Accessing user command list????

[Jasper Frumau]

On Tue, Dec 22, 2009 at 5:48 PM, Ronnie Grubaugh <ronnie at wcc.net> wrote:

> I've been reading about open source software and found it interesting,
> mostly because it's not controlled by corporations, and I thought or assumed
> through my understanding, that Mac ports is if not necessary, needed to
> expedite and apply open source software with my Mac OSx 10.6.2 system. Is my
> interpretation correct?
>

That is partly correct. Mac Ports is used to for the use of OS packages on
your Mac. Packages that are Unix or Linux based Open Source programs. But
quite a few open source packages can be downloaded and installed directly
from the web as well. Take Gimp for instance. There is a Mac package (.dmg
image) online for you to download and install effortlessly and there is a
Mac Port for it as well See http://www.gimp.org/macintosh/ . It offers
information on Gimp using Mac Ports and just by grabbing the application
bundle and installing it like a regular program.  I used the .dmg. Just
download it and double click it and you can install a great Open Source
Graphics editor.

For OS packages like Gimp and all packages you can install via Mac Ports you
do need X11. See http://xquartz.macosforge.org/trac/wiki for information on
it. In brief it is the GUI that is needed to run OS Linux/UNIX based
software on a Mac. Maybe you already installed it..

Obviously you can tell I am a newbie and still have a lot of needed
> exploration into Mac ports, to better understand. Working proficiently with
> Mac ports may be above my present skill level.
>
> On Dec 22, 2009, at 1:41 AM, Jasper Frumau wrote:
>
> You're welcome Ronnie. No need to remove Mac Ports just yet. There are many
> ways to savely use the command line tool to handle Mac Ports. Some tips can
> be found here: http://guide.macports.org/ . And all the way through the
> learning process you can write to macports-users at lists.macosforge.org for
> help and guidance. The command:
> sudo port -v selfupdate
> is very save and is just used to update Mac Ports before you start using it
> to install software and so on. But don't just listen to me and ask the mail
> list where many experienced Mac users are there to help you. What were you
> planning to use Mac Ports for?
>
> On Tue, Dec 22, 2009 at 10:27 AM, Ronnie Grubaugh <ronnie at wcc.net> wrote:
> >
> > So there is no menu or application to open and find a menu, and the only
> way to exercise any commands or options within Macports, is through the
> terminal application. I have been in the computer age for one year, this
> month and have always read that you need to be very experienced, before
> fooling with terminal commands. Maybe I need to learn how to uninstall
> Macports. The last thing I want to do, is end up with a serious problem.
> Thank you Jasper for your help, Ronnie G.
> > On Dec 22, 2009, at 12:56 AM, Jasper Frumau wrote:
> >
> > Use the application terminal (command line tool) listed under
> applications in your Mac, type the command and press enter. To learn how to
> use the terminal type help and press enter. To learn more about mac ports
> type man port and enter.
> >
> > On Tue, Dec 22, 2009 at 9:46 AM, Ronnie Grubaugh <ronnie at wcc.net> wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >> Begin forwarded message:
> >>
> >> From: Ronnie Grubaugh <ronnie at wcc.net>
> >> Date: December 22, 2009 12:20:39 AM CST
> >> To: MacPorts <macports-users-request at lists.macosforge.org>
> >> Subject: Accessing user command list????
> >>
> >> I have installed Mac ports, but I can't find or figure out how to access
> user command list or menu. Please tell me how to access user option menu, or
> whatever it is called?. Because it says the first command to exercise
> is sudo port -v selfupdate, and I have no idea where such a command exist.
> Your help would be greatly appreciated thank you, Ronnie G.
> >>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> macports-users mailing list
> >> macports-users at lists.macosforge.org
> >> http://lists.macosforge.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/macports-users
> >>
> >
> >
>
>
>
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