Gentoo - Replacing base files with custom built alternatives

I am using Gentoo. I would like to replace some of my core files with
custom built alternatives. For example, I would like to replace
/bin/echo, /bin/ls, and lots of other base binaries.

Is there a way to lock these files out of the portage database,
preventing them from ever being overridden by portage.

Also, I would like to replace /etc/passwd, /etc/group, etc/shadow,
/etc/gshadow, and other key configuration files.

Is there a way to prevent these from being updated by portage?

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help.

Mark.

--
Mark Hobley,
393 Quinton Road West,
Quinton, BIRMINGHAM.
B32 1QE.

On Fri, 09 May 2008 21:08:15 GMT, Mark Hobley <markhobley@hotpop.donottypethisbit.com> wrote:
>I am using Gentoo. I would like to replace some of my core files with
>custom built alternatives. For example, I would like to replace
>/bin/echo, /bin/ls, and lots of other base binaries.

>Is there a way to lock these files out of the portage database,
>preventing them from ever being overridden by portage.

>Also, I would like to replace /etc/passwd, /etc/group, etc/shadow,
>/etc/gshadow, and other key configuration files.

>Is there a way to prevent these from being updated by portage?

equery belongs <file> to find what package has them
then put the package in /etc/portage/profile/package.provided


>Thanks in advance to anyone who can help.

>Mark.

Mark Hobley wrote:

> I am using Gentoo. I would like to replace some of my core files with
> custom built alternatives. For example, I would like to replace
> /bin/echo, /bin/ls, and lots of other base binaries. [...]

Just for the record, */bin/echo,* */bin/ls* and siblings are normally never
used if you're running GNU Bash as your command shell, because Bash has
those commands built-in.

These commands only exist as independent binaries for when you're running a
shell that doesn't have those commands built-in, like the very
minimal /ash/ shell, once popular on small-memory systems.

Just a FYI... ;-)

--
*Aragorn*
(registered GNU/Linux user #223157)

In alt.os.linux.gentoo AZ Nomad <aznomad.3@premoveobthisox.com> wrote:

> put the package in /etc/portage/profile/package.provided

Looking at my /etc directory, I notice that my package.* files are
located in /etc/portage as follows:

/etc/portage/package.keywords
/etc/portage/package.mask
/etc/portage/package.use

There is no subdirectory /etc/portage/profile/

Googling around, I find references to both /etc/portage and
/etc/portage/profile.

These files appear in different locations, depending on which
documentation I read. Hence I am confused.

Is it necessary to create a subdirectory "profile"?

Should I relocate my existing files /etc/portage files to a newly
created profile subdirectory, or is /etc/portage ok?

Do I have to modify or update scripts to reflect a change of location?

Please advise.

Mark.

--
Mark Hobley,
393 Quinton Road West,
Quinton, BIRMINGHAM.
B32 1QE.

On Sat, 10 May 2008 18:08:05 GMT, Mark Hobley <markhobley@hotpop.donottypethisbit.com> wrote:
>In alt.os.linux.gentoo AZ Nomad <aznomad.3@premoveobthisox.com> wrote:

>> put the package in /etc/portage/profile/package.provided

>Looking at my /etc directory, I notice that my package.* files are
>located in /etc/portage as follows:

>/etc/portage/package.keywords
>/etc/portage/package.mask
>/etc/portage/package.use

>There is no subdirectory /etc/portage/profile/

>Googling around, I find references to both /etc/portage and
>/etc/portage/profile.

>These files appear in different locations, depending on which
>documentation I read. Hence I am confused.

>Is it necessary to create a subdirectory "profile"?

>Should I relocate my existing files /etc/portage files to a newly
>created profile subdirectory, or is /etc/portage ok?

>Do I have to modify or update scripts to reflect a change of location?


Create a file called /etc/portage/profile/package.provided. Create the profile
directory if needed.

In the file put the package category/name-version

For example, I have a /etc/portage/profile/package.provided with
the lines:
media-libs/libdvdread-0.9.7
media-video/transcode-1.0.6_rc2


It causes gentoo to think those packages are installed even though portage
didn't do it. If at some later date a newer package is required as a dependancy
such as a transcode-1.1.0, then portage will bitch and I'll have to manually
install a newer version (probably already done) and update the package.provided
file.