[gentoo-user] Smart Database

[gentoo-user] Smart Database

[Jon Hardcastle]

Hi guys,

I want to update my gentoo install to use the latest trunk version of the smartmontools drive database.

Does anyone have any gentoo orientated guidance here? I have spoken to the chaps there and they say to run configure with '--enable-drivedb' and then copy over the the current SVN version of drivedb.h to DATADIR/smartmontools

But i wonder where this fits into the wonderful world of gentoo and package management/

Cheers.

-----------------------
N: Jon Hardcastle
E: Jon@eHardcastle.com
'Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own.'

***********
Please note, I am phasing out jd_hardcastle AT yahoo.com and replacing it with jon AT eHardcastle.com
***********

-----------------------

[gentoo-user] Re: Smart Database

[Harry Putnam]

Jon Hardcastle <jd_hardcastle@yahoo.com> writes:

> Hi guys,
>
> I want to update my gentoo install to use the latest trunk version
> of the smartmontools drive database.
>
> Does anyone have any gentoo orientated guidance here? I have spoken
> to the chaps there and they say to run configure with
> '--enable-drivedb' and then copy over the the current SVN version of
> drivedb.h to DATADIR/smartmontools
>
> But i wonder where this fits into the wonderful world of gentoo and
> package management/

First... is the svn version really different than the ~<ARCHITECTURE>
version on portage?.. that is version 5.39

You can get that version by putting an tilde followed by your machine
architecture (on the cmd line if you don't want to run as development
version always) otherwise in /etc/make.conf
   for x86 it would look like:

   ~x86

Then you can add you configure argument (--enable-drivedb) using the
EXTRA_ECONF flag.  Which will tell gentoo to use that flag at
`./configure' time.

So the emerge command line would be something like this:

ACCEPT_KEYWORDS='~x86' EXTRA_ECONF='--enable-drivedb' \
  emerge -v smartmontools

(all on one line would be best)

Now if you really need to introduce drivedb.h from svn repostory then
you will need to go the overlay route... I think.   Someone more
knowledgable will be able to correct me .. I'm sure.

That process involves installing your own separate portage in some
other directory (/usr/local/portage) and using ebuild commands to
build your own version.

You would need to install `layman' for starters

In that case you could introduce any commands or files you like, and
process them with `ebuild'.

The process is not all that hard, but I better leave an explanation of
how to do it to someone here who is more familiar with it.

I've done it but only rarely... and last time was a while ago.

Re: [gentoo-user] Re: Smart Database

[Jon Hardcastle]

--- On Tue, 19/1/10, Harry Putnam <reader@newsguy.com> wrote:

> From: Harry Putnam <reader@newsguy.com>
> Subject: [gentoo-user]  Re: Smart Database
> To: gentoo-user@lists.gentoo.org
> Date: Tuesday, 19 January, 2010, 15:10
> Jon Hardcastle <jd_hardcastle@yahoo.com>
> writes:
> 
> > Hi guys,
> >
> > I want to update my gentoo install to use the latest
> trunk version
> > of the smartmontools drive database.
> >
> > Does anyone have any gentoo orientated guidance here?
> I have spoken
> > to the chaps there and they say to run configure with
> > '--enable-drivedb' and then copy over the the current
> SVN version of
> > drivedb.h to DATADIR/smartmontools
> >
> > But i wonder where this fits into the wonderful world
> of gentoo and
> > package management/
> 
> First... is the svn version really different than the
> ~<ARCHITECTURE>
> version on portage?.. that is version 5.39
> 
> You can get that version by putting an tilde followed by
> your machine
> architecture (on the cmd line if you don't want to run as
> development
> version always) otherwise in /etc/make.conf
>    for x86 it would look like:
> 
>    ~x86
> 
> Then you can add you configure argument (--enable-drivedb)
> using the
> EXTRA_ECONF flag.  Which will tell gentoo to use that
> flag at
> `./configure' time.
> 
> So the emerge command line would be something like this:
> 
> ACCEPT_KEYWORDS='~x86' EXTRA_ECONF='--enable-drivedb' \
>   emerge -v smartmontools
> 
> (all on one line would be best)
> 
> Now if you really need to introduce drivedb.h from svn
> repostory then
> you will need to go the overlay route... I
> think.   Someone more
> knowledgable will be able to correct me .. I'm sure.
> 
> That process involves installing your own separate portage
> in some
> other directory (/usr/local/portage) and using ebuild
> commands to
> build your own version.
> 
> You would need to install `layman' for starters
> 
> In that case you could introduce any commands or files you
> like, and
> process them with `ebuild'.
> 
> The process is not all that hard, but I better leave an
> explanation of
> how to do it to someone here who is more familiar with it.
> 
> I've done it but only rarely... and last time was a while
> ago.
> 
> 
> 

Hi,

Thanks for your input! Wow that is alot more complicated that I had hoped! 

I am already using the masked version of Smartmontools but the 5.39 version does not include 1 of the HDD I use and as I have got a whole load more of that exact model of drive on the way I would like it to. I have emailed the smartmontools maintainers and they added the drive 5 days ago, and hence is in the svn version. Hence me wanting to get the latest  version of the drive DB.

[gentoo-user] Re: Smart Database

[Harry Putnam]

Jon Hardcastle <jd_hardcastle@yahoo.com> writes:

> Thanks for your input! Wow that is alot more complicated that I had
> hoped!
>
> I am already using the masked version of Smartmontools but the 5.39
> version does not include 1 of the HDD I use and as I have got a
> whole load more of that exact model of drive on the way I would like
> it to. I have emailed the smartmontools maintainers and they added
> the drive 5 days ago, and hence is in the svn version. Hence me
> wanting to get the latest version of the drive DB.

Well what I call hard may not be that hard to you... I'll admit to not
being the brightest bulb on the Xmas tree... but I was able to do it
without too much time lost.

I suggest you ask about a walk thru for doing an overlay and custom
build of smartmontools.

Maybe a direct subject line like 
  Subject: Pointers to the Basics of custom building a pkg (ebuild
  cmds)

Then lay out again what you want to do.

Someone will help shortly... There is probably a nice gentoo website
that explains it all that someone will no doubt send you too.

All I see offhand is the section of the hanbook here (for x86):
 http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/handbook-x86.xml?full=1

Under the heading:
# Working with Portage

But that isn't really enough.. and much of it isn't needed.

It really boils down to Setting up the overlay (your own portage).

Which needn't be any more than:

  mkdir -p /usr/local/portage/sys-apps

Then copy the contents of the needed  directory that is under
/usr/portage.
 
 cp -a /usr/portage/sys-apps/smartmontools /usr/local/portage/sys-apps

That is a hefty good start... from there it is only a handful of ebuild
commands that do the work, and knowing where to put the svn build
files.

You might as well use the full svn checkout and build from that rather
than just sticking in the one *.h file.

You will need to tell emerge where to look for your build and I think
you may need layman installed.. although not sure on that point.

If you install layman, it will create some of the needed hierarchy
too, then"

  echo "source /anex/usr/local/portage/layman/make.conf" >> /etc/make.conf

(of course, make sure to use:
  The  non-destructive `>>' redirect  intead of `>') 

There is more to it, but again its really a small amount of knowledge
needed to do what you are after.... now running a large custom overlay
may be anther story...

Of course another route is to build from the svn pkgs and ignore
emerge.  It should build ok... I'd think.  Then just keep the binaries
in /usr/local/bin and maybe later on, portage will catch up to the
stuff you need and at that point... emerge it.

There is no harm to the system in having a few home built pkgs long as
you don't get so many you forget what is what.

Of coures there is always some chance of confusion too when deviating from
the built in software installing tools.

Re: [gentoo-user] Re: Smart Database

[Stroller]

On 19 Jan 2010, at 16:44, Jon Hardcastle wrote:
> ... the HDD I use and as I have got a whole load more of that exact  
> model of drive on the way I would like it to.

You know that using a whole load of the same disk increases the  
likelihood of simultaneous failure, right?

I'm sure you do know this. Clearly you don't intend to use these  
drives in a RAID array... but in a RAID array (or an LV group?) one  
should shop for drives of *different* manufacturers, models or  
factories.

Stroller.