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List:       gentoo-dev
Subject:    Re: [gentoo-dev] Re: removing dhcpcd from system???
From:       Jason Rhinelander <jason () gossamer-threads ! com>
Date:       2004-09-30 23:51:20
Message-ID: 415C9BF8.4040006 () gossamer-threads ! com
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There is one important difference between dhcpcd being in system and a 
syslogger being in system - if I don't have syslog-xyz, I can emerge it 
after I reboot my system; if I don't have dhcpcd I may well not be able 
to emerge it due to the lack of networking capability.

If the stance that 'system' is only the things *absolutely* required for 
*every* Gentoo installations, the following, at least, also need to be 
removed (this is from profiles/base/packages):

app-arch/cpio # Why is this required? Portage?
sys-apps/ed # I don't want it
sys-apps/file # I use this, but some people might not
sys-apps/findutils # Perhaps I prefer to use find2perl instead
sys-apps/kbd # I don't want or need this
sys-apps/man-pages # I may not want man pages
sys-apps/setserial # I haven't used a serial port in years
sys-apps/which # Nice, but is it necessary?
sys-devel/bc # Again, nice, but not necessary
sys-fs/e2fsprogs # I don't use ext2/3
virtual/ssh # It's possible that not every Gentoo user needs ssh

Before you ask, I'm *not* serious about removing the above.  The point 
is, most of the above is required for most reasonable linux 
installation.  Likewise, a DHCP client is required for a very large 
group of Gentoo users, since updating Gentoo requires internet access. 
Yes, there are exceptions - such as the guy in this thread who showed us 
how stupid we all are to actually use DHCP clients on DHCP networks 
instead of grabbing random IP's until we find one that works - but if it 
is really such a concern, wouldn't it be sufficient to add a 'dhcp' USE 
flag to baselayout?  If set, it could simply add virtual/dhcp-client to 
RDEPEND.  That way, those few who really don't want a DHCP client can 
USE=-dhcp and be done with it, and the rest of us don't have to worry 
about it.

-- Jason Rhinelander
-- Gossamer Threads, Inc.

Tom Payne wrote:
> Forgive me if I'm stating the obvious, but I get the impression that the
> there's a misunderstanding here which seems to be the causing the
> disagreement.
> 
> The system profile is /not/ the same as what's on the installation CD.
> 
> The system profile is the "minimum" Gentoo system -- just the bare bones
> (init scripts, glibc, gcc, portage, that sort of thing).
> 
> The installation CD includes the system profile and lots of useful other
> things, like a web browser (links).
> 
> This means that if dhcpc is not in the system profile:
> 1) it'll still be on the installation CD so you can install over your
> broadband connection, and
> 2) if you need it then you'll have to emerge manually (much like you already
> have to emerge a system logger and a crond if you want them).
> 
> You do not need dhcp to run a minimum Gentoo system so it can be safely
> removed from the system profile.
> 

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