Tag: patch package

Patch and resume compilation of a failed package in Gentoo – ebuild, local repository or ctrl+Z

A dependency package failed to compile throwing error and existing the emerge of a queue with a hundred and more packages. Or worse you installed a new version of a package and multiple rebuilds are pulled, but one of the dependencies fails and you may end up with a broken system? What can you do? There is no new version of the failed package and yes, there is a bug in the Gentoo’s Bugzilla – https://bugs.gentoo.org/. And there is a solution with a patch, which has not made its way to the production and in Gentoo portage yet.
The package in the portage is broken, no new fixed package is released, but there is a patch to fix your issue. Here is what you can do:

  • Make your own package with the fixed version of the original package and put it in your local repository (not the official one, because on every emerge –sync it will be deleted). You should make a local repository and put the ebuild and all necessary files.
  • Or just download the patch and patch the source in the directory, which still holds the source of the failed package and resume the compilation manually. Then install it. Using this tutorial – Resume installation after a package build error, when emerging firefox under Gentoo
  • Just after the uncompress operation of the emerge press CTRL+Z to put the operation in the background and download and patch. Then bring back the emerge from the background with “fg” command.

The second and third options are not permanent solutions, but they are fast enough to be used in some situations.
Here are steps for the first and second option you may have:

OPTION 1) Make your own package.

Create a local repository (for details Simple steps to create Gentoo custom repository and add a package): 

root@srv ~ # mkdir -p /var/db/repos/my-local-portage/{metadata,profiles}
root@srv ~ # cat  << 'EOF' > /var/db/repos/my-local-portage/metadata/layout.conf
masters = gentoo
auto-sync = false
EOF
root@srv ~ # cat  << 'EOF' > /etc/portage/repos.conf/my-local-portage.conf
[my-local-portage]
location = /var/db/repos/my-local-portage 
EOF
root@srv ~ # cat  << 'EOF' > /var/db/repos/my-local-portage/profiles/repo_name
my-local-portage
EOF

Copy the ebuild file of the package you want to modify in the custom repository directory created above (it’s a good idea to copy all the sub-directories, too):
Keep on reading!