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Is it safe to set -xattr for portage?
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qpl
n00b
n00b


Joined: 04 Feb 2018
Posts: 1

PostPosted: Sun Feb 04, 2018 6:12 am    Post subject: Is it safe to set -xattr for portage? Reply with quote

Hi,

I set gentoo up to work on windows subsystem for linux (WSL) and so far so good except for slow emerge speed.
The system is basically amd64 without multilib.

As tmpfs is currently simulated on hard drive (C:\), I am trying to move portage temp folder to ramdisk (set in windows as a separate drive). However, the installation raises error with message

Code:
install-xattr: listxattr() failed: Operation not supported


This issue seems due to incomplete support of extended attributes on ntfs/wsl. To test I set FEATURE="-xattr" and the installation works. Is it safe to globally set FEATURE="-xattr" or disable xattr use flag for portage?
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krinn
Watchman
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Joined: 02 May 2003
Posts: 7470

PostPosted: Sun Feb 04, 2018 1:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

your answer is useflags.
devs don't do a useflag in a package which you must have it, if it must use xattr, it won't have the xattr useflag, but xattr dependency.

so you can set -xattr and :
* if a package need xattr dep, it will install it and use it.
* if a package need it but as an option, but the option is force because of another package or whatever, portage will complain for that package with a package[xattr] kind of output.

as you see, it's safe, portage will warn you if someone do really need the useflag and you have set -xattr globally.
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mv
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Joined: 20 Apr 2005
Posts: 6747

PostPosted: Sun Feb 04, 2018 6:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The main reason for FEATURES=xattr was that certain files needed to be marked as exceptions for a pax kernel.
Now since pax/grsecurity is practically dead for normal users, this feature is probably not needed anymore.
I am not aware of any packages which really sets xattr values except for marking pax exceptions.
So the short answer to your question is very likely: Yes, it is safe to use FEATURES=-xattr. (Of course, I will not give a guarantee of any sort...)
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szatox
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Joined: 27 Aug 2013
Posts: 3104

PostPosted: Sun Feb 04, 2018 6:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

FEATURE=-xattr is a must-have on a filesystem that does not support xattr. Some packages fail to build otherwise.
It seems to be safe. My tests weren't very extensive, but I didn't encounter any issues with it.
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