Creating a port for non-free software

[Chris Jones]

On 24/10/18 05:35, David Strubbe wrote:
> In my experience, that code is also a nightmare to compile. I tried once 
> and gave up, because it made so many assumptions about the environment 
> that were not true on a Mac.

That could be viewed as a reason *for* making a port, as once someone 
has fixed all the niggles everyone else benefits. Maybe having access to 
all MacPorts dependencies would help as well...

Now I understand how the fetch phase would work, I think there could be 
some benefit, if you can get it to work ;)

Chris

> 
> On Tue, Oct 23, 2018 at 7:40 PM Marcus Calhoun-Lopez 
> <mcalhoun at macports.org <mailto:mcalhoun at macports.org>> wrote:
> 
>     It would have to be something akin to the oracle-instantclient port,
>     in which the user is responsible for putting the files in the
>     correct location.
>     This is also how FreeBSD apparently supports GAMESS.
> 
>     -Marcus
> 
> 
>      > On Oct 23, 2018, at 7:35 PM, Chris Jones
>     <jonesc at hep.phy.cam.ac.uk <mailto:jonesc at hep.phy.cam.ac.uk>> wrote:
>      >
>      > Hi,
>      >
>      > As i understand it reading the links below the user has to
>     register themselves, name and email etc., in order to get a password
>     to allow access to the downloads. I don’t really see how this is
>     compatible with macports, how would you integrate this into the port
>     file ?
>      >
>      > Chris
>      >
>      >> On 24 Oct 2018, at 2:24 am, Marcus Calhoun-Lopez
>     <mcalhoun at macports.org <mailto:mcalhoun at macports.org>> wrote:
>      >>
>      >> Recently, there was a request to create a port for a software
>     package called GAMESS [1].
>      >> After a little research, I found out that GAMESS is *not* free
>     software [2].
>      >> Moreover, downloading GAMESS requires registration, and neither
>     the source nor the binary can be redistributed [3].
>      >> I believe there is precedent for such a port [4], but I was
>     wondering if fit within the ethos of MacPorts.
>      >> I have no personal need for the GAMESS, but if, as suggested by
>     the reporter, it would be useful to others, I can put a little time
>     into it.
>      >>
>      >> If there is no way we can support such a setup, we should
>     probably close the ticket as wontfix.
>      >>
>      >> Thanks,
>      >> Marcus
>      >>
>      >> [1] https://trac.macports.org/ticket/57395
>      >> [2] https://www.msg.chem.iastate.edu/gamess/License_Agreement.html
>      >> [3] https://www.msg.chem.iastate.edu/gamess/download.html
>      >> [4]
>     https://github.com/macports/macports-ports/blob/master/databases/oracle-instantclient/Portfile
>      >
>