[gentoo-user] Seeing USE flag descriptions for a package

[gentoo-user] Seeing USE flag descriptions for a package

[Stroller]

Hi there,

When I install a new package I run `emerge -pv foo` to look at the  
USEs it supports.  In the past I have looked these up just by  
grepping, e.g.:

   $ grep foo /usr/portage/profiles/use.*
   /usr/portage/profiles/use.desc:foomaticdb - Adds support for the  
foomatic printing driver database
   $

However I have recently learned to use `euse -i foo` instead. This is  
much more convienient than grepping because one can use the Bash  
history: up-arrow, ctrl-w to delete the last word & type in or paste  
the name of the next USE to check it. However this is clumsy when you  
have a package (like mplayer) with many USE flags.

What I would like to be able to do is:

   $ $magicusecommand category/package
   doc - Install HTML wxWidgets docs and wxpython API reference.
   examples - Install interactive demo module browser and sample  
applets.
   samba - Adds support for SAMBA (Windows File and Printer sharing)
   $

The command should print out the descriptions for ALL the USE flags  
supported by the category/package, but only for that category/package.  
Ideally it should show if they're currently enabled or not.

I can't be the only person to desire this feature - surely there must  
be a package or command do do this. I can't find this in `man portage`  
as an advanced version of `emerge -pv package`. Can anyone tell me  
what $magicusecommand is called, please?

Thanks in advance,

Stroller.

Re: [gentoo-user] Seeing USE flag descriptions for a package

[Justin]

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Stroller schrieb:
> Hi there,
> 
> When I install a new package I run `emerge -pv foo` to look at the USEs
> it supports.  In the past I have looked these up just by grepping, e.g.:
> 
>   $ grep foo /usr/portage/profiles/use.*
>   /usr/portage/profiles/use.desc:foomaticdb - Adds support for the
> foomatic printing driver database
>   $
> 
> However I have recently learned to use `euse -i foo` instead. This is
> much more convienient than grepping because one can use the Bash
> history: up-arrow, ctrl-w to delete the last word & type in or paste the
> name of the next USE to check it. However this is clumsy when you have a
> package (like mplayer) with many USE flags.
> 
> What I would like to be able to do is:
> 
>   $ $magicusecommand category/package
>   doc - Install HTML wxWidgets docs and wxpython API reference.
>   examples - Install interactive demo module browser and sample applets.
>   samba - Adds support for SAMBA (Windows File and Printer sharing)
>   $
> 
> The command should print out the descriptions for ALL the USE flags
> supported by the category/package, but only for that category/package.
> Ideally it should show if they're currently enabled or not.
> 
> I can't be the only person to desire this feature - surely there must be
> a package or command do do this. I can't find this in `man portage` as
> an advanced version of `emerge -pv package`. Can anyone tell me what
> $magicusecommand is called, please?
> 
> Thanks in advance,
> 
> Stroller.
> 
> 
use euse, quse or emeta.


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[gentoo-user] Re: Seeing USE flag descriptions for a package

[Nikos Chantziaras]

Stroller wrote:
> Hi there,
> 
> When I install a new package I run `emerge -pv foo` to look at the USEs 
> it supports.  In the past I have looked these up just by grepping, e.g.:
> 
>   $ grep foo /usr/portage/profiles/use.*
>   /usr/portage/profiles/use.desc:foomaticdb - Adds support for the 
> foomatic printing driver database
>   $
> 
> However I have recently learned to use `euse -i foo` instead. This is 
> much more convienient than grepping because one can use the Bash 
> history: up-arrow, ctrl-w to delete the last word & type in or paste the 
> name of the next USE to check it. However this is clumsy when you have a 
> package (like mplayer) with many USE flags.
> 
> What I would like to be able to do is:
> 
>   $ $magicusecommand category/package
>   doc - Install HTML wxWidgets docs and wxpython API reference.
>   examples - Install interactive demo module browser and sample applets.
>   samba - Adds support for SAMBA (Windows File and Printer sharing)
>   $
> 
> The command should print out the descriptions for ALL the USE flags 
> supported by the category/package, but only for that category/package. 
> Ideally it should show if they're currently enabled or not.
> 
> I can't be the only person to desire this feature - surely there must be 
> a package or command do do this. I can't find this in `man portage` as 
> an advanced version of `emerge -pv package`. Can anyone tell me what 
> $magicusecommand is called, please?

equery uses <package atom>

Re: [gentoo-user] Re: Seeing USE flag descriptions for a package

[Stroller]

On 26 May 2009, at 10:57, Nikos Chantziaras wrote:

> Stroller wrote:
>> Hi there,
>> When I install a new package I run `emerge -pv foo` to look at the  
>> USEs it supports.  In the past I have looked these up just by  
>> grepping, e.g.:
>>  $ grep foo /usr/portage/profiles/use.*
>>  /usr/portage/profiles/use.desc:foomaticdb - Adds support for the  
>> foomatic printing driver database
>>  $
>> However I have recently learned to use `euse -i foo` instead. This  
>> is much more convienient than grepping because one can use the Bash  
>> history: up-arrow, ctrl-w to delete the last word & type in or  
>> paste the name of the next USE to check it. However this is clumsy  
>> when you have a package (like mplayer) with many USE flags.
>> What I would like to be able to do is:
>>  $ $magicusecommand category/package
>>  doc - Install HTML wxWidgets docs and wxpython API reference.
>>  examples - Install interactive demo module browser and sample  
>> applets.
>>  samba - Adds support for SAMBA (Windows File and Printer sharing)
>>  $
>> The command should print out the descriptions for ALL the USE flags  
>> supported by the category/package, but only for that category/ 
>> package. Ideally it should show if they're currently enabled or not.
>> I can't be the only person to desire this feature - surely there  
>> must be a package or command do do this. I can't find this in `man  
>> portage` as an advanced version of `emerge -pv package`. Can anyone  
>> tell me what $magicusecommand is called, please?
>
> equery uses <package atom>

Many thanks!

I have been for sometime trying to be able to make something useful of  
Justin's advice. euse & quse are incorrect, but emeta looks like it  
will do the job; emteta is in the genscripts overlay, but layman has  
been frustrating me.

Your suggestion has solved the problem immediately.

Many thanks!

Stroller.