On Fri, 19 Sep 2008, Blair Sadewitz wrote: [snip]
Another approach would be to simply decrease the number of options in many packages, instead making them mandatory. For instance, consider ffmpeg; IMHO it's better to build it with most of the optional packages included by default.
pkgsrc isn't only used for software on standard workstation machines. I use it to build binary packages which are then hacked^Wpost-processed to used in an embedded environment. In this way I have a kernel (with embedded ramdisk capable of updating itself and its packages) plus modules (opera, Linux emulation, Citrix ICA client, X.org, tk/tcl, mbone tools, rdesktop, vnc, gui for configuration, etc.) in around 40MB.
I need options to chop down features I don't need that bloat the system. By all means have them on by default, but they don't want removing.
-- Stephen