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):
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.
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- 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.