Adding configure options when installing a port

[Daniel J. Luke]

On Jun 16, 2010, at 2:53 PM, Stephen Langer wrote:
> We distribute a program (not via macports or fink) that relies on external libraries that can be installed by macports or fink.  Currently, one of the libraries won't work with our code unless it's built with an argument not provided by the default macports or fink installation.  For my local copy, I placed a modified portfile a local portfile repository, but I'm sure that many of our users will have trouble doing that.  Being able to tell them to run a one-line script (sudo port install thislib --extraargs=--dotherightthing) would be great.
> 
> (If there's a simpler way to do what I'm doing, please let me know. I'm fairly new to macports.)

The best option, is probably to get whatever extra bits you need into the portfile.

If there's no big downside to the extra configure arg (huge extra dependencies, big performance problems, behavior inconsistent with what the end users expects, etc.) it can probably be included in the 'default' install. If not, it can probably be included as a variant.

Filing a ticket assigned to the port maintainer is a good way of starting the discussion. 
--
Daniel J. Luke                                                                   
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