Why should I use macports?

[Ben Greenfield]

There is a lot of unix software out-there that is distributed in  
source form. If everyone who wanted to use the software had to have  
knowledge of all the intricacies involved in getting basic  
software,compiled, installed, and running we would lose a lot of  
efficiencies as users.

Each operating system community has a volunteer based community for  
trying to insulate the users from all the complexity while still  
providing access to as much software as possible.

Macports is one of OS X projects, Fink is another.

If one wants to install apache they can get the source download  
compile with the options they want and install it and go, or one can  
install apache using macports (after they installed macports). The  
advantage to macports is that people who care about apache working on  
os x are maintaing the platform specific needs using the macports  
system. There for it should be easy to install software using macports  
as opposed to going it alone.

The burden of install macports is dwarfed by the efficiency of not  
having to maintain the software you are trying to install.

Good Luck,

Ben


On Oct 15, 2009, at 11:19 AM, Mark Blackman wrote:

> On 15/10/2009 16:08, Wendy Bossons wrote:
>> I recently transitioned to a new software project, and I am using Mac
>> now as a development platform instead of Windows. I keep seeing  
>> Macports
>> come up as a way to install software, but I don't understand what  
>> it is
>> and why I might need it.
>>
>> Can someone explain the purpose of Macports and why I might need it?
>
> It's a source-based framework for installing 3rd party software.
>
> You install macports, then it manages all the steps required to
> build and install lots of other software including some level of  
> dependency management.
>
> - Mark
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