> On 6/16/09, Markos Chandras <hwoar...@gentoo.org> wrote:
> >> On 6/16/09, Markos Chandras <hwoar...@gentoo.org> wrote:
> >> >> Even allowing the "~amd64" unstable series, this remains true.
> >> >> Why is this so?
> >> >
> >> > Xorg? We have 2.6.2_pre . gcc? We have 4.4.0 . I dont know about perl
> >> > :)
> >>
> >> Xorg-2.6.2_pre? In some overlay, not main portage tree? (Don't care,
> >> but that's my guess.)
> >> gcc-4.4.0? Masked by both package.mask ("for testing") and ~arch.
> >
> > Of course. If you are an "advanced" user you can unmask them and use
> > them. The ebuild is there, exists but for SAFETY reasons is masked. This
> > is NOT ubuntu.
> > Our main goal is not bleeding edge packages but working/stable packages.
> > We dont want 20 bugs/package on bugzilla.
> > Why is this so hard to conceive?
>
> Sorry if I pushed you into defensive mode, that was not my intention,
> but the terseness of the message possibly turned bad the tone in my
> words. Pointing out the "state" of those two packages was meant to be
>
> a lead-in into just this observation:
> >> New users probably try to use emerge like aptitude or yum, and not
> >> specify any versions. Thus, they won't even see most of this bleeding
> >> edge stuff already available (just hidden behind these simple safety
> >> valves), and might make the conclusion that "Gentoo is lagging".
>
> So I didn't mean to say that, e.g., Gentoo (you, the devs) is is doing
> it wrong. What I'm trying to say is that "Gentoo is different and it
> easily bites the rear end of the new users". For example, IIRC the
> default emerge printouts don't give you any indication that there are
> actual later versions available (even just in the portage tree, let
> alone in overlays which might not even be added locally).
>
> Thus, especially new users are bound to be vulnerable into going into
> this OP's wondering-mode of "wtf, I thought Gentoo was supposed to be
> bleeding edge, yet now I have the equivalent of Debian stable". :)
>
> Maybe some kind of small indication or hint of "later versions'
> ebuilds present but using this older one" could be added to emerge's
> printouts? Or has that been tried and found out to be bad? "Patches
> welcome?"
Bugzilla [1] is out there and you can propose anything you like. There are
some open bugs about about feature requests on portage. All I am saying is that gentoo is definitely up2date as long as you know how to get the new packages. We dont always push bleeding edge packages on portage because we are testing them, and the actual testing place is usually overlays[2]. So if you really like to use brand new stuff the minute they come out, use overlays or wait until we push them on tree. Some users require stable packages some others require cutting edge packages even they are b0rked and unusable. Sadly we cant satisfy everybody. So portage is a safety place while overlays is the heaven of development and testing :). Choose whatever works for you [1]: http://bugs.gentoo.org [2]: http://www.gentoo.org/proj/en/overlays/userguide.xml -- Markos Chandras (hwoarang) Gentoo Linux Developer [KDE/Qt/Sunrise/Sound] Web: http://hwoarang.silverarrow.org
signature.asc
Description: This is a digitally signed message part.
