Variables, options, and keys -- oh my!

[Boyd Waters]

On Jun 19, 2008, at 5:57 PM, Rainer Müller wrote:

> Boyd Waters wrote:
>> So if I set configure.compiler in macports.conf, it gets picked up   
>> unless overridden in the Port file?
>
> There is no option yet in macports.conf, that's what I am proposing  
> here.
>
> Currently you can only use it from command line, but this will  
> override configure.compiler from the Portfile.


Ok, thanks. I thought I was missing something really fundamental.

So here's a fundamental question: why can't we set port parameters in  
the macports.conf?

Then if the option is set in the Portfile, it overrides what is in the  
macports.conf. And if the user specifies it on the command line, that  
overrides anything in either of them. If the option isn't set  
anywhere, use a reasonable default value.


Most of my users never look inside that macports.conf file, they are  
not aware it exists. They would be "safe".

But I manage a build system that uses 30-40 ports, and I've had to  
tweak individual portfiles rather than modify a global parameter.



   - boyd


Boyd Waters
Scientific Programmer
National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Socorro, New Mexico