Title: sys-libs/db old SLOT removal Author: David Seifert Posted: 2021-05-30 Revision: 1 News-Item-Format: 2.0 Display-If-Installed: sys-libs/db:1 Display-If-Installed: sys-libs/db:3 Display-If-Installed: sys-libs/db:4.2 Display-If-Installed: sys-libs/db:4.3 Display-If-Installed: sys-libs/db:4.4 Display-If-Installed: sys-libs/db:4.5 Display-If-Installed: sys-libs/db:4.6 Display-If-Installed: sys-libs/db:4.7 Display-If-Installed: sys-libs/db:5.1 On 2021-07-01, we will mask the following Berkeley DB (aka sys-libs/db) slots for removal from the tree within 90 days (bug #792222): - 1 - 3 - 4.2 - 4.3 - 4.4 - 4.5 - 4.6 - 4.7 - 5.1 You should export your data first before rebuilding any applications against newer slots of sys-libs/db. Furthermore, the Gentoo Base System Team has decided to consider sys-libs/db a deprecated database backend. What this means for you is that we will slowly start deprecating optional use of sys-libs/db in consumers and mask their USE="berkdb" flags with the goal of eventual removal of berkdb support from those packages. Other distros such as Fedora have started a gradual phase-out of Berkeley DB too, given Oracle's strong-armed approach to community input and their arguably hostile switch to the AGPLv3 (https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Changes/Libdb_deprecated). Furthermore, Oracle is known for removing critical features from BDB in supposed patch releases, such as the removal of the client-server architecture and the SQL API between 18.1.32 and 18.1.40. To this end, we will also be removing USE="berkdb" from profiles/default/linux/make.defaults on 2021-07-01. If you implicitly depend on profiles enabling optional use of sys-libs/db, you will need to enable this USE flag yourself. From here on, you should be working under the assumption that the sys-libs/db package will be gone from the Gentoo repository within **two years** from the time of this news item. If you depend on BDB in a production environment, we strongly suggest you move to one of the modern replacements, such as GDBM, SQLite or LMDB.