How to Install Masked Packages

Gentoo is a popular Linux distribution that uses a package management system called Portage. This system compiles most packages from source after you enter the installation command. Compiling from sources takes longer than simply copying binary packages, but gives you flexibility and a potential performance benefit. Gentoo developers are able to flag packages that are in the testing phase and are not ready for general use. This process is called package masking. Masked packages cannot normally be installed unless you explicitly give Portage permission to install the desired package.

Instructions

1. Enter "echo '=category/packagename-version ~architecture' >> /etc/portage/package.keywords." Replace "category/packagename-version ~architecture" with the correct values for the package that you want to install (e.g. "dev-libs/nspr-4.8.7 ~amd64").

2. Type "emerge --pretend -av packagename." Replace "packagename" with the name of the package that you want to install. This command will not actually install the package, but will give you any errors that would occur if you were to install it.

3. Enter "emerge -av packagename" if you received no errors after the pretend installation. Replace "packagename" with the name of the package that you are installing.

Tips & Warnings

• Installing masked packages could break other packages and potentially make your system unstable.

References

• Gentoo Project: What Does It Mean When a Package Is Masked?
• Gentoo Handbook: Mixing Software Branches