Re: [gentoo-user] USE flags

["Boyd Stephen Smith Jr." <bss03@volumehost.net>]

On Thursday 09 March 2006 10:29, "Daniel da Veiga" 
<danieldaveiga@gmail.com> wrote about 'Re: [gentoo-user] USE flags':
> On 3/9/06, Goran Maksimoviæ <goran.maksimovic@ri.htnet.hr> wrote:
> > I saw that there was a discussion about USE flags and I would seek
> > your advice on that matter.
>
> Well, when I installed Gentoo 2006.0, I used the GRP and Dynamic Stage
> 3, so, couldn't set my USE flags.

Well, you could, but then portage would have decided to not use (some of) 
the available binary packages (since they had different USE settings).

> I don't set USE at make.conf. After the GRP install, I sync'ed, then
> issued a "emerge -uDNpv world" and started "emerge -pv"ing each
> package in the list, checking USEs and writting them to package.use.
> After that, each and every package installed follows the same path.
> This way you don't loose control over your flags and avoid useless
> stuff (like compiling a lot of programs with KDE support when you only
> need kde-base because of K3B).

That's roughly the way I do it.  Although, initially I started with 
stage1...  In any case, I just do regular 'emerge -avtuND world's and make 
sure and read the USE flags there.  Paying /particular/ attention to 
yellow (new) or stared (changed) use flags.  Also, after any change 
to /etc/portage/package.use or the USE variable in make.conf, I do a 
emerge -avtuND world.

Occasionally, I'll notice some feature I want is missing, them I emerge -pv 
or equery u the package to check use flags to tweak.  If the use flag 
doesn't jump out at me, I might continue with a grep against use.desc and 
use.local or a emerge -pve package (in case the functionality is actually 
missing from a dependency).

I used to be fairly religious about putting global use flags in make.conf 
and package-specific use flags in package.use -- I no longer do this since 
the gentoo developers are nice enough to rarely overlap local use flags, 
so I can just stick everything into a gargantuan USE variable in 
make.conf.  It's easier that way since I manage my use flags with euse.

-- 
"If there's one thing we've established over the years,
it's that the vast majority of our users don't have the slightest
clue what's best for them in terms of package stability."
-- Gentoo Developer Ciaran McCreesh

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