USE Flags applications dependencies..

[MasterC]

I appologize if this has been covered, I have tried a few searches with no luck.

I've installed a few major apps from source for various reasons. One of these are MySQL. In order to stop mysql from being compiled each time I emerge a package requiring it, I now have to have a USE flag of -mysql so it won't try to install it. However, I think that at the same time I'm screwing myself over with that USE flag and the applications are being compiled without mysql support.

Ok, so now onto the question:
How can I force the system to recognize applications that I don't emerge, but are installed from other means? And how can I point the system to the install directory the application lives in?

Thank you.

Cool

[pilla]

First question, emerge inject mysql
Second question, install apps in the default directories or maybe create soft links (not very helpfull, I guess )
_________________
"I'm just very selective about the reality I choose to accept." -- Calvin

[MasterC]

Thank you!

As for the second question...

I am not sure I meant that, that way. What I mean is things like MySQL can be installed basically anywhere, the MySQL docs suggest using /usr/local/mysql but when you install MySQL from the emerge packages it places the binaries in the system bin directory. So basically, I am wondering how I can make the applications that I emerge use the /usr/bin/mysql/bin directory as the directory for mysql binaries, etc.

The symlinks would work, thanks, but I was actually hoping for something like a system file in /etc that I could add:
$MYSQL_BIN=/usr/local/mysql/bin

Or something like that to. MySQL is just my example, but that is really the application I am concerned with at the moment. However, there are others that I would probably like to be able to do that with.

Thanks again.

Cool

[pilla]

Try to put mysql binaries in your PATH environment variable.

You can also try to modify ebuilds to pass the correct flags to configure the applications (a bit overkill)
_________________
"I'm just very selective about the reality I choose to accept." -- Calvin