Installer should allow installation of macport in custom locations - for users without admin access

[Scott Haneda]

On Jul 28, 2010, at 3:37 PM, Mark Farnell wrote:

> Yes, this is what I mean.
> 
> However if you feel this can cause security issues, there are two
> alternative ways:
> 
> - Rather than letting the user to choose any directory, the installer
> can ask the user to choose whether it is for system or for user, if
> system, ask password and install in /opt/local/, if user, install in
> $(HOME)/opt/local
> 
> - Alternatively, we can get rid of the installer altogether and put
> the entire macport base file (and its ports) into MacPort.app.  Now
> the user can move MacPort.app to anywhere and the OS will take care of
> permission issues.

Here is my opinion...  grain of salt and all that :)

MacPorts is for semi-advanced users.  The more it approaches something a beginner can use, the better it will be.  With that, when software approaches universally used status, from new to expert, you generally give up features, not add them. 

I think Apple illustrates this very well.

Take iPhone as an example; with no copy and paste initially; all the "experts" blogging/talking about how simple it would be to implement.  I am 100% certain there are programmers at Apple that were capable of implementing 100 different methods of copy and paste. 

The time was taken to think about *how* to do it, having little to do with the actual code writing.  A new paradigm was being invented, it has to be done right the first time.  The design would be the foundation for which copy and paste will ride on forever.  Copy and paste is much larger than people ever were willing to give it credit for, IMHO.

I hear nothing about copy and paste on iPhone these days.  If I hear about copy and paste on another mobile, it is negative.

Back to MacPorts.  Simple install, defaults to /opt/local.  Well thought out, just like copy and paste was.  /opt/local sets the foundation for MacPorts moving forward.  Advanced users who need something beyond a true "one click install", which is as simple as I can see things getting, will have to know how to build from source.

Outside of that, unless there is a way to change the MacPorts prefix post install, without breaking it, then perhaps, a mini pref-pane type app could allow you to toggle the prefix location.

/ .02
-- 
Scott (* For off-list contact, replace talklists@ with scott@ *)