Beta Release

[Paul Magrath]

Hi Anders,

On 12 Aug 2008, at 13:19, Anders F Björklund wrote:
> I did something like this:
>
> ./configure --prefix=/Users/afb/.macports --with-no-root-privileges
> make
> make test
> make install
> # enabled archivemode and disabled autoclean in macports.conf, as  
> usual
> # untarred a fresh tree from http://www.macports.org/files/ 
> ports.tar.gz
> ~/.macports/bin/port archive zip
> ~/.macports/bin/port archive gzip

That is working okay for me now after a few small fixes. If you have a  
chance, checkout the new code from the svn and let me know if it works  
okay for you.

> Something that I found to be strange was why I would want to install
> MacPorts into the config directory of ~/.macports (next to history),
> and this is probably aggrevated by being hidden from Finder et. al ?
> (At least /opt/local is not hidden, while /usr/local normally is.)

Yes, I've changed the suggested configure to "./configure --prefix=/ 
Users/{your-user-name}/.macports/opt --with-no-root-privileges" now to  
better separate the two.

>> So when installing to your home directory, "/Users/you/" will
>> be hardcoded in the binaries and in any archives/packages made ?
>>
>> Yes. However, I'd recommend you use the default /opt install  
>> location if you were planning on distributing binaries/archives/ 
>> packages.
>
> Sounds like a good recommendation, although it is /opt/local... :-)
> A common misunderstanding is that ${prefix} is /opt, which is wrong.

I was just using /opt as shorthand for /opt/local.

>> Unless you use --with-shared-directory and --with-install-group
>> to use an common (hardcoded) path accessible to all, is that it ?
>>
>> That is an alternative, yes. However, you can use a normal "./ 
>> configure" without any arguments and install in /opt and still get  
>> a lot of benefit from the work done in the branch on dropping  
>> privileges, etc.
>
> I suspect the majority would install from either the disk image
> constructed by the port, or from whatever "port selfupdate" does...

I suspect so. But it should be possible to add options to the  
installer provided by the disk image if there is demand for an easy  
way to use the new install options. Alternatively, one of these  
options could be made the new default (the shared directory with  
macports install group option perhaps as it would be the most useful I  
think).

Paul.