List Info

Thread: Reconstructing a Gentoo Installer Computer




Reconstructing a Gentoo Installer Computer
user name
2006-05-31 13:53:05
> On Wed, 31 May 2006 08:29:49 -0400, Timothy A. Holmes
wrote:
> 
> > Raymond - the dev-lang/php use flag is there to
pull in the PHP
stuff as
> > BASE requires it.
> 
> dev-lang/php is not a valid USE flag, php is.
> 
> If a program installed via portage requires php,
portage will install
it
> as a dependency of that program. USE flags only affect
optional
> dependencies, such as when a program can be built with
or without php
> support.
> 
> You really should read the USE flag documentation
before messing with
> them too much. Along with the flexibility it brings,
Gentoo gives you
a
> great deal of power to totally fsck your system by
fiddling with
things
> you don't understand.
> 
> One would have thought that after destroying five
systems in this way,
> you would have resorted to the documentation.
> 
> Check /usr/portage/profiles/use.*desc for descriptions
of all USE
flags
> and 'emerge --info' to see which are in effect on
your system.
> 
> Finally, don't change to many at once, and keep track
of what you have
> done. that way, if things do go wrong, you can retrace
your steps and
> find the cause (and solution).
> 
> 
> --
> Neil Bothwick
> 
> Jimmy Hoffa is buried here ------> X 
[Timothy A. Holmes] 

Neil and others:

Thanks for the input, you are correct, I accidentally put a
package
specification into the original post rather than the
appropriate use
flag -- my goof

The USE line that I want should look more like:

USE="php session cli gd pear apache2 mysql ssl png
jpeg gif"

This USE Specification comes from the WIKI article about the
installation of Snort and BASE found at:

h
ttp://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_Setup_BASE_with_Apache,_Snor
t,_and_PostgreS
QL

With two slight changes 


1. I use MySQL rather than postgreSQL
2. I am not using hardened sources or hardened php

I am rapidly getting the idea that either leaving the system
alone, or
just wiping it out and starting over is going to be
preferable to trying
to repair this one, since no one can seem to tell me if it
can be done.
My original thought was to simply change the use flags to
those that I
wanted, and emerge -e world, apparently, this is not
correct?

As far as portage documentation, I have not been able to
find a wiki
article or other document that indicates how to change from
a system
created by the installer disk to one that is personally
optimized.  If
there is such a document, I will be most happy to read it,
as it would
really simplify things.

I do understand that there is significant power in the USE
flags, and
after having destroyed 5 systems, I came to the group asking
for help to
avoid making a similar mistake again.  

The portage docs that I have seen so far (specifically those
in the
gentoo handbook), do not SEEM (that I have found) to cover
this type of
eventuality, but rather provide a general guide line for its
use.
Again, If I have missed the appropriate doc someplace,
please let me
know.  


To answer Raymonds question specifically, BASE is the web
interface and
reporting engine that I use for the SNORT IDS, and it is the
reason that
php and mysql and apache2 are in the list


I will freely admit that my understanding of portage and the
USE flags
is somewhat limited, and that is part of the reason that I
came to the
group for help rather than just blindly plunging ahead as I
did
previously. 

I have read the wiki document about the USE flags, and I
refer to that
chart routinely as I am trying to construct these
statements.

http://www.ge
ntoo.org/dyn/use-index.xml

This is the document that I have been using, if there is a
better one
available on the web, I am quite open to using it, if
someone can please
send me a link. 

Thank you all for your time and your help - -I greatly
appreciate it

TIM


Timothy A. Holmes
IT Manager / Network Admin / Web Master / Computer Teacher
 
Medina Christian Academy
A Higher Standard...
 
Jeremiah 33:3
Jeremiah 29:11
Esther 4:14



-- 
gentoo-usergentoo.org mailing list

Reconstructing a Gentoo Installer Computer
user name
2006-05-31 14:41:21
On Wed, 31 May 2006 09:53:05 -0400, Timothy A. Holmes wrote:

> I am rapidly getting the idea that either leaving the
system alone, or
> just wiping it out and starting over is going to be
preferable to trying
> to repair this one, since no one can seem to tell me if
it can be done.
> My original thought was to simply change the use flags
to those that I
> wanted, and emerge -e world, apparently, this is not
correct?

Re-emerging everything is unnecessary, especially if you are
only
changing a few flags.

emerge -uavDN world

will re-emerge everything affected by your changed flags,
and allow you
to see what it is going to do before it starts. If you have
any doubt as
to what an emerge will do, run it with --verbose and either
--pretend or
--ask first.

> As far as portage documentation, I have not been able
to find a wiki
> article or other document that indicates how to change
from a system
> created by the installer disk to one that is personally
optimized.

Therein lies one of the problems with the installer. The
manual
installation requires you to gain some understanding of how
Gentoo works
in order to build a system. That understanding is also
needed to
administer the system. By using the installer, you bypass
the initial
learning curve which, paradoxically, can make things more
difficult in
the long run.

I am going to suggest a course of action that I normally
find totally
pointless, re-install. If you build your system again
without the
installer, you will be able to configure it to suit your
needs from
scratch, and you will have a greater understanding of the
system, making
it easier to maintain.


-- 
Neil Bothwick

"Bother," said Pooh, as the Death Star exploded
around him.
Reconstructing a Gentoo Installer Computer
user name
2006-05-31 18:07:57
Timothy A. Holmes wrote:
> I have read the wiki document about the USE flags, and
I refer to that
> chart routinely as I am trying to construct these
statements.
> 
> http://www.ge
ntoo.org/dyn/use-index.xml
> 
> This is the document that I have been using, if there
is a better one
> available on the web, I am quite open to using it, if
someone can please
> send me a link.

Don't restrict yourself to wikis and web-based information.
 The best 
portage and emerge manuals are exactly that - the portage
and emerge 
manuals.

$ man 5 portage
$ man 1 emerge
$ man 5 make.conf

Once you've thoroughly read and understood all three of
those, come back 
here.
-- 
gentoo-usergentoo.org mailing list

[1-3]

about | contact  Other archives ( Real Estate discussion Medical topics )