Sorry that this is slightly OT, but maybe one should think about this point in this discussion:
> It seems like USE would be an unconventional location to store that > information and I'm not sure that it really belongs in the ebuild. USE=live could perfectly make sense, if it is equipped with the obvious meaning: I suggest that if it is set, then it is attempted before building to download the newest source from cvs/svn/git/monotone/bzr/..., otherwise only the previously downloaded source is recompiled. Currently, this functionality, which is extremely useful for systems without permanent internet connection, is only implemented inconsistently by using environment variables, differently for each vcs: cvs: CVS_OFFLINE or CVS_OFFLINE_package_name git: EGIT_OFFLINE or ESCM_OFFLINE svn: ESVN_OFFLINE or ESCM_OFFLINE ???: Perhaps not implemented at all? Then it would also make sense that @live-ebuilds consists only of those packages for which the live USE-flag is actually set (because the user does not want to treat them as "live").
