New port config could make MacPorts' setup much easier

[Anders F Björklund]

Rainer Müller wrote:

> I am thinking about a new port config target, which could make setting
> up MacPorts much easier. Currently, the appropriate variables for  
> PATH,
> MANPATH and DISPLAY are determined in the postflight script. If we  
> would
> move that into a port config target (or port setup, the name is  
> open for
> discussion), the manual setup process would become easier.

You probably want those to read /opt/local/bin/port then, if the purpose
of the command would be to make it find port(1) in the first place ? :-)

Q: Does DISPLAY have to be fixed by MacPorts, just because Apple  
missed it ?
(I'm already setting stuff like $JAVA_HOME, $DISPLAY and $EDITOR  
outside...)

But I'm in the minority that don't want my $PATH automatically set up  
for me
either, unless/until I explicitly enable the use of MacPorts by  
adding it.

> The main purpose would be that we are moving this away from the dmg  
> installer and into base itself. So even if the installer postflight  
> script fails in future again, there would be an easy option to  
> setup MacPorts. Additionally this could also be useful for users  
> installing from source.

Or there could be a simple script that you could source from your  
profile,
maybe it could be called something like "init.sh" or "init.csh" ?  
(hint, hint*)

Then the profile hacking could be limited to 1 line sourcing this  
script ?
If the postflight fails, then it would also be easier to add it  
manually...

It also makes it easier to only "enable" MacPorts when you actually  
want to.
Like if you want to be able to run _both_ MacPorts and Fink, and  
others too.

> As the postflight script is broken in the 1.6.0 dmg, we have seen a  
> lot of people on IRC and the users mailing list looking for help  
> how to get MacPorts running. Telling them "set up your PATH  
> manually" sounds too complicated for some users and they might quit  
> using MacPorts at all.


The guide probably needs to have an optional section describing how  
to set up
your shell profile and how to sync ports, in case the automatic  
procedure fails ?

Theoretically you might want to get your ports tree in some other  
fashion too,
like running off the archive or updating through subversion or using  
a portpkg...

So breaking the installation down into those three distinctive steps  
might help
with the understanding ? (1. install base, 2. setup profile, 3. port  
selfupdate)

--anders

* yes, just like http://www.finkproject.org/doc/users-guide/ 
install.php#setup