How to have interruptible builds?

battletroll · n00b Joined: 16 Apr 2007 Posts: 13 Location: Mexico

Hi. Sometimes I'm compiling a package (such as libreoffice or icedtea) which take several hours to compile, want or need to shutdown my computer.
Right now, miy only option is to pause the compilation with Ctrl+Z and then put the machine to hibernate to be able to resume it after rebooting.
If I'm testing a new kernel and either the grub parameters or Tux on Ice were badly configured, though, several hours of compilation time are lost.

I found a parameter for emerge that forces it not to delete the files should installation finish - either because of an error or because I stop it or cancel it.
It also leaves the files in place even if the build succeeds (OK, so I have to clean them manually in that case). The problem is that I can stop a compilation with Ctrl+C, restart as needed and then resume it with a simple "make", but I cannot notify emerge that somehow the compilation phase just ended and the rest of the steps of an installation can continue.

Is there a set of parameters for that?

And yes, I know about the binary ebuilds - it's just I prefer being able to tweak everything to my heart's content. Though I'd like to be able to compile in doses, so to speak. I already use "nice -n 15" when installing such packages so I can watch movies or surf or whatever and the machine's still responsive. It's just sometimes I wish I could put the compilation to completely "rest", so to speak.

John R. Graham · Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2012 3:32 pm Post subject:

You can restart the compile phase (or any other build phase) with the ebuild command. For instance, with libreoffice, I would use

Ant P. · Watchman Joined: 18 Apr 2009 Posts: 6920

Having a large ccache might help too.

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2012 3:49 pm Post subject:

Ant P.

ccache is a doubl edged sword. It speeds second and subsequent builds of the same code by delivering the results from a cache.
Its also the cause of many hard to find problems when it gets it wrong.
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

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those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

grumblebear · Apprentice Joined: 26 Feb 2008 Posts: 202

Try: FEATURES="keepwork" emerge --resume