en/handbook/hb-portage-branches.xml

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?>
<!DOCTYPE sections SYSTEM "/dtd/book.dtd">

<!-- The content of this document is licensed under the CC-BY-SA license -->
<!-- See http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0 -->

<!-- $Header: /var/cvsroot/gentoo/xml/htdocs/doc/en/handbook/hb-portage-branches.xml,v 1.9 2005/04/12 19:36:04 dertobi123 Exp $ -->

<sections>

<version>1.5</version>
<date>2005-04-25</date>

<section>
<title>Using One Branch</title>
<subsection>
<title>The Stable Branch</title>
<body>

<p>
The ACCEPT_KEYWORDS variable defines what software branch you use on your
system. It defaults to the stable software branch for your architecture, for
instance <c>x86</c>.
</p>

<p>
We recommend that you only use the stable branch. However, if you don't care
about stability this much and you want to help out Gentoo by submitting
bugreports to <uri>http://bugs.gentoo.org</uri>, read on.
</p>

</body>
</subsection>
<subsection>
<title>The Testing Branch</title>
<body>

<p>
If you want to use more recent software, you can consider using the testing
branch instead. To have Portage use the testing branch, add a ~ in front of your
architecture.
</p>

<p>
The testing branch is exactly what it says - <e>Testing</e>. If a package is in
testing, it means that the developers feel that it is functional but has not
been thoroughly tested. You could very well be the first to discover a bug in
the package in which case you could file a <uri
link="http://bugs.gentoo.org">bugreport</uri> to let the developers know about
it.
</p>

<p>
For example, to select the testing branch for the x86 architecture, edit
<path>/etc/make.conf</path> and set:
</p>

<pre caption="Setting the ACCEPT_KEYWORDS variable">
ACCEPT_KEYWORDS="~x86"
</pre>

<p>
If you update your system now, you will find out that <e>lots</e> of packages
will be updated. Mind you though: when you have updated your system to use the
testing branch there is usually no easy way back to the stable, official branch 
(except for using backups of course).
</p>

</body>
</subsection>
</section>
<section>
<title>Mixing Stable with Testing</title>
<subsection>
<title>The package.keywords file</title>
<body>

<p>
You can ask Portage to allow the testing branch for particular packages but use
the stable branch for the rest of the system. To achieve this, add the package
category and name you want to use the testing branch of in
<path>/etc/portage/package.keywords</path>. For instance, to use the testing
branch for <c>gnumeric</c>:
</p>

<pre caption="/etc/portage/package.keywords setting for gnumeric, full line">
app-office/gnumeric ~x86
</pre>

</body>
</subsection>
<subsection>
<title>Test Particular Versions</title>
<body>

<p>
If you want to use a specific software version from the testing branch but you
don't want Portage to use the testing branch for subsequent versions, you can
add in the version in the <path>package.keywords</path> file. In this case you
<e>must</e> use the = operator. You can also enter a version range 
using the &lt;=, &lt;, &gt; or &gt;= operators.
</p>

<p>
In any case, if you add version information, you <e>must</e> use an operator. If
you leave out version information, you <e>cannot</e> use an operator.
</p>

<p>
In the following example we ask Portage to accept gnumeric-1.2.13:
</p>

<pre caption="Enabling a particular gnumeric test version">
=app-office/gnumeric-1.2.13 ~x86
</pre>

</body>
</subsection>
</section>
<section>
<title>Using Masked Packages</title>
<subsection>
<title>The package.unmask file</title>
<body>

<p>
The Gentoo developers do <b>not</b> support the use of these files. Please
exercise due caution while doing so. Support requests related to
<c>package.unmask</c> and/or <c>package.mask</c> will not be answered. You have
been warned.
</p>

<p>
When a package has been masked by the Gentoo developers and you still want to
use it despite the reason mentioned in the <path>package.mask</path> file
(situated in <path>/usr/portage/profiles</path> by default), add the
<e>exact</e> same line in <path>/etc/portage/package.unmask</path>. 
</p>

<p>
For instance, if <c>=net-mail/hotwayd-0.8</c> is masked, you can unmask it by
adding the exact same line in the <path>package.unmask</path> file:
</p>

<pre caption="/etc/portage/package.unmask">
=net-mail/hotwayd-0.8
</pre>

</body>
</subsection>
<subsection>
<title>The package.mask file</title>
<body>

<p>
When you don't want Portage to take a certain package or a specific version of a
package into account you can mask it yourself by adding an appropriate line to
<path>/etc/portage/package.mask</path>.
</p>

<p>
For instance, if you don't want Portage to install newer kernel sources than
<c>gentoo-sources-2.6.8.1</c>, you add the following line to
<path>package.mask</path>:
</p>

<pre caption="/etc/portage/package.mask example">
&gt;sys-kernel/gentoo-sources-2.6.8.1
</pre>

</body>
</subsection>
</section>
</sections>
1	swift	1.1	<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?>
2			<!DOCTYPE sections SYSTEM "/dtd/book.dtd">
3
4			<!-- The content of this document is licensed under the CC-BY-SA license -->
5			<!-- See http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0 -->
6
7	neysx	1.10	<!-- $Header: /var/cvsroot/gentoo/xml/htdocs/doc/en/handbook/hb-portage-branches.xml,v 1.9 2005/04/12 19:36:04 dertobi123 Exp $ -->
8	swift	1.1
9			<sections>
10	swift	1.2
11	neysx	1.10	<version>1.5</version>
12			<date>2005-04-25</date>
13	swift	1.2
14	swift	1.1	<section>
15			<title>Using One Branch</title>
16			<subsection>
17			<title>The Stable Branch</title>
18			<body>
19
20			<p>
21			The ACCEPT_KEYWORDS variable defines what software branch you use on your
22			system. It defaults to the stable software branch for your architecture, for
23			instance <c>x86</c>.
24			</p>
25
26			<p>
27			We recommend that you only use the stable branch. However, if you don't care
28			about stability this much and you want to help out Gentoo by submitting
29			bugreports to <uri>http://bugs.gentoo.org</uri>, read on.
30			</p>
31
32			</body>
33			</subsection>
34			<subsection>
35			<title>The Testing Branch</title>
36			<body>
37
38			<p>
39	neysx	1.10	If you want to use more recent software, you can consider using the testing
40	swift	1.1	branch instead. To have Portage use the testing branch, add a ~ in front of your
41			architecture.
42			</p>
43
44			<p>
45	neysx	1.10	The testing branch is exactly what it says - <e>Testing</e>. If a package is in
46			testing, it means that the developers feel that it is functional but has not
47			been thoroughly tested. You could very well be the first to discover a bug in
48			the package in which case you could file a <uri
49			link="http://bugs.gentoo.org">bugreport</uri> to let the developers know about
50			it.
51			</p>
52
53			<p>
54			For example, to select the testing branch for the x86 architecture, edit
55	swift	1.1	<path>/etc/make.conf</path> and set:
56			</p>
57
58			<pre caption="Setting the ACCEPT_KEYWORDS variable">
59			ACCEPT_KEYWORDS="~x86"
60			</pre>
61
62			<p>
63			If you update your system now, you will find out that <e>lots</e> of packages
64			will be updated. Mind you though: when you have updated your system to use the
65			testing branch there is usually no easy way back to the stable, official branch
66			(except for using backups of course).
67			</p>
68
69			</body>
70			</subsection>
71			</section>
72			<section>
73			<title>Mixing Stable with Testing</title>
74			<subsection>
75			<title>The package.keywords file</title>
76			<body>
77
78			<p>
79			You can ask Portage to allow the testing branch for particular packages but use
80			the stable branch for the rest of the system. To achieve this, add the package
81			category and name you want to use the testing branch of in
82			<path>/etc/portage/package.keywords</path>. For instance, to use the testing
83			branch for <c>gnumeric</c>:
84			</p>
85
86			<pre caption="/etc/portage/package.keywords setting for gnumeric, full line">
87			app-office/gnumeric ~x86
88			</pre>
89
90			</body>
91			</subsection>
92			<subsection>
93			<title>Test Particular Versions</title>
94			<body>
95
96			<p>
97			If you want to use a specific software version from the testing branch but you
98			don't want Portage to use the testing branch for subsequent versions, you can
99			add in the version in the <path>package.keywords</path> file. In this case you
100			<e>must</e> use the = operator. You can also enter a version range
101			using the <=, <, > or >= operators.
102			</p>
103
104			<p>
105			In any case, if you add version information, you <e>must</e> use an operator. If
106			you leave out version information, you <e>cannot</e> use an operator.
107			</p>
108
109			<p>
110			In the following example we ask Portage to accept gnumeric-1.2.13:
111			</p>
112
113	vapier	1.8	<pre caption="Enabling a particular gnumeric test version">
114	vapier	1.6	=app-office/gnumeric-1.2.13 ~x86
115	swift	1.1	</pre>
116
117			</body>
118			</subsection>
119			</section>
120			<section>
121			<title>Using Masked Packages</title>
122			<subsection>
123			<title>The package.unmask file</title>
124			<body>
125
126			<p>
127	neysx	1.10	The Gentoo developers do <b>not</b> support the use of these files. Please
128			exercise due caution while doing so. Support requests related to
129			<c>package.unmask</c> and/or <c>package.mask</c> will not be answered. You have
130			been warned.
131			</p>
132
133			<p>
134	swift	1.1	When a package has been masked by the Gentoo developers and you still want to
135			use it despite the reason mentioned in the <path>package.mask</path> file
136			(situated in <path>/usr/portage/profiles</path> by default), add the
137			<e>exact</e> same line in <path>/etc/portage/package.unmask</path>.
138			</p>
139
140			<p>
141			For instance, if <c>=net-mail/hotwayd-0.8</c> is masked, you can unmask it by
142			adding the exact same line in the <path>package.unmask</path> file:
143			</p>
144
145			<pre caption="/etc/portage/package.unmask">
146			=net-mail/hotwayd-0.8
147			</pre>
148
149			</body>
150			</subsection>
151			<subsection>
152			<title>The package.mask file</title>
153			<body>
154
155			<p>
156			When you don't want Portage to take a certain package or a specific version of a
157			package into account you can mask it yourself by adding an appropriate line to
158			<path>/etc/portage/package.mask</path>.
159			</p>
160
161			<p>
162			For instance, if you don't want Portage to install newer kernel sources than
163	dertobi123	1.9	<c>gentoo-sources-2.6.8.1</c>, you add the following line to
164	swift	1.1	<path>package.mask</path>:
165			</p>
166
167			<pre caption="/etc/portage/package.mask example">
168	dertobi123	1.9	>sys-kernel/gentoo-sources-2.6.8.1
169	swift	1.1	</pre>
170
171			</body>
172			</subsection>
173			</section>
174			</sections>