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Bug 38684

Summary: Need a big(ger) warning for users that choose to install ~arch
Product: [OLD] Docs-user Reporter: Jason Stubbs (RETIRED) <jstubbs>
Component: HandbookAssignee: Sven Vermeulen (RETIRED) <swift>
Status: RESOLVED FIXED    
Severity: normal CC: docs-team
Priority: High    
Version: unspecified   
Hardware: All   
OS: All   
Whiteboard:
Package list:
Runtime testing required: ---
Attachments: Patch to hb-working-portage.xml

Description Jason Stubbs (RETIRED) gentoo-dev 2004-01-19 00:49:39 UTC
Many users that install with ~arch (or upgrade to ~arch afterward) find themselves with a completely broken system after realizing the error of their ways and downgrading to arch. Perhaps a recommendation to only use "emerge -U" as opposed to "emerge -u" and 'downgrade' from ~arch to arch over a period of time?
Comment 1 Sven Vermeulen (RETIRED) gentoo-dev 2004-01-19 01:38:08 UTC
Once chosen for ~arch we can *never* guarantee that their system will remain functional. Using "emerge -U" or not, it is always a risk.

What we can do is see if we can demotivate people to use ~arch even more, but I believe that wont help as most users really want to have a bleeding edge system. Even if I used <blink>DO NOT CONVERT YOUR SYSTEM TO ~ARCH</blink> they would just ignore it.
Comment 2 Jason Stubbs (RETIRED) gentoo-dev 2004-01-19 02:36:51 UTC
Sure, I agree that we can't stop users from running ~x86 - I'm one of them :)

What I'm saying though, is that if somebody is running ~x86 and tries to downgrade directly to x86, we can almost always guarantee that their system will become broken. Even if emerge -U isn't mentioned in the handbook, it should perhaps be mentioned that once on the bleeding edge there's no turning back.
Comment 3 Erwin (RETIRED) gentoo-dev 2004-01-19 03:43:36 UTC
IMHO, users who run ~arch should know exactly what they're doing. There is a section in the handbook that introduces the usage of --upgradeonly (you might want to take a look at part 2 chap 2 on "Portage and Software") before the usage of ~arch, so i see no reason why people wouldn't know that --upgradeonly exists if they can use ACCEPT_KEYWORDS="~arch". Some more, the --pretend flag is always used in the code listing all over the handbook =)
Comment 4 Jason Stubbs (RETIRED) gentoo-dev 2004-01-19 04:22:04 UTC
it's not that users don't know that -p and -U exist. what i'm talking about is that it seems to be the natural belief (for those that don't research first) that moving back to arch from ~arch won't cause any problems when in fact the downgrade of glibc especially is enough to require a reinstall.
Comment 5 Sven Vermeulen (RETIRED) gentoo-dev 2004-01-19 04:56:04 UTC
Created attachment 24069 [details, diff]
Patch to hb-working-portage.xml

I don't like warnings if they aren't meant to really really warn people. This
is imho more common sense. I've entered a paragraph (as this patch shows) that
should	deal with users that want to go ~arch'ing :)

Would this be okay?
Comment 6 Jason Stubbs (RETIRED) gentoo-dev 2004-01-19 05:19:50 UTC
That was swift! (pun intended)

Clear, concise, a little bit fierce - I like it! Great work!
Comment 7 Erwin (RETIRED) gentoo-dev 2004-01-19 05:20:45 UTC
Patch looks good, and jason is happy with that:
----
<jstubbs>  Erwin`: just checked out the patch. i'm happy with that. it might make less users run ~arch which should increase the quality of bug reports!?
---

SwifT, not irc'ing anymore? :o
Comment 8 Sven Vermeulen (RETIRED) gentoo-dev 2004-01-19 06:04:10 UTC
Committed.

No, not on IRC atm, it's a bit hectic here with too many exams and too little time.