Mixing branches

Updated 7 November 2026

This page applies to Portage 3.0.82 and Calculate Utilities 3.8.

The programs of the Portage tree are split between two branches: stable and testing. The ACCEPT_KEYWORDS variable sets which of them the system considers acceptable, while keyword and mask files decide the fate of individual packages. Portage basics are covered on the Introduction to Portage page.

Using one branch

Stable

The ACCEPT_KEYWORDS variable determines which software branch the system uses. By default, Calculate Linux is configured for the stable branch: the variable takes the value of your architecture - for 64-bit systems this is amd64. You do not need to set it explicitly in the configuration.

The stable branch less often results in instability and other problems, so cautious users are advised to stay on it, opening testing versions of packages only occasionally - how it is done is described in the Using stable and testing packages together section.

Testing

If you still need the latest software, the system is switched to the testing branch: add ~ (tilde) before the architecture name in the ACCEPT_KEYWORDS value. The rule works for any architecture. In Calculate, the variable is set in the user file /etc/portage/make.conf/custom - that file and other settings are covered on the Configuring your system with variables page:

ACCEPT_KEYWORDS="~amd64"

The distribution's binary package server contains only stable versions. For example, nano is represented in the tree by three versions (9.2, ~9.3, 9999), while the server index has only nano-9.2. So, for testing-branch packages, expect a source build on your own machine - for the binary installation path, see the Portage features page.

After the move from the stable branch to the testing one, the regular system update (cl-update) will pull many - often hundreds of - packages up to current upstream versions. This is normal. Keep in mind: after moving to the testing branch, the way back to the stable one may be difficult - except by restoring a backup. If you find a bug in a package, report it to the maintainers - for example, on the Calculate forum - so that it becomes known and gets fixed in updates.

Using stable and testing packages together

package.accept_keywords

You can allow the testing branch for individual packages while keeping the rest of the system stable. To do this, add the package category and name to the /etc/portage/package.accept_keywords file or to a file in the directory of the same name - in Calculate this directory already exists; it is enough to create a file with any name in it.

For example, to make the testing branch available for a single package:

<category>/<package> ~amd64

Replace [HTML_REMOVED]/[HTML_REMOVED] with the category and name of the package you are opening the testing branch for. The file name reflects its purpose. The package categories, names and versions in this section's examples are illustrative: substitute the ones your system needs.

Testing individual versions

If you need a specific version from the testing branch, but later versions must not be pulled from it, specify the version with the = operator in package.accept_keywords. Version ranges are set with the <=, <, > or >= operators.

The rule is unambiguous: if version information is specified, the operator must be used; if no version is specified - the operator must not be used.

For example, to allow installing one specific version of a package from the testing branch:

=<category>/<package>-<version>

Replace [HTML_REMOVED]/[HTML_REMOVED]-[HTML_REMOVED] with the category, name and version number you need.

Masked packages

package.unmask

Masks are set in the package.mask files of the profiles directory - by default /var/db/repos/gentoo/profiles/. When you try to install a masked package, emerge reports the masking and, as a rule, its reason. If you are ready to accept the risk, add exactly the same line that is in the mask to /etc/portage/package.unmask (into the file, or into a file in the directory of the same name, which already exists in Calculate):

=<category>/<package>-<version>

Replace [HTML_REMOVED]/[HTML_REMOVED]-[HTML_REMOVED] with the exact mask line: you will see it in the emerge message - unmask it with a copy of that exact line, not from memory. The file name in the directory is up to you. The data in the example is illustrative.

package.mask

Finally, you can prevent Portage from installing a package or a specific version - this is what masking means. To mask, add the needed line with qualifiers to /etc/portage/package.mask (into the file, or into a file in the directory of the same name, which exists by default):

><category>/<package>-<version>

Replace [HTML_REMOVED]/[HTML_REMOVED]-[HTML_REMOVED] with the category, name and version number beyond which updates are undesirable; the > sign before the name is a version comparison operator - it is what masks everything newer than the specified one. The file name in the directory is up to you. Such a line will forbid installing all versions of the package newer than the specified one - for example, this is how kernel sources are held back from updating. The data in the example is illustrative.