(P.S. I'm trying to keep from splitting this thread between -doc and -dev) Quoting Sven Vermeulen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:
> On Mon, Dec 08, 2003 at 10:47:16AM -0600, Joel Konkle-Parker wrote: > > I'd like to propose that we add per-package USE flag descriptions to > the > > package pages on http://packages.gentoo.org. I can't tell you how > many > > times I've sat and wondered what effect a particular flag has on a > > particular package, and the use.desc descriptions are much too brief > to > > give any kind of useful detail (and the use.local.desc descriptions > are > > just for local flags, not global ones). For example: > > > > "What effect does USE="xml2" have on xfree?" > > "Why does w3m need USE="imlib"? > > "Why should I keep USE="berkdb"? > > I wouldn't mind that packages.gentoo.org views the used USE flags at > all, but > describing what effect a USE-flag has is almost impossible. To know > this, you > must read the ebuild. Auto-generated information will probably be as > cryptic > as it would by just reading the ebuild and would therefore not provide > any > useful information. > > From reading the xfree ebuild, I can tell that xml2 activates support > for > Libxml2. If you want to parse this automatically, you would probably > have > something like "Adds HasLibxml2 YES to config/cf/host.def". Well, let's not generated it automatically, then. See below. > > I see the need to have some sort of USE listing on each package page > that > > gives human-readable descriptions that can be used to tell whether > someone > > would want a particular USE flag for a particular package. An > extended > > package description may by helpful as well. > > > > While yes, this would take a lot of grunt-work, I think the value to > Gentoo > > users would be immeasurable. I'd also be more than happy to help. > > grunt-work? I believe it is an endless job with the possibility that > wrong > information is provided (as the meanings of USE-flags can differ from > version > to version). I'd personally rather have no info than wrong info. > > Providing a list of used USE-flags is a good thing. Manually describing what > a USE-flag does on a package is imho impossible. I guess the obvious place for this information would be inside the ebuild itself. It could get be parsed out for the packages page. An example ebuild (gcc) would have: USE_DESC="java: compiles the gcj java compiler and associated support files; not needed if you're not using gcj" That would put a small additional load on ebuild creators, yes, but who knows their USE flags better than the ebuilders themselves? That short one-liner would be extremely helpful on my (the user's) end as well. I'd see that (either by looking at packages.gentoo.org, or in the ebuild, or with etcat, or similar) and say "Ok, I don't think I've ever going to use gcj, so I'll set USE="-java" without worrying about unintended consequences -- Joel Konkle-Parker Webmaster [Ballsome.com] Phone [662-518-1636] E-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailing list
