[MacPorts] #20556: Port should ask before performing time consuming or complex operations

[MacPorts]

#20556: Port should ask  before performing time consuming or complex operations
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 Reporter:  nick@…        |       Owner:  macports-tickets@…                   
     Type:  defect        |      Status:  new                                  
 Priority:  Normal        |   Milestone:                                       
Component:  ports         |     Version:  1.7.1                                
 Keywords:                |        Port:                                       
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 First of all -- thank you for contributing to open-source software!  I
 know that it is a lot of work ...

 But.

 I just installed macports in order to run a trivial program.

 I did 'sudo port install klavaro' ...

 ... and it installed *hundreds* of packages, most of which I neither need,
 want -- or already have perfectly functional copies of.

 I did *not* ask for a general update of packages on my machine, and am
 fairly peeved that someone thought I might have.

 It was unclear to me whether it was safe to abort the procedure -- once
 you see something being done unsafely, it's natural to doubt their ability
 to do something else safely (like cleaning up properly after an abort
 without leaving libraries half-copied).

 So I let it run.  When earlier I had tried to compile this trivial program
 from source, it complained of four dependencies.  I dearly wish I had
 simply downloaded them.

 If I  hear someone reply "but you should have called port with the --head-
 in-sand option!"  I will scream.  Virtually.  At least 'yum' has the
 decency to *ask permission*.


 I have good reason to be skeptical of package managers like this -- ever
 since fink screwed up some system libraries for me and prompted a re-
 install of my system.  That was many years ago but (as I am sure you'll
 understand) it left a bad taste in my mouth.

 I decided to try a different package manager -- and got burned again.

 Please, please, please, writers of open source, do not assume that your
 software is the most important thing in the world.  It is the most
 important thing in the world to *you*.  But to me it is a very small part
 of my day, and I just want to get on with that.


 Now I find it complains of incompatible xcode versions.  I don't want to
 fix it.  Is there some way of removing port and undoing everything it did?

-- 
Ticket URL: <http://trac.macports.org/ticket/20556>
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