Prebuilt alternatives

[Jamie Paul Griffin]

[ Joshua Root wrote on Wed 26.Sep'12 at  4:13:12 +1000 ]

> On 2012-9-26 04:05 , Kenneth Miller wrote:
> > Why does macports insist on using only local builds?
> 
> It doesn't. If a prebuilt package is available, it will be used. There
> are a number of reasons why one might not be.

As a Mac OS X user and a FreeBSD user I personally like the fact software is built from source, with the option of packaged binaries also. This allows users to have more choice over how their software is built and how it runs for their own needs and for their system environment. 

Macports is without doubt a life saver for many Mac users who, without Macports, wouldn't be able to install and use certain software without learning about compilers and linking libraries, and all that jazz.