MacPorts' Directory Layout Guideline or suggestion?

[Ryan Schmidt]

On Aug 5, 2007, at 22:35, Jeff Stubbs wrote:

> On Aug 5, 2007, at 12:19 PM, js wrote:
>
>> I'm wondering if there's  any guideline or  suggestion that
>> MacPorts port  creaters should  follow.
>>
>> apache2 installs its  conf  files in /opt/local/apache2/conf
>> but apache's in /opt/local/etc/apache/conf.
>> Is this a bug? or just lack of good guidelines?
>
> May I pose a follow up question to this one?
>
> The apache2 install in /opt/local/apache2 looks like a tweak to the  
> default build to install it inside the /opt directory. But the  
> postgresql build is scattered just like the OP's example of the  
> apache install. (i.e., bulk is in /opt/local/lib, db cluster in / 
> opt/local/var/db/postgresql/defaultdb, ...etc) Is there is a  
> historical reason for this?
>
> Just to get a handle on working with portfiles, I created a local  
> repository and modified the original portfile to install the  
> database into an /opt/local/pgsql82 direcotry. Ran into a couple of  
> minor problems but was able to work it out. The server works fine.  
> I realize that any attempt  to use this modified port wouldn't be  
> worth it, but was a good learning experience.

Having a background coming from Mac OS 6, 7, 8 and 9, and not a UNIX  
variant, I don't really know where things "should" go, and don't  
really care much either. "port contents foo" will always tell you  
what the port foo installed, so it's not so hard to find where things  
are, whatever the layout. IMHO.

Also, the mysql5 port specifically (and significantly) modifies its  
install so that it goes all over the place, to try to coerce it into  
the apparently standard layout, but this has been criticized as  
making it hard to see where things go, and has also caused some  
difficulties for software that needs to link against mysql5 (e.g. see  
the mysql5 variant in the php5 port) and has been contrasted with the  
official MySQL binaries which install entirely into /usr/local/mysql-$ 
{version}. Seems like people will complain (maybe not complain, but  
ask about it) either way.