Bug 155506

Summary:	net-im/ymessenger hard masked, this is bad!
Product:	Gentoo Linux	Reporter:	Frank T. Lofaro Jr. <ftlofaro>
Component:	Current packages	Assignee:	Gentoo Linux bug wranglers <bug-wranglers>
Status:	RESOLVED INVALID
Severity:	normal
Priority:	High
Version:	2006.1
Hardware:	All
OS:	Linux
Whiteboard:
Package list:		Runtime testing required:	---

Description Frank T. Lofaro Jr. 2006-11-17 10:52:45 UTC

All versions of Yahoo messenger (net-im/ymessenger) are hard masked. This is an application that works and shouldn't be taken away. This is taking away user choice. A lot of dependencies are hard masked too. Due to this:

# Saleem Abdulrasool <compnerd@gentoo.org> (16 Nov 2006)
# GNOME 1.x Removal Mask (15 Dec 2006)

So things broke on Nov 16 and I gather the ebuilds will be removed on Dec 15 and so will the source files.

This is wrong. I use Yahoo messenger - now I have to either unmask for now and later put ebuilds and source files into an overlay and have no maintenance, or install it myself. Gentoo is about freedom and choice - what is so critical that we need to break Yahoo messenger, a very nice and useful app - and why does gentoo-portage say it is DANGEROUS to unmask it (see http://www.gentoo-portage.com/net-im/ymessenger) - Yahoo makes quality software and is a quality company - just because GNOME 1 is a bit old. I don't like GNOME in general, and I understand about old software, but keeping Yahoo messenger working is more important than any slash and burn of old software.

Sorry for ranting, but having an emerge world fail because I use a popular software package and either having to hack around or do without, without any warning is NOT acceptable and is quite disturbing, annoying, and aggrivating. If I wanted that, I'd switch to Windoze.

Comment 1 ebfe 2006-11-17 10:56:34 UTC

don't play with the severity button

Comment 2 Jakub Moc (RETIRED) gentoo-dev

2006-11-17 11:00:58 UTC

We won't maintain Gnome-1.x stuff, it's unsupported upstream and noone is willing to maintain it in Gentoo either (as it basically means to become upstream).

Port it to gtk+-2* or don't complain, sorry. Gentoo is about choice for developers as well, it's a voluntary effort, people maintain what they are interested in.