qpkg outputs using a color scheme which on a black backgrounded Linux console tty looks like it uses white, blue, yellow, etc. This is extremely hard to read in a white-backgrounded Xterminal program, which has to compensate to prevent the white text from being white (although those I have still keep the yellow text yellow and near-invisible). Reproducible: Always Steps to Reproduce: 1. Run "qpkg -q some_gentoo_package" from a Linux text terminal (black background). 2. Run the same command from a X11 Xterminal such as X11's "xterm", KDE's Konsole, etc., with a white background. Note that the output is extremely hard to read. Text that was white on the black background often is converted to various other colors by the xterm to attempt to salvage some readability. Actual Results: It is possible to easily read the text qpkg outputs on the black backgrounded Linux text terminal display (a.k.a. vty##), but it is not possibile to easily do so with white backgrounded Xterminals. Expected Results: qpkg should use a more neutral color scheme in its output, or should come up with an alternative highlighting and/or output scheme. If possible, one might also want to try and detect the color environment one is in to compensate accordingly (although nothing's stopping anyone from changing the default color scheme for most terminals to something completely ludicrous). gentoolkit-0.1.18-r2 installed (w/ qpkg-0.1.18).
these colors are 'standard gentoo' colors ... if they dont work for you, you could just use the '-nc' cmdline option ... as for 'more neutral colors', you cant appease everyone ... just cause they look good on a white bg doesnt mean they'll look good on a black ... i dont want to sound like i'm saying 'too bad', but ive tried different color schemes and there really arent any that work on all different color backgrounds
I agree with you 100% that it is nearly impossible to create a color scheme that will satisfy any user. This becomes especially true as you increase the number of colors in an interface. I just mentioned "qpkg -q" since that tends to be among the ones that uses color to indicate the most detail (what is installed, what is not; dependancies (although when you have two versions of a library installed, every item is dependant on both versions?), etc.). The vast majority of other Gentoo commands do not need to explain the state of a system with color; indeed, the color is more of a nice afterthought. When running, say "emerge -up world", I know what I am expect the output to look like. I know what emerge is expected to do. Qpkg has the unique role of attempting to explain the current state of a Gentoo system to the end user, as well as possible other states. This kind of places it in a league of its own. Qpkg does have some secondary (non-color based) indications; I noticed, for example, an asterisk (*) is used to denote versions of the software I am searching for that I have installed. Perhaps (1) either more of those could be used or (2) more terminal-specific commands could be used (most terminals recognize a subset of VT100 commands; these include "cruder" options such as highlight(bold), underline, etc., which many terminals have their own way of representing even though most cannot switch screen modes, print double-wide characters, etc.).
------- Additional Comment #2 From Samuel Greenfeld 2003-02-23 16:44 EST ------- I agree with you 100% that it is nearly impossible to create a color scheme that will satisfy any user. This becomes especially true as you increase the number of colors in an interface. I just mentioned "qpkg -q" since that tends to be among the ones that uses color to indicate the most detail (what is installed, what is not; dependancies (although when you have two versions of a library installed, every item is dependant on both versions?), etc.). The vast majority of other Gentoo commands do not need to explain the state of a system with color; indeed, the color is more of a nice afterthought. When running, say "emerge -up world", I know what I am expect the output to look like. I know what emerge is expected to do. Qpkg has the unique role of attempting to explain the current state of a Gentoo system to the end user, as well as possible other states. This kind of places it in a league of its own. Qpkg does have some secondary (non-color based) indications; I noticed, for example, an asterisk (*) is used to denote versions of the software I am searching for that I have installed. Perhaps (1) either more of those could be used or (2) more terminal-specific commands could be used (most terminals recognize a subset of VT100 commands; these include "cruder" options such as highlight(bold), underline, etc., which many terminals have their own way of representing even though most cannot switch screen modes, print double-wide characters, etc.).
qpkg is deprecated; whishes for the replacement tools (not named yet) will be solicited shortly.
