§2023-09-23

¶ Overlay

"overlay" refers to an additional package repository that can be used to extend or customize the software available on your Gentoo system. Gentoo is a source-based Linux distribution, which means that most software is compiled from source code on your system. Overlays provide a way to add packages, ebuilds (Gentoo package definitions), and other customizations to your Gentoo system beyond what is available in the main Portage tree.

Here are some key points about overlays in Gentoo:

• Portage Tree: Gentoo's package manager, Portage, maintains a central repository called the Portage tree, which contains ebuilds for a wide range of packages. These ebuilds define how to fetch, compile, and install software packages on your system.
• Overlay: An overlay is an additional repository separate from the main Portage tree. It can contain custom ebuilds for software packages, modified ebuilds, or packages that are not yet included in the main Portage tree.
• Local Overlays: Users can create their own local overlays to maintain ebuilds and package customizations specific to their system. This is useful for personalization or for maintaining packages not available in the main Portage tree.
• Community Overlays: There are also community-maintained overlays that offer ebuilds for various software packages not officially supported by Gentoo or provide updated versions of existing packages.

¶Layman <-- obsoletge

Layman is a tool commonly used to manage overlays in Gentoo. It simplifies the process of adding, updating, and syncing overlays on your system. You can use the layman command to add and manage overlays.

• Add the overlay to your system using layman or by manually configuring Portage to recognize the overlay's location.
• Sync the overlay to retrieve the latest package information.
• Install packages from the overlay using the emerge command.

Overlays are valuable for customizing your Gentoo system or obtaining packages not present in the main Portage tree. They allow Gentoo users to maintain a flexible and personala flexible environment.

1.0 layman Configuration

• Layman configuration
  • Manually editing /etc/portage/repos.conf/layman.conf

For an existing repos.conf/layman.conf file:

1. Change/add the sync-type: FILE /etc/portage/repos.conf/layman.conf

[wtk] priority = 50 location = /var/lib/layman/wtk layman-type = git sync-type = laymansync sync-uri = git://tremily.us/wtk-overlay.git auto-sync = yes

• Installation
  • nano /etc/portage/package.use/laymanAdd add the following line,(important USE flags)
    • app-portage/layman sync-plugin-portage git

#emerge --