Posted November 16, 2021
dtgreene: * Non-free software should be installable, but there should be a prompt every time, so it would be necessary to individually opt in to each non-free package you want to install. In particular, installing one non-free package should not bypass the prompt for installing other non-free packages.
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In gentoo ... you need to manually edit a certain file
The problem with simple confirmation prompts is that they're too easy to ignore and just accept, kind of like mandatory pre-installation EULAs. I prefer the Gentoo method. Requiring a little effort makes it more likely you'll think about it first. I've rejected several packages because I didn't like their license. Then again, at 115 lines now for me, it is a pain to maintain, like most of my other exception lists (still probably the shortest). --autounmask-license=y will add the line automatically, with only etc-update required to apply the changes. Otherwise, it doesn't even directly tell you what to do: ...
In gentoo ... you need to manually edit a certain file
!!! All ebuilds that could satisfy "www-client/google-chrome" have been masked.
!!! One of the following masked packages is required to complete your request:
- www-client/google-chrome-95.0.4638.69::gentoo (masked by: google-chrome license(s))
A copy of the 'google-chrome' license is located at '/usr/portage/licenses/google-chrome'.
As usual, gentoo fails hard in the documentation department. In fact, it recommends you go the the MASKED PACKAGES section of the man page, which tells you nothing about how to edit package.license. Also, if you auto-unmask, it won't tell you where to find/read the license file, but it will tell you the right man page, even though you don't really need it:
The following license changes are necessary to proceed:
(see "package.license" in the portage(5) man page for more details)
# required by www-client/google-chrome (argument)
>=www-client/google-chrome-95.0.4638.69 google-chrome
Sorry for the sidetrack.