How can I install packages without inherited metapackages?

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Mandelbeer · Post by **Mandelbeer** » Fri Jun 16, 2023 9:36 pm

I am just building Gentoo (no-multilib profile; the only game I use is golly, which is 64bit) in a chroot on an external disk (since I'm not overwriting my current Artix install). I want to build my graphical environment in the chroot, so I can continue more comfortably (openbox-session with picom, caja, mate-terminal, a few extras that can probably be replaced by other stuff, dbus, gvfs and tint2, and their dependencies of course, but NOTHING ELSE, especially not mate-panel with its libsoup dependency and its bug whereby clicking on a fullscreen app leaves the panel visible in fullscreen). I know it's doable because I'm using this environment in Artix. Do I have to create custom ebuilds and delete the "inherit" lines? I don't want the whole MATE desktop, just a few packages.

Is there (at least unofficial) support for modifying individual packages? For instance, inkscape can be patched to run without libsoup (which was added in a single commit; a patch can be assembled by using git diff and applying the changes by hand, since the context has changed); I patched pango to not insert hyphens (they have no place in a file manager or text editor); mate-terminal (also xfce4-terminal, which is very similar) can be patched to insert backslashes before special characters like the Mac does (instead of quoting a dragged path, which is very annoying; except I prepend a space instead of appending it). Do I have to start with overlays from the beginning? For instance, /usr/local/portage? If the answer is yes, just tell me so and stop reading. There is documentation. I already figured out how to build mesa without llvm (portage told me: video_cards_intel -video_cards_radeon -video_cards_radeonsi -video_cards_nouveau). But it's an older version, though a current ebuild is available. In Artix I use "-D gallium-drivers=iris,swrast" (swrast is a depencendy of iris; without it iris won't load, but it doesn't need llvm).

What do I need rust for? Is it just for tests (in which case I'd use -test-rust). How important can tests be if building the test takes longer than debugging a build? I don't need rust in Artix. It's enormously bloated; I had to symlink /var/tmp/portage to /home/portage because there wasn't enough space in /var to build it (separate partition with almost 10GiB to spare; coming from Arch/Artix I'm using userpriv and usersandbox).

Can I replace /lib with a symlink to /lib64 when the install is finished? While we're at it - how about symlinking /bin and /sbin to /usr/bin, like everybody else does? (makepkg is more convenient with sudo, but I guess in Gentoo I can do all admin work as root and don't need sudo).

What does "Illegal activities" mean? Does that include libdvdcss and DVD playback?

I set USE -vesa, but it is pulled in despite --newuse. How do I lose it? I want to use the modesetting driver.

flexibeast · Post by **flexibeast** » Sat Jun 17, 2023 2:07 am

i'm not going to try to answer all of your (many!) questions, but to start with at least a couple of things:

* If you're installing anything that needs librsvg (which seems possible, given what you've said), Rust will have to be installed in order to build that.

* "Do I have to create custom ebuilds and delete the "inherit" lines? I don't want the whole MATE desktop, just a few packages." - i might be misunderstanding you, but "inherit" in ebuilds doesn't specify what packages get built, it specifies functionality that needs to be available for packages in certain categories to be built, full stop.

amair · Post by **amair** » Sat Jun 17, 2023 6:14 am

For individual patches, you can try to use https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki//etc/portage/patches.

If you don't want meta packages, don't use them. But then you have to install every single required ebuild by hand. If anything depends on the meta package, you can try https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki//etc/porta ... e.provided or build your own meta package overlay.

Post by **NeddySeagoon** » Sat Jun 17, 2023 7:10 am

Mandelbeer,

Welcome to Gentoo.

What amair said. If anything depends on a meta package, its probably broken and certainly worthy of further discussion here.
A meta package is a way to group lots of things that users usually want installed.
However, you can write your own meta, or write your own sets.

Several packages are written using Rust. You need at least rust-bin to build them. You need not build Rust itself.

Treat Gentoo as a toolkit that you use to design and install your very own Linux distro. That's whan it really is.
Gentoo is the portage package manager and the ::gentoo ebuild repository. Everything else is ${UPSTREAM}.

Gentoo has a number oy defaults to choose from that define a number of well trodden paths but they are not confining.
The further you go off the path, the more work you need to do.

I run a Gentoo install with a static /dev so I'm well off the mainline Gentoo.

Its your Gentoo your way.

logrusx · Post by **logrusx** » Sat Jun 17, 2023 10:56 am

Hello Mandelbeer,

Welcome to Gentoo and Gentoo forums!

Mandelbeer wrote:Do I have to create custom ebuilds and delete the "inherit" lines? I don't want the whole MATE desktop, just a few packages.

No. The inherit line inherits from eclasses, not ebuilds. That means certain functionality will be available for the ebuild to do its job.

Mandelbeer wrote:Is there (at least unofficial) support for modifying individual packages?

Yes. You've already been pointed to the page that explains how to apply user patches.

Mandelbeer wrote:Do I have to start with overlays from the beginning?

No. But you could do it if you like. But even ebuild phases can be amended, so it might not be necessary. Only if your curious or want to learn that stuff.

Mandelbeer wrote:For instance, /usr/local/portage?

The recommended location for portage overlays is /var/db/repos.

Mandelbeer wrote:What do I need rust for? Is it just for tests

No. Plenty of stuff requires it and tests are not enabled by default, so it's not that.

Mandelbeer wrote: (in which case I'd use -test-rust). How important can tests be if building the test takes longer than debugging a build? I don't need rust in Artix. It's enormously bloated; I had to symlink /var/tmp/portage to /home/portage because there wasn't enough space in /var to build it (separate partition with almost 10GiB to spare; coming from Arch/Artix I'm using userpriv and usersandbox).

Use rust-bin instead. For that to happen, emerge -1 rust first, to satisfy virtual/rust, because it depends on either rust or rust-bin and would pick rust by default, but if it finds it already installed, it'll use whatever is available.

Mandelbeer wrote:Can I replace /lib with a symlink to /lib64 when the install is finished? While we're at it - how about symlinking /bin and /sbin to /usr/bin, like everybody else does? (makepkg is more convenient with sudo, but I guess in Gentoo I can do all admin work as root and don't need sudo).

Short answer - no. Longer answer can be provided by more knowledgeable people than me.

Mandelbeer wrote:What does "Illegal activities" mean? Does that include libdvdcss and DVD playback?

That's defined by law and is up to you to obey it.

Mandelbeer wrote:I set USE -vesa, but it is pulled in despite --newuse. How do I lose it? I want to use the modesetting driver.

I'm not sure what you're talking about here. What is pulled in? Don't use --newuse. Use --changed-use. It's smarter and won't cause unnecessary rebuilds when an inactive use flag gets added or dropped or masked for that matter.

Maybe you need to take a look at this wiki page

Best Regards,
Georgi