eselect/repository

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eselect-repository is an eselect module for configuring ebuild repositories for Portage. Ebuild repository configuration files are stored in /etc/portage/repos.conf.

See also
For further options see man repository.eselect.

Note
This utility supersedes layman for listing, configuring, and handling synchronization of alternate repositories. There are still some exceptions for which layman can supplement eselect-repository, when using version control systems that Portage does not natively sync (e.g. darcs and g-sorcery).

eselect-repository is written and maintained by Gentoo's Michał Górny (mgorny) .

Installation

USE flags

USE flags for app-eselect/eselect-repository Manage repos.conf via eselect

`+git`	Enable git (version control system) support
`mercurial`	Support mercurial sync-type.
`test`	Enable dependencies and/or preparations necessary to run tests (usually controlled by FEATURES=test but can be toggled independently)

Data provided by the Gentoo Package Database · Last update: 2025-05-27 15:41 More information about USE flags

Emerge

root #emerge --ask app-eselect/eselect-repository

Configuration

Initial setup

The repos.conf file or directory as configured by the REPOS_CONF variable in /etc/eselect/repository.conf, must exist before the module will function properly. The Gentoo Handbook prefers to have it as a directory, and some tools will not work otherwise:

root #mkdir -p /etc/portage/repos.conf

Files

Paths and options can be changed in /etc/eselect/repository.conf. This file has comments and is self-explanatory.

Usage

Tip
Repositories can be synced after being configured, using Portage's emaint:

root #emaint sync -r foo

repos.gentoo.org

Gentoo allows users and developers to register repositories on repos.gentoo.org, for public consumption. eselect repository will fetch and read the known list.

Listing ebuild repositories registered with repos.gentoo.org

eselect repository can print all repositories listed on repos.gentoo.org:

user $eselect repository list

Available repositories:
  [1]   foo
  [2]   bar
  [3]   baz
  [4]   cross #
  [5]   good *
  [6]   my_overlay @

Installed, enabled repositories are suffixed with a * character.
Repositories suffixed with #, need their sync information updated (via disable/enable) or were customized by the user.
Repositories suffixed with @ are not listed by name in the official, published list.

Use the -i option to show currently configured repositories only:

user $eselect repository list -i

Add ebuild repositories from repos.gentoo.org

Syntax: enable (<name>|<index>)...

root #eselect repository enable foo bar baz

Add repositories

Syntax:

root #eselect repository add <name> <sync-type> <sync-uri>

The most common sync methods are git and rsync. Other options are cvs, mercurial, svn, websync and zipfile.

The formats and required packages are as follows:

git dev-vcs/git installed by default

root #eselect repository add test git https://github.com/test/test.git

rsync net-misc/rsync installed by default

root #eselect repository add test rsync rsync://example.com/path

mercurial dev-vcs/mercurial

root #eselect repository add test hg https://example.com/path

Note that eselect/repository needs to be compiled with the `mercurial` USE flag.

cvs dev-vcs/cvs

root #eselect repository add test cvs :ext:[email protected]:/var/cvsroot

svn dev-vcs/subversion

root #eselect repository add test svn https://example.com/repos/name/trunk

webrsync installed with portage, app-portage/emerge-delta-webrsync can be installed to reduce bandwidth usage.

root #eselect repository add test webrsync https://example.com/path

zipfile installed by default

root #eselect repository add test zipfile https://example.com/file.zip

To sync the new repository which is called test in this example, however change this to match the name of the repository that is set.

root #emaint sync --repo test

For more information on synchronization in Gentoo, please see Ebuild_repository before use.

Warning
While the Gentoo ebuild repository is either written or reviewed by Gentoo developers, and the GURU repository has some developer oversight, that is not always the case for other ebuild repositories. It is possible that some ebuilds repositories might contain vulnerable, badly broken or, theoretically, even malicious software.

Disable repositories without removing contents

Syntax: disable [-f] (<name>|<index>)...

root #eselect repository disable foo bar

The -f option is required for repositories not registered with repos.gentoo.org, and those without sync attributes. Use with care.

Disable repositories and remove contents

Syntax: remove [-f] (<name>|<index>)...

root #eselect repository remove bar baz

The -f option is required for repositories not registered with repos.gentoo.org, and those without sync attributes. Use with care.

Create a new ebuild repository

The create subcommand will create an ebuild repository skeleton, and configure it with Portage:

Syntax: create <name> [<path>]

root #eselect repository create <ebuild_repository_name>

Adding <ebuild_repository_name> to /etc/portage/repos.conf ...
Repository <ebuild_repository_name> created and added