On Wed, 30 Jul 2014 14:07:30 +0000 (UTC), James wrote:

> YOU have chosen a somewhat minimalist path with your desktop, wisely
> avoiding "bloat_ware_city"

Personally, I prefer USE="-hyperbole" :)

> But, to avoid pain do keep some minimal 
> collection of flags. Python is CRITICAL on gentoo, so ask before 
> verging out on Python!

Bear in mind that USE flags control *optional* features and dependencies.
Setting USE="-python" will not prevent python being installed, nor will
it break portage, but it will "de-bloat" those packages that come with
optional python interfaces and bindings.

One USE flags that new users often select, mistakenly, is doc. Package
documentation such as man pages, info pages and readmes is installed by
default. The doc USE flag enables the building and installation of
developer and API documentation, and usually comes with a swathe of
dependencies. It should never be enabled globally.


-- 
Neil Bothwick

There is absolutely no substitute for a genuine lack of preparation.