Choosing the right USE flags

[rpil]

I wish to install Opera browser, so I gave a

[desultory]

The prefix - on each of the items in that list indicates that they are already excluded, even so, you can explicitly include and exclude them by suitably setting LINGUAS in /etc/make.conf.

[rpil]

Thanks, desultory, but if I want to exclude a flag (generally speaking), who can I do this?

[desultory]

For language flags, -${language} in LINGUAS in /etc/make.conf, for USE flags in general, -${flag} in USE in /etc/make.conf, where ${language} and ${flag} are respectively replaced by the undesirable language and USE flag.

[rpil]

No, I mean when I want to download a package and I don' t need some flags, how can I exclude them from emerging?
For example,

[aguettinger]

The flags are like switches, options that the package provides.

aflag behind the emerge package means the flag is on.
-aflag means the flag is off.

Looking at you opera line, the current flags that are set in you example are gnome and qt3. All the other flags and the LINGUAS are not set, thus the - in front of them. This means opera will be only built for the default language (english). That's probably what you wanted?

If you want additional language support, you can set them in the LINGUAS line in your /etc/make.conf.
This is globally and affects the whole system.
e.g.

LINGUAS="en de" will add support for english and german to the packages that support it.

For the other flags that don't deal with language support there are 2 possibilities:
1. You can add them either globally in your system effecting all the packages you build by adding them to the USE= line in your /etc/make.conf. You can do that by hand or using ufed (emerge ufed), which provides a simple GUI to do it.

2. or you can change the flags only for a specific package by adding a line to the /etc/portage/package.use file. The first time you might have to create a directory /etc/portage if it doesn't exist.

e.g. if you wanted to build opera without qt3 support:

nano -w /etc/portage/packages.use

add the line:

www-client/opera -qt3

Ctrl-O and exit.

or if you wanted openoffice with the nsplugin use flag set (by the fault it would be off) you would add the line

app-office/openoffice nsplugin

to the file /etc/portage/packages.use.
_________________
regards
- andy

[rpil]

Thank you very much! So, the only way to choose flags before emerging, is to go and add them to the relevant files.
No "emerge -something" option, from the terminal. OK.

[RedSquirrel]

[NeddySeagoon]

rpil,

You can put

[rpil]

Thank you all, my friends! I appreciate.

[d2_racing]

Remember that you can test a lot of stuff, but once you choose what use flags that you want, you can either choose to put them inside your make.conf or use the file /etc/portage/package.use too

[emilycarvar]

As per the topic can say that choosing the right USE flags, although very important, is also quite simple. USE flag is a representation of an option, a global setting for your final system it affect how many of the packages on your system will build.The description of each use flag should help you decide which to choose. If you are not sure leave it out; there are some default USE flags set for you already.

[d2_racing]

A lot of new users use the Desktop profile, because with that profile, you will be able to install almost any WM without major problem with use flags.