Eselect/Repository

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eselect-repository is an eselect module for configuring ebuild repositories for Portage. Ebuild repository configuration files are stored in /etc/portage/repos.conf.

See also
For further options see man repository.eselect.

Note
This utility supersedes layman for listing, configuring, and handling synchronization of alternate repositories. There are still some exceptions for which layman can supplement eselect-repository, when using version control systems that Portage does not natively sync (e.g. darcs and g-sorcery in Portage).

eselect-repository is written and maintained by Gentoo's Michał Górny (mgorny) .

Installation

Emerge

root #emerge --ask app-eselect/eselect-repository

Configuration

Initial setup

The repos.conf file or directory as configured by the REPOS_CONF variable in /etc/eselect/repository.conf, must exist before the module will function properly. The Gentoo Handbook prefers to have it as a directory, and some tools will not work otherwise:

root #mkdir -p /etc/portage/repos.conf

Files

FILE /etc/eselect/repository.conf

# configuration for eselect-repo
# (sourced by bash, so keep the values bash-compatible)
 
# The following variables can be used below to reference paths
# configured at build time:
#   CACHEDIR -- system cache directory (e.g. /var/cache)
#   SYSCONFDIR -- system configuration directory (e.g. /etc)
#   SHAREDSTATEDIR -- system shared state directory (e.g. /var)
 
# Location of the repository configuration file or directory. If it is
# a directory, Portage rules for subfiles are used.
REPOS_CONF=${SYSCONFDIR}/portage/repos.conf
 
# File to use for newly added repositories when REPOS_CONF is
# a directory.  You can use "${repository}" to refer to the name
# of repository being added.
REPOS_CONF_SUBFILE=${REPOS_CONF}/eselect-repo.conf
 
# Top directory to keep newly added repositores in. New repositories
# will be added with subdirectories following repository names.
REPOS_BASE=${SHAREDSTATEDIR}/db/repos
 
# Location of the remote repository list. The default is to use
# the gentoo-mirror list that contains pregenerated metadata cache.
REMOTE_LIST_URI=https://qa-reports.gentoo.org/output/repos/repositories.xml
 
# Alternative: original Gentoo list.
#REMOTE_LIST_URI=https://api.gentoo.org/overlays/repositories.xml
 
# Directory to store repositories.xml cache. The file will always
# be called "repositories.xml" due to technical limitations of wget.
REMOTE_LIST_CACHEDIR=~/.cache/eselect-repo
 
# Interval (in seconds) to check the remote repository list for changes.
# The default is 2 hours.
REMOTE_LIST_REFRESH=$(( 2 * 3600 ))

Usage

Tip
Repositories can be synced after being configured, using Portage's emaint:

root #emaint sync -r foo

repos.gentoo.org

Gentoo allows users and developers to register repositories on repos.gentoo.org, for public consumption. eselect repository will fetch and read the known list.

Listing ebuild repositories registered with repos.gentoo.org

eselect repository can print all repositories listed on repos.gentoo.org:

user $eselect repository list

Available repositories:
  [1]   foo
  [2]   bar
  [3]   baz
  [4]   cross #
  [5]   good *
  [6]   my_overlay @

Installed, enabled repositories are suffixed with a * character.
Repositories suffixed with #, need their sync information updated (via disable/enable) or were customized by the user.
Repositories suffixed with @ are not listed by name in the official, published list.

Use the -i option to show currently configured repositories only:

user $eselect repository list -i

Add ebuild repositories from repos.gentoo.org

Syntax: enable (<name>|<index>)...

root #eselect repository enable foo bar baz

Add repositories

Todo:

Todo:

list and explain available sync types.

Syntax: add <name> <sync-type> <sync-uri>

root #eselect repository add test git https://github.com/test/test.git

Note
When an ebuild repository is added for the first time, it must be synchronized before use.

Warning
While the Gentoo ebuild repository is either written or reviewed by Gentoo developers, and the GURU repository has some developer oversight, that is not always the case for other ebuild repositories. It is possible that some ebuilds repositories might contain vulnerable, badly broken or, theoretically, even malicious software.

Disable repositories without removing contents

Syntax: disable [-f] (<name>|<index>)...

root #eselect repository disable foo bar

The -f option is required for repositories not registered with repos.gentoo.org, and those without sync attributes. Use with care.

Disable repositories and remove contents

Syntax: remove [-f] (<name>|<index>)...

root #eselect repository remove bar baz

The -f option is required for repositories not registered with repos.gentoo.org, and those without sync attributes. Use with care.

Create a new ebuild repository

The create subcommand will create an ebuild repository skeleton, and configure it with Portage:

Syntax: create <name> [<path>]

root #eselect repository create <ebuild_repository_name>

Adding <ebuild_repository_name> to /etc/portage/repos.conf ...
Repository <ebuild_repository_name> created and added