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Funtoo Profiles
What is a profile?
In Gentoo and Funtoo Linux, profiles are used to define base system settings, and have historically had a lot of untapped potential. In Funtoo Linux, I wanted to take advantage of some of this potential to allow Funtoo Linux users to easily tailor their system for various types of roles. Enter the new Funtoo profile system.
What It Is
The main idea behind the Funtoo 1.0 Profile is to do away with the current monolithic "one size fits all" approach. Instead of setting one massive profile and then overriding whatever you don't want, the Funtoo 1.0 Profile uses a much finer-grained approach, using flavors, which define the general type of Linux system you are configuring, plus zero or more mix-ins, which enable support for various capabilities such as video, media, GNOME-specific or KDE-specific USE settings, etc.
What It Looks Like
Here's a what a list of profiles looks like:
root # eselect profile list Currently available arch profiles: [1] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/arch/x86-32bit [2] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/arch/x86-64bit Currently available build profiles: [3] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/build/stable [4] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/build/current [5] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/build/experimental Currently available flavor profiles: [6] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/flavor/minimal [7] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/flavor/core [8] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/flavor/desktop [9] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/flavor/workstation Currently available mix-ins profiles: [10] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/mix-ins/audio [11] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/mix-ins/console-extras [12] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/mix-ins/dvd [13] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/mix-ins/gnome [14] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/mix-ins/kde [15] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/mix-ins/media [16] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/mix-ins/print [17] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/mix-ins/python3-only [18] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/mix-ins/rhel5-compat [19] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/mix-ins/server-db [20] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/mix-ins/server-mail [21] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/mix-ins/server-web [22] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/mix-ins/X [23] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/mix-ins/xfce
As you can see, there are multiple types of profiles to choose from. Let's move on to how to start using it.
Switch to the Funtoo 1.0 Profile
Define the profile sub-sets you will use
So far in Funtoo we have used the exact same profiles as Gentoo thus Funtoo/2008.0 was strictly the same thing as Gentoo/2008.0 or the barely the same 10.0. This (monolithic) profile was set though a symbolic link named /etc/make.profile pointing on a complex directory architecture located somewhere under /usr/portage/profiles. This is no longer valid with the Funtoo 1.0 profiles as they are split in several smaller bricks which are then glued together via the /etc/portage/make.profile/parent file (You do not need to include everything, just use the "bricks" you need). Those bricks belongs to several categories:
1. MANDATORY -- An "arch" profile which defines settings for a particular architecture. You'll want to set this to whatever arch your system is and leave it alone. Setting it to a different arch than your system could severely break it.
2. MANDATORY -- A "build" profile which should match the tree you wish to use. Stable, Current (~arch), or Experimental (use it if you are brave enough and find current too stable).
3. MANDATORY -- A "flavor" profile (what was previously known as profiles is still known as such in Gentoo) which describes the kind of system you want.
- minimal - Be warned, minimal is exactly what it says, the minimal profile stuff you need for a usable system, nothing else. This is really for people who know what they're doing.
- core - This is the core profile. This is for stuff that affects both desktops and servers.
- desktop - Exactly what it says. If you're using a desktop, you should set this as your flavor.
- server - If you're running a server, you should set this as your flavor.
4. OPTIONAL -- One or more "mix-ins" profiles which describe optional add-ons. 'mix-ins' are the heart of the Funtoo 1.0 profiles. Unlike the monolithic profiles which sets a massive amount of use flags and options for you, we've split them into logical add-on profiles. For instance if you want support for gnome, you would add the gnome mix-in to your current profiles. That mix-in sets all the proper use flags and such for gnome. Same with others. Want dvd support? Add that one in. Using a rhel5 kernel which requires special versions of packages such as udev? There's a mix-in for that too. Run a mail server? web server? There's mix-ins for those also. Expect this category to grow in the future as new mix-ins are created.
The contents of /etc/portage/make.profile/parent for a basic setup might look like this:
gentoo:funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/arch/x86-64bit gentoo:funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/build/current gentoo:funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/flavor/core
A more rounded setup for a desktop might look like this:
gentoo:funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/arch/x86-64bit gentoo:funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/build/current gentoo:funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/flavor/desktop gentoo:funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/mix-ins/dvd gentoo:funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/mix-ins/media
Using eselect
The preferred method of adding and removing profiles is to use eselect profile. This ensures that profiles are added correctly and in the proper order. The order is very important for things to work right. For a list of options, run:
root # eselect profile help
As stated by the previous command output, let's see the list of what profiles currently defined the option list:
root # eselect profile list Currently available arch profiles: [1] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/arch/x86-64bit * Currently available build profiles: [2] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/build/stable [3] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/build/current * [4] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/build/experimental Currently available flavor profiles: [5] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/flavor/minimal [6] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/flavor/core [7] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/flavor/desktop * Currently available mix-ins profiles: [8] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/mix-ins/dvd [9] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/mix-ins/gnome [10] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/mix-ins/kde [11] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/mix-ins/media [12] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/mix-ins/rhel5-compat [13] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/mix-ins/server-db [14] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/mix-ins/server-mail [15] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/mix-ins/server-web [16] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/mix-ins/workstation [17] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/mix-ins/workstation-minimal
As in several other Funtoo utilities, a star on the right indicates an active item (your case may differ from the example above). To add, say, the mix-ins dvd, kde and media you have to enter:
root # eselect profile add 8 root # eselect profile add 10 root # eselect profile add 11
Or, in a one-shot:
root # eselect profile add 8 10 11
Verification:
root # eselect profile list Currently available arch profiles: [1] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/arch/x86-64bit * Currently available build profiles: [2] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/build/stable [3] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/build/current * [4] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/build/experimental Currently available flavor profiles: [5] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/flavor/minimal [6] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/flavor/core [7] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/flavor/desktop * Currently available mix-ins profiles: [8] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/mix-ins/dvd * [9] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/mix-ins/gnome [10] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/mix-ins/kde * [11] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/mix-ins/media * [12] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/mix-ins/rhel5-compat [13] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/mix-ins/server-db [14] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/mix-ins/server-mail [15] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/mix-ins/server-web [16] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/mix-ins/workstation [17] funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/mix-ins/workstation-minimal
You must use the numbers to reference the profiles bits you want.
No magic here, what you add is put by portage in the /etc/portage/make.profile/parent file. In the present case this file contains:
root # cat /etc/portage/make.profile/parent gentoo:funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/arch/x86-64bit gentoo:funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/build/current gentoo:funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/flavor/desktop gentoo:funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/mix-ins/dvd gentoo:funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/mix-ins/gnome gentoo:funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/mix-ins/kde gentoo:funtoo/1.0/linux-gnu/mix-ins/media
Finish Up
Removing the /etc/make.profile symlink is only necessary if the auto-upgrade script failed and you are manually switching profiles. Otherwise the /etc/make.profile symlink should already be removed.
Before updating with your new profiles, you'll need to remove the /etc/make.profile symlink if it exists. Otherwise, portage will continue using the old profile.
root # rm /etc/make.profile
Then update world using the new profiles.
root # emerge -vauDN world
Inspect the output of the prior command carefully. It is entirely possible that the use flags of several packages have changed. Many were removed in an effort to stay minimalistic.
For instance, libreoffice/openoffice will no longer have the cups use flag enabled by default.
Adjust your system-wide and application-specific use flags as necessary then re-run the prior command and update when satisfied.