emerge --search - returning packages with identical names

[Zelt]

emerge --search ffmpeg

[krinn]

One is the ffmpeg program, and the other is the ffmpeg virtual.

So assuming you do without having any of them install an emerge ffmpeg, portage will pickup the virtual/ffmpeg package and install it, and with the virtual comes the program that is per default pickup for the virtual, for ffmpeg virtual i think the default choice would be libav.

You can drive more your portage to pick the right choice you want by giving it the category of the package.
emerge media-video/ffmpeg
So portage will this time emerge the ffmpeg program and will then also provide the ffmpeg/virtual attach to it.

It is a bit blur because the virtual share the name of ffmpeg program, but virtual is to provide a way to use multi-packages that are doing the same.
Like if you have a "gold spoon" and "silver spoon", you can use one or the other, you will endup with a spoon, so to allow this, you create a virtual "spoon" and "silver spoon" and "gold spoon" are mark as "spoon" provider.
Whatever the user wish to use (gold or silver spoon), as long as one spoon is there, no complain.

[Zelt]

Ok thanks, Providing category seems best.
_________________
k.

[NeddySeagoon]

Zelt,

virtuals are used where there is an interchangable choice of packages providing the same functionality.
They provide a default choice.

Packages that require one of the interchangable choices depend on the virtual. If you have something installed that provides the virtual, thats OK, if not you get the default and the virtual.
The virtuals don't actually install any code themselves.

If you don't like the default choice you can either mask it, or explicitly install another package to satisfy the virtual.
The mask is preferred, as it avoids world file pollution.

You may not have more that one package that satisfies the same virtual installed at the same time - they all do the same thing and may even install the same files.

In the case of virtual/ffmpeg/ffmpeg-0.10.3 we have