That's a very good question. Having a look at the default USE flags we
can see, that:

emboss 
Adds support for the European Molecular Biology Open Software Suite

is part of the base system too ;)

Well, I have "-emboss" amongst my USE flags in make.conf. I'm not a
biologist.


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Re: [gentoo-user] Why gpm?

[Neil Bothwick]

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On Sat, 10 Sep 2005 22:30:28 +0200, Frank Schafer wrote:

> > Why does the OP think it is part of the base system?

> That's a very good question. Having a look at the default USE flags we
> can see, that:
> 
> emboss 
> Adds support for the European Molecular Biology Open Software Suite
> 
> is part of the base system too ;)
> 
> Well, I have "-emboss" amongst my USE flags in make.conf. I'm not a
> biologist.

That's nothing to do with the base system, which is the list of packages
installed by "emerge system". It's just a default setting for a USE
flag, which sounds like it won't affect 99% of users anyway. 


-- 
Neil Bothwick

Top Oxymorons Number 15: Extinct Life

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Re: [gentoo-user] Why gpm?

[Jes__s Garc__a Crespo]

You have net-misc/dhcpcd,
a DHCP client only.

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Jes_s Garc_a Crespo (aka Sevein)
http://www.sevein.com
correo@sevein.com

GnuPG key ID: E2DB17E8 (pgp.escomposlinux.org)
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