During last week I was two times very unpleased finding inconsistent state of whatis database (so, I had to update it manually). Currently used way of handling whatis database with cron don't looks to be the best solution (daily check is a much overhead for a system, updated once a week, or two weeks). Manual update of whatis database on my slow PC takes up tp 20 seconds, dependency tree count uses more than 50. On my current PC whatis database was update in up to 7 seconds, dependency tree was counted in about 25. emerge after update usually (if update covered packages, containing info pages) reports about update of GNU info database: ... * Regenerating GNU info directory index... * Processed 125 info files. ... I find it very pretty, if whatis database will be handled in similiar way: on finiching of each emerge's process check about install/remove/update packages, containing manual pages, and at last, if so was (were) processed, run update whatis database. Also: foreground executing whatis database update shows user possible issues immediately, not waiting a time, when he try to use whatis search and find an unexpected results. P.S. I know about bug #111484, but disagree with its resolution. Cant't reopen it, so opening new one.
We could use a general-purpose hook as discussed in bug 244518.
