Sean <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> posted [EMAIL PROTECTED],
excerpted below, on  Fri, 01 Dec 2006 06:26:05 -0500:

> Adam James wrote:
>>>
>>> !!! cairo needs the X and pdf flag set
>>> !!! If you need support, post the topmost build error, and the call
>>> stack if relevant.
>> 
>> You need to build x11-libs/cairo with the `X' and `pdf' use flags set.
>> Either set them globally in make.conf or run:
>> 
> 
> Thanks All, that is what I suspected. The X flag is already set, now the 
> pdf one is, I will try the upgrade again later today.
> 
> I am just curious how the package was already installed, and has 
> presumably upgraded before without the pdf flag set?

Presumably because the dependency on pdf is the basis of a new feature in
the upgrade.  It could also be that the dependency was missed previously,
and some expected functionality was missing or broken as well, but that
not everyone actually used that functionality, so it wasn't caught until
someone actually tried to use it, and did the appropriate bug report when
it failed.  A third possibility is that the functionality was formerly
provided a different way, but due to the dynamics of a living tree with
various packages upgrading over time, the dependencies changed. All three
scenarios are reasonably common, particularly with newer and still
maturing packages such as cairo, but even with older packages, over time
as what's actually in the tree that they can build upon and that is used
to build them (consider that some packages won't build with newer gccs,
and if they are obscure enough or not supported upstream, they may be
dropped rather than fixed) changes.

-- 
Duncan - List replies preferred.   No HTML msgs.
"Every nonfree program has a lord, a master --
and if you use the program, he is your master."  Richard Stallman

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