Hi, I'm trying to install apache with the following source options:

--prefix=/directory
--enable-so
--enable-ssl
.....
etc etc.... (eg. ./configure --enable-ssl --enable-so....)

but I want to do this as an emerge package and set it permanently so that I can just re-emerge.upgrade it later and still use these options.

I'm a bit confused as to whether USE flags are the same thing, I expect they are but can't find it written in (R)TFM too clearly. And I can't see exactly what the use flags to get this would be. I could just edit the ebuild configure options but I need a longer term solution than this as I believe it will get overwritten at the next emerge --sync.

I've looked at the package.use file mentioned in the Portage Manual but it seems to be for the USE options for specific packages and I'm not sure that's what I need.

Any help please?

I believe you would have to edit the ebuild yourself, but I am not certain. USE flags are not for this - they are for dependencies and support. For example, I want to build package "x" with "y" support, I would include "y" in my use flags. You could also build the software yourself and install it in a different location, like /opt, for example. Emerge would not be able to track it though. Have you asked this question in the Gentoo forums?

I've already looked at the ebuild but it's not a long term solution.

I di post on the gentoo forum just before this and got a reply at the same time as this. An extra_econf or overlay ebuild was suggested. back to the manuals...

I tried editing the ebuild but when I emerged it said:

!!! Digest verification Failed:
!!! /usr/portage/net-www/apache/apache-2.0.54-r31.ebuild
!!! Reason: Filesize does not match recorded size

and failed there.

How do I get around this?

This may be what you are looking for - check it out: http://www.gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_Cre...Updated_Ebuild

thanks for that, it helped. You're not supposed to edit ebuilds otherwise md5 fails, but I created an overlay and my own digests for it.

The really annoying thing is that you can't just simply add ./configure --options somehow.

Having to create a new ebuild for every version is not maintainable, going back to building from tarball....

You should use the "EXTRA_ECONF" variable, before launching emerge, like this :
I found it on : The usage of this variable is explained here : http://www.gentoo.org/proj/en/devrel...ap=1#doc_chap2 in the "Helper functions" part.

I think I tried this at the time but I don't think it worked, anyway, I've stopped with this awful hackery now and am running stock apache from portage.