invoking port

[Ryan Schmidt]

On Apr 7, 2007, at 18:03, Paul Beard wrote:

> So what is the correct, fail-safe, guaranteed to work syntax to  
> upgrade a port? I keeping thinking that passing the "u" argument  
> would do it but not so much. port upgrade <some port> fails, if  
> there are dependencies, regardless of the presence of the "u." I  
> have to use "f" and it doesn't seem right that I should have to  
> force something that is supposed to be possible without it.
>
> the last message I saw on this suggested using -ufn. this unpacks  
> as "upgrade" "force" "no dependencies." Why isn't just "u" sufficient?

If some other ports depend on the port you're trying to upgrade, then  
port will complain, unless you use the force option. I wish it  
weren't that way -- I wish port were smart enough to figure out that  
you are installing an upgrade to the port, not merely uninstalling  
the port, therefore it should allow the (momentary) uninstallation.  
However, port is not that smart.

-ufn is suggested because -u uninstalls the previous version, -f  
forces the uninstallation, and -n prevents dependencies from also  
being forced to rebuild, which they otherwise would be with -f.