Bug 394775

Summary:	Improved output for 'emerge --buildpkgonly' dependency failure
Product:	Portage Development	Reporter:	David <write2David>
Component:	Enhancement/Feature Requests	Assignee:	Portage team <dev-portage>
Status:	CONFIRMED ---
Severity:	enhancement	CC:	roman.zilka
Priority:	Normal
Version:	unspecified
Hardware:	All
OS:	Linux
Whiteboard:
Package list:		Runtime testing required:	---

Description David 2011-12-15 05:07:16 UTC

I feel the output of the commands below are somewhat incomplete...


Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
# emerge --buildpkgonly -u world

or 

# emerge -avB cairo-dock cairo-dock-plugins

Actual Results:  
Calculating world dependencies ...done!

!!! --buildpkgonly requires all dependencies to be merged.
!!! Cannot merge requested packages. Merge deps and try again.


or



These are the packages that would be built, in order:

Calculating dependencies... done!
[ebuild     U *] x11-misc/cairo-dock-9999 [2.2.0.4] USE="-xcomposite" 0 kB [1]
[ebuild     U *] x11-misc/cairo-dock-plugins-9999 [2.2.0.4] USE="alsa exif terminal wifi xfce -compiz -gio -gmenu -gnome -kde -mail -musicplayer -network-monitor -powermanager -tomboy -webkit -xgamma -xklavier" 0 kB [1]

Total: 2 packages (2 upgrades), Size of downloads: 0 kB
Portage tree and overlays:
 [0] /usr/portage
 [1] /var/lib/layman/desktop-effects

Would you like to merge these packages? [Yes/No] 

!!! --buildpkgonly requires all dependencies to be merged.
!!! Cannot merge requested packages. Merge deps and try again.


Expected Results:  
Something like this would be give a better explanation...

!!! --buildpkgonly (-B) requires all dependencies to be previously merged.
!!! Cannot merge requested packages because compile-time dependencies are not installed.
!!! Please merge dependencies (listed below) and try again.
!!! Required dependencies are:  [list here]


This page was helpful to me, in giving a more-complete explanation:

http://old.nabble.com/Re%3A-%22emerge---buildpkgonly-world%22-won%27t-go%3A-kde-metapackage-problem--p2522438.html

Comment 1 Zac Medico gentoo-dev

2011-12-15 18:18:34 UTC

Alternatively, we might change the meaning of --buildpkgonly so that it merges the dependencies and just doesn't merge the package(s) given as arguments when possible.

Comment 2 Roman Žilka 2013-04-28 09:19:50 UTC

(In reply to comment #1)
> Alternatively, we might change the meaning of --buildpkgonly so that it
> merges the dependencies and just doesn't merge the package(s) given as
> arguments when possible.

+1 user vote for that. I.e., "merge as many pkgs as possible and meaningful".