Please make the wording for blockers in the ebuild display more explicit. Currently, as per the example in the man page, we see something like: [blocks B ] app-text/dos2unix (from pkg app-text/hd2u-0.8.0) 'From' is a preposition and really doesn't say much here. In fact, it looks as if the source of the blocking ("from") is app-text/hd2u-0.8.0, which it isn't. Simply changing 'from' to the verb 'blocks' makes the diagnostic much more explicit, e.g., [blocks B ] app-text/dos2unix (blocks pkg app-text/hd2u-0.8.0) It's a simple change, but it would save me a few moments every time I have to stop and figure out which way this relationship goes.
I believe you're understanding it backwards. It just so happens that on most package the blockers go two ways, but is not necessarily true. dos2unix was blocked by hd2u. Thus... From hd2u, dos2unix is blocked.
... which makes my point. I'm a professional system administrator, not born yesterday as far as Linux is concerned. Nonetheless, it costs me a bit of time and hassle to figure this wording out from time to time. to "block" is an active verb. It would be much cleaner to use an active verb to describe the state - "a blocks b". Yes, blocking can go two ways, but any particular output line from emerge only indicates one of these, as per the docs.
Nicholas, no, you have it backwards ;-) According to the man page: "[blocks B ] app-text/dos2unix (from pkg app-text/hd2u-0.8.0) Dos2unix is Blocking hd2u from being emerged." So a better way to express this would be: "[blocks B ] app-text/dos2unix (blocks pkg app-text/hd2u-0.8.0) Dos2unix is Blocking hd2u from being emerged." This would be consistent with the man page documentation, assuming it's correct. This is _exactly_ my point in filing this bug. We're both intelligent computer professionals and yet the wording of this message is confusing enough so that we disagree on its meaning and have to refer to the man page. As I noted above, a block can go both ways, but any particular output line from emerge of this nature only indicates one of these ways.
$ emerge -p linux-headers | grep blocks [blocks B ] sys-kernel/linux26-headers (is blocking sys-kernel/linux-headers-2.4.22)
Kewl!! Thanks!
Fixed on or before 2.0.51.22-r1
Looking through the batch of bugs, I'm not sure that some of these are actually fixed in stable. Others, the requirements have possibly changed after the initial fix was committed. If you think this bug has been closed incorrectly, please reopen or ask that it be reopened.
