Gentoo python3.3 – dev-lang/python-3.3.5-r3::gentoo (masked by: package.mask)

Python 3.3 has been depreciated

For those of us on Gentoo trying to do the usual system updates test with a command line:

emerge --sync && emerge -pvDu world

– this time round if you have any Python 3.3 enabled anywhere, you will see something like:

These are the packages that would be merged, in order:

For more information, see the MASKED PACKAGES section in the emerge
man page or refer to the Gentoo Handbook.

The brief details are that, on Gentoo, Python 3.3 has been depreciated (see: Python implementations (interpreters, providers) supported by Gentoo).

The Fix

Note Very Well: This is where you should make a full backup of all your data, databases, and system, first.

Hopefully, you’ve already got Python 3.4 or Python 3.5 emerged in so that you can simply select one of those as your preferred Python version, eg:

eselect python set python3.4

To move on from Python 3.3 for a happy Portage, the fix is to remove any calls for the Python 3.3 and update anything that is affected…

1. To see what installed packages have a dependency, use:

   emerge -pvc dev-lang/python:3.3

2. To find if you have explicitly set to use Python 3.3, search with such as:

   grep -r 'python3.3' /etc/portage

   (NB: The “.” is a wildcard match for one of any character.)

   Fix any entries such as any “python3_3” to instead be “python3_4”, etc…

Update all again with:

emerge --newuse -pvDu world

Run without the “p” in the “-pvDu” once you’re happy with what is going to happen. Enjoy a brief brew as the recompile whizzes along!

And then clean up with:

emerge -pvc dev-lang/python:3.3

(Run without the “p” in the “-pvc” once you’re happy with what is going to be removed.)

Further details

See the Gentoo forums thread python_targets blocking updates for variations and comments.