On Wed, 2 Jan 2008 13:40:11 -0800 (PST) BRM <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> I installed KDE yesterday via "emerge kde -vuD", and just remembered > today about "kde-meta", which installs a lot more. In running "emerge > kde-meta -vuD", I get 250 new packages, and 245 blocks, with 1 upgrade. > What is the _best_ path forward? Should I just stick with my current > build of kde? Or is there an easy way to remove all the blocks and then > push in kde-meta? Is it worth it? > > TIA, > > Ben > -- > [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailing list > There are two kind of kde installs, or three, if you ask me. You can install "kde". That will pull into your system the big packages just like they are released by the kde team. That means, several big monoliths, like kdebase, kdenetwork, kdegraphics and so on. You can install using split ebuilds as well. For example, instead of installing kdebase, you only need a couple of programs. So, you just install, let's say, konqueror and konsole, instead of kdebase. Of course, you can install all the pieces of kdebase using split ebuilds, and both installs would be equivalent. The downside is that you would need to install lots of small packages, instead of a big monolithic one. That way you save some space, but, what's more important for me, you save hours of compilation for things that you will never use. The other solution is to use meta-ebuilds. For example, you can install kdebase-meta, instead of kdebase. This is kind of an "hybrid" approach. When you emerge kdebase-meta, you end with the same that you would get by installing kdebase, but it will be done using split ebuilds. The good thing is that you will still get the modulatiry, without having to install all the split ebuilds by hand, because the meta-package pulls all of the components of kdebase but using split ebuilds as dependencies. So, you already know why you are getting that big list of packages to install: you are not going to get anything more if you install those packages, because they are a split version of the big kde packages you already installed. The blockers are simple to understand: you can't have kdebase and kdebase-meta installed at the same time. They are equivalent, it would be a nonsense anyway. So, all the components of a given meta- package, block the matching monolithic package. That way portage can prevent weird things like the one you were trying to do :) I hope it made sense, if not, ask for clarification. Regards. -- Jesús Guerrero <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> -- [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailing list
