Re: [gentoo-user] perl-cleaner lerfovers

[Alan McKinnon <alan.mckinnon@gmail.com>]

On Mon, 02 Mar 2015 09:26:34 -0500
Tanstaafl <tanstaafl@libertytrek.org> wrote:

> > In this specific case, all except two files come from emul-linux 32
> > bit and they are all safe to delete (even the two except ones). But
> > do note I know this becuase I've been here before and figured it
> > out, not becuase of some magic portage flag.  
> 
> Thanks Alan...
> 
> So... how would one know, for sure, if and when these are safe to
> delete? Would that be only if I know for sure that I did not manually
> install these myself or put them there (which I haven't and most
> likely wouldn't, but would remember if I did)?


I don't have a recipe for this or even a rule of thumb. I usually know
what the files are for (or can Google it) and decide on each case
individually.

For perl-cleaner output, the perl version of the old install is in the
pathname, so I check if the corresponding file for the new perl version
is already installed, that tells me the old one is safe to delete. On a
64bit system, I know the 32bit files come from emul-linux, so I can
delete those too on the same basis.

For everything else from perl-cleaner, I have to figure out why I
changed the file myself and make sure the same change is present in the
new version.

It gets more complicated if you use cpan (stuff can get changed behind
the scenes). So the best approach is always to understand what the
various tools do and deal with it on that basis.

Alan