Do macports and fink conflict

[Anders F Björklund]

Alistair Gallworthy wrote:

> Is it possible to install both MacPorts and fink and run them
> side-by-side without conflict?

Yes, but it is not the default mode of installation...
(i.e. you need to modify the default configuration)

> For instance, I know that both systems install their own dependent
> utilities (like say python) and that both systems put those utilities 
> in
> the PATH. That sounds like a recipe for conflict. Unless macports
> packages (for instance) religiously use absolute paths to refer to 
> other
> macports packages they depend on, then I'd guess they would
> unintentionally call fink packages on occasion.

You will need to disable the part of your .profile
that sets up the PATH for Fink and for MacPorts...
Otherwise you _will_ run into conflicts with them.
Instead, explicitly set the path to the one to use.

i.e. When you need Fink, you'll run from /sw and
when you need MacPorts, you'll run from /opt/local

> I would like to transition to macports but I depend on so many fink
> packages right now it would be destabilizing to jump all at once.

I wouldn't recommend mixing and matching packages
(programs, libraries, etc) from the two - at once.
But you can have both installed at the same computer,
provided that you only use one of them at a time ?

I am currently using at least five package managers,
but they each live (mostly) within their own prefix.

--anders