Why i got app-alternaives packages installed?

Message

printf · Post by **printf** » Fri Dec 30, 2022 7:28 am

I just did a regular update, and I didn't select any of them.
Also, I don't have any special configuration on my system, where i need them.
These are installed:

Code: Select all

[ Results for search key : @alternatives ]
Searching...

*  app-alternatives/awk
      Latest version available: 4
      Latest version installed: 4
      Size of files: 0 KiB
      Homepage:      https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Project:Base/Alternatives
      Description:   /bin/awk and /usr/bin/awk symlinks
      License:       CC0-1.0

*  app-alternatives/bc
      Latest version available: 0
      Latest version installed: 0
      Size of files: 0 KiB
      Homepage:      https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Project:Base/Alternatives
      Description:   bc symlink
      License:       CC0-1.0

*  app-alternatives/bzip2
      Latest version available: 1
      Latest version installed: 1
      Size of files: 0 KiB
      Homepage:      https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Project:Base/Alternatives
      Description:   bzip2 symlink
      License:       CC0-1.0

*  app-alternatives/cpio
      Latest version available: 0
      Latest version installed: 0
      Size of files: 0 KiB
      Homepage:      https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Project:Base/Alternatives
      Description:   CPIO symlink
      License:       CC0-1.0

*  app-alternatives/gzip
      Latest version available: 0
      Latest version installed: 0
      Size of files: 0 KiB
      Homepage:      https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Project:Base/Alternatives
      Description:   gzip symlinks
      License:       CC0-1.0

*  app-alternatives/lex
      Latest version available: 0-r1
      Latest version installed: 0-r1
      Size of files: 0 KiB
      Homepage:      https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Project:Base/Alternatives
      Description:   lex symlinks
      License:       CC0-1.0

*  app-alternatives/sh
      Latest version available: 0
      Latest version installed: 0
      Size of files: 0 KiB
      Homepage:      https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Project:Base/Alternatives
      Description:   /bin/sh (POSIX shell) symlink
      License:       CC0-1.0

*  app-alternatives/tar
      Latest version available: 0
      Latest version installed: 0
      Size of files: 0 KiB
      Homepage:      https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Project:Base/Alternatives
      Description:   Tar symlink
      License:       CC0-1.0

*  app-alternatives/yacc
      Latest version available: 1-r2
      Latest version installed: 1-r2
      Size of files: 0 KiB
      Homepage:      https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Project:Base/Alternatives
      Description:   yacc symlinks
      License:       CC0-1.0

[ Applications found : 9 ]

make.conf:

Code: Select all

# These settings were set by the catalyst build script that automatically
# built this stage.
# Please consult /usr/share/portage/config/make.conf.example for a more
# detailed example.
CFLAGS="-march=native -O2 -pipe -fomit-frame-pointer"
MAKEOPTS="-j5"
CXXFLAGS="${CFLAGS}"
# WARNING: Changing your CHOST is not something that should be done lightly.
# Please consult http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/change-chost.xml before changing.
CHOST="x86_64-pc-linux-gnu"
# These are the USE and USE_EXPAND flags that were used for
# buidling in addition to what is provided by the profile.
USE="udev elogind -systemd -consolekit policykit dbus jpeg thunar X lm_sensors git alsa icu -gnome -qt4 -qt5 -kde -minimal -hal -truetype -webkit -pulseaudio vaapi vdpau -steamruntime glamor opencl"

CPU_FLAGS_X86="aes avx avx2 f16c fma3 mmx mmxext pclmul popcnt sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3"

PORTDIR="/usr/portage"
DISTDIR="${PORTDIR}/distfiles"
PKGDIR="${PORTDIR}/packages"

VIDEO_CARDS="intel i965 amdgpu radeonsi"

XFCE_PLUGINS="brightness clock trash"

GENTOO_MIRRORS="rsync://mirror.leaseweb.com/gentoo/"
#GENTOO_MIRRORS="http://mirrors.xservers.ro/gentoo/"

GRUB_PLATFORMS="efi-64"

PYTHON_TARGETS="python3_10"
PYTHON_SINGLE_TARGET="python3_10"

package.keywords
package.use

ian.au · Post by **ian.au** » Fri Dec 30, 2022 7:56 am

https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Project:Base/Alternatives
Says

Migration
Migration to app-alternatives/* providers of common system packages like awk, bzip2, gzip will occur for stable users shortly

Post by **fedeliallalinea** » Fri Dec 30, 2022 8:25 am

Did you read the news that portage was proposing?

Post by **asturm** » Fri Dec 30, 2022 8:45 am

emerge also regularly installs libraries, none of which you selected manually, as dependencies of the packages you choose to install.

printf · Post by **printf** » Fri Dec 30, 2022 10:09 am

fedeliallalinea wrote:Did you read the news that portage was proposing?

i have read it like 3 times, and still could not figure out why is it installing alternatives for me
i do not have any

Code: Select all

FEATURES=

set in my make.conf

Post by **asturm** » Fri Dec 30, 2022 10:16 am

Then read it again, properly.

Post by **fedeliallalinea** » Fri Dec 30, 2022 10:38 am

printf wrote:i have read it like 3 times, and still could not figure out why is it installing alternatives for me
i do not have any
Code: Select all
FEATURES=
set in my make.conf

If you haven't set anything particular in the FEATURES variable you just follow these steps:

Code: Select all

1. # emerge --deselect app-eselect/eselect-awk app-eselect/eselect-sh
2. # emerge --depclean app-eselect/eselect-awk app-eselect/eselect-sh
3. # emerge --sync
4. # emerge -a -uvDU @world (or other similar standard world upgrade command)
5. # emerge --ask --depclean

printf · Post by **printf** » Fri Dec 30, 2022 10:41 am

fedeliallalinea wrote:
printf wrote:i have read it like 3 times, and still could not figure out why is it installing alternatives for me
i do not have any
Code: Select all
FEATURES=
set in my make.conf
If you haven't set anything particular in the FEATURES variable you just follow these steps:
Code: Select all
1. # emerge --deselect app-eselect/eselect-awk app-eselect/eselect-sh
2. # emerge --depclean app-eselect/eselect-awk app-eselect/eselect-sh
3. # emerge --sync
4. # emerge -a -uvDU @world (or other similar standard world upgrade command)
5. # emerge --ask --depclean

should i do those for bzip2/lex/yacc too?

Post by **asturm** » Fri Dec 30, 2022 10:45 am

Only if you previously polluted your world file with them.

printf · Post by **printf** » Fri Dec 30, 2022 10:50 am

asturm wrote:Only if you previously polluted your world file with them.

ok. I didn't manually pollute them, but the latest update pulled in alternatives for it, that's why i asked

Post by **asturm** » Fri Dec 30, 2022 11:13 am

I refer you back to my first post in here:

asturm wrote:emerge also regularly installs libraries, none of which you selected manually, as dependencies of the packages you choose to install.

If you want to know why:

Code: Select all

$ equery d app-alternatives/bzip2
 * These packages depend on app-alternatives/bzip2:
app-arch/bzip2-1.0.8-r4 (app-alternatives/bzip2)

gcyoung · Post by **gcyoung** » Sun Jan 08, 2023 1:00 pm

I am posting here since I cannot find any other topic relating to my problem with symlinks and app-alternatives.
App-alternatives was installed on my system as part of a routine update and following the guidance given in
the news item.

sys-devel/binutils was also updated from verison 2.8 to 2.9. However, the symlinks to the binutil programs were not
updated. I am not therefore able to compile anything now as the compiler can't find the necessary paths.

I have tried to sort out the symlink changes needed, but they are complex, and I can't seem to work them out.
I am therefore concerned that I might make the situation worse, and would be grateful if someone could set out
in a simple list the settings required

***** LATER*******

I have scratched my head a bit, and managed to sort it out. But others take warning. The symlinks to binutils had been
partially amended, but not completely. I

Post by **Banana** » Sun Jan 08, 2023 3:24 pm

gcyoung wrote:I am posting here since I cannot find any other topic relating to my problem with symlinks and app-alternatives.
App-alternatives was installed on my system as part of a routine update and following the guidance given in
the news item.

sys-devel/binutils was also updated from verison 2.8 to 2.9. However, the symlinks to the binutil programs were not
updated. I am not therefore able to compile anything now as the compiler can't find the necessary paths.

I have tried to sort out the symlink changes needed, but they are complex, and I can't seem to work them out.
I am therefore concerned that I might make the situation worse, and would be grateful if someone could set out
in a simple list the settings required

***** LATER*******

I have scratched my head a bit, and managed to sort it out. But others take warning. The symlinks to binutils had been
partially amended, but not completely. I

This should not be the couse of the app-alternaives packages. Binutils can have multiple version installed. Therefor there is eselect binutils. Use eselect binutils list to see what versions are installed and eselect binutils set <number> to use the correct/new one. After that run a emerge -uDNav @world to make sure everything is up to date.

gcyoung · Post by **gcyoung** » Sun Jan 08, 2023 4:28 pm

Yes. I aplogise for that. I thought it might be related to app-alternatives, which I haven't got my head around yet, since
the later binutils was installed at the same time. It was after this update that I found merges were failing in their inability to
find "/usr/bin/as".This view was reinforced since the news item suggests that eselect is "unsuitable" for some cases.