On 21/04/2015 20:54, Alexander Kapshuk wrote:
> On Tue, Apr 21, 2015 at 8:42 AM, Alan McKinnon <alan.mckinnon@gmail.com

> <mailto:alan.mckinnon@gmail.com>> wrote:
>
>     On 21/04/2015 07:28, Alexander Kapshuk wrote:
>     > Is it normal for a stable virtual to require an unstable package?
>
>
>     No, that is definitely not how virtuals should work.
>
>     It's either a bug in virtual/jdk-1.7 ebuild or more likely, stable
>     request for icedtead-bin-7 is lagging behind.
>
>     I know the java team is badly understaffed, lots of mentions on -dev, so
>     maybe log a stable request but against icedtea-bin-7
>
>
>
>     >
>     > Running 'emerge -auND' generates the following output on my system:
>     >
>     > Calculating dependencies  .... ....... done!
>     > [ebuild  NS   ~] dev-java/icedtea-bin-7.2.5.3 [6.1.13.5] USE="X alsa
>     > cups nsplugin -cjk -doc -examples (-selinux) -source -webstart"
>     > [ebuild  NS    ] virtual/jdk-1.7.0 [1.6.0-r2]
>     > [ebuild  NS    ] virtual/jre-1.7.0 [1.6.0-r1]
>     > [ebuild     U ~] dev-java/icedtea-web-1.5.1-r1 [1.4.2] USE="icedtea7%*
>     > -tagsoup%"
>     >
>     > The following keyword changes are necessary to proceed:
>     >  (see "package.accept_keywords" in the portage(5) man page for
>     more details)
>     > # required by virtual/jdk-1.7.0::gentoo
>     > # required by virtual/jre-1.7.0::gentoo
>     > # required by sys-libs/db-4.8.30-r2::gentoo[java]
>     > # required by dev-libs/redland-1.0.16::gentoo[berkdb]
>     > # required by app-office/libreoffice-4.4.1.2::gentoo
>     > # required by @selected
>     > # required by @world (argument)
>     > =dev-java/icedtea-bin-7.2.5.3 ~x86
>     > # required by dev-java/icedtea-bin-7.2.5.3::gentoo[nsplugin]
>     > # required by virtual/jdk-1.7.0::gentoo
>     > # required by virtual/jre-1.7.0::gentoo
>     > # required by sys-libs/db-4.8.30-r2::gentoo[java]
>     > # required by dev-libs/redland-1.0.16::gentoo[berkdb]
>     > # required by app-office/libreoffice-4.4.1.2::gentoo
>     > # required by @selected
>     > # required by @world (argument)
>     > =dev-java/icedtea-web-1.5.1-r1 ~x86
>     >
>     > /usr/portage/virtual/jre/jre-1.7.0.ebuild:12
>     >         =virtual/jdk-1.7.0*
>     > /usr/portage/virtual/jdk/jdk-1.7.0.ebuild:12,13
>     >         =dev-java/icedtea-bin-7*
>     >         =dev-java/icedtea-7*
>     >
>     > Thanks.
>     >
>
>
>     --
>     Alan McKinnon

>     alan.mckinnon@gmail.com <mailto:alan.mckinnon@gmail.com>
>
>
>
> Understood. Thanks.

Turns out the virtual is working as designed - see Andreas's post above

I recall now a discussion on -dev about this ages ago, and a consensus
emerged then to keep things as they currently are (changing it requires
much effort and has all manner of effects on the tree). The actual rule is:

A virtual can (by definition) be stable as soon as one of its providers
is stable.

--
Alan McKinnon
alan.mckinnon@gmail.com