Advanced Emerge

Introduction

Warning! You can really screw up your system using advanced emerge if the wrong version or settings are used!

As with all things technical, there is a deeper level of control afforded by portage when it comes to installing packages.  Setting use flags, accepting keywords and specifying certain options during emerge allow the user to tailor and fine tune the system as well as override default installation behaviour.

The advanced emerge dialog can only emerge one package at a time.

The advanced emerge dialog is split into three basic sections: emerge options, package options and a button bar.  The package options section is further divided into four sub-sections: emerge/unmerge selector, version list selector, use flags and keyword acceptor.

Emerge Options

The emerge options control emerge's behaviour when managing packages. The features of this section are:

Only the options that make sense for installing a package are listed.  The options that display information which Porthole already supplies (e.g. --changelog) were omitted to save space on the menu and make the interface as simple as possible.

A good practice is to use pretend first if you are not sure of the results of your selected options.

Advanced emerge dialog image.
Figure 1. Advanced Emerge Dialog

Package Options

Note: Changing the version will change and reset the use flags and keyword to accept sections.

Command Selector

The command list is a drop-down selection list containing "emerge" or "unmerge" commands.

Version List

The version list is a drop-down select list containing all the different ebuilds for this package.

The versions are sorted in release order1 with the oldest first and the most recent last.  The default selection for the version selector is the oldest version.

The list also contains that versions' slot number, masking status, and a note if that version is currently installed or it is the version recommended by Portage.

Use Flags

Use flags customize what features are included with this package. In general, the more use flags selected, the more software will be installed. The use flags displayed are specific to the version selected in the version drop-down list.

TIP: if you're not sure what a use flag does, you can hover the mouse over it for an explanatory tool-tip.

The easy way to emerge a package with certain use flags, is to select the ones you want, de-select the ones you don't, and click "Emerge". However, if you do this the change will only be temporary, and the next time the package is updated the use flags will revert to their previous settings.

If you wish the use flag settings to persist, and want them to apply only to the current package, click "Update package.use". Beware! This is not thoroughly tested yet. So back up your package.use file (usually /etc/portage/package.use) first.

If you want your use flag changes to apply to all packages, then click on "Update make.conf". This button is hidden by default, due to your make.conf file being much more complex than the package.use and package.keywords files, and very import to the overall health of your system. so back up your make.conf file (/etc/make.conf) before letting Porthole do anything at all to it. Safer yet, edit the file by hand. If, however, you're a brave soul who likes living on the edge and knows how to fix things when they go wrong (you're running Gentoo - of course you are!), you can enable the button in Porthole's configuration dialog (Settings -> Configure Porthole). Good luck.

Keyword to Accept

If a version is marked as "unstable", it will need to be keyword unmasked. The quick way to do this is to select your CPU architecture in the "Keyword to Accept" frame which will appear. However, this will also emerge unstable versions of any dependencies installed with the package, and as soon as you try to update the packages, Portage will downgrade them to the stable versions.

The recommended way to emerge an unstable package is to select your CPU architecture as above and then click the button labelled "Update package.keywords". Beware! This is not thoroughly tested yet. So back up your package.keywords file (usually /etc/portage/package.keywords) first!

TIP: Use the pretend option to test your settings before committing to an installation.

Command Preview

Shows the command that will be sent to the terminal when you choose "Execute"

Buttons


Notes:
  1. We are somewhat at the mercy of the developers who seem to be able to create new and increasingly difficult numbering schemes faster than we can figure out how to sort them.