A few random usability suggestions...

[Rainer Müller]

On 2011-11-19 07:23, Roger Pack wrote:
> If I do this:
> $ sudo port install vlc -f

This does not do what you expect, but it is correct syntax. This would
deselect a variant named "f".

> The "help" syntax might be expandable a bit..
> 
> $ port help install
> Usage: install
> 
> Installs the given ports
> 
> (doesn't list any options available to the install command?)

This one should be fixed soon once I get around merging the new help
system to trunk (and of course, the next release after that...).

https://trac.macports.org/wiki/NewHelpSystem

> Also it seems to be missing a "reinstall" command...perhaps one could
> be added, perhaps like the equivalent of
>  sudo port uninstall suchAndSuch
>  sudo port clean –all suchAndSuch
>  sudo port install suchAndSuch
> or the like [?]

Right, there is no 'port reinstall'. Although as a workaround this one
works to force a reinstallation of a port:

  sudo port -n upgrade --force suchAndSuch

> Also I would have expected this to work:
> $ sudo port install twolame # it installs binary twolame
> $ sudo port install -s twolame # it "reinstalls, but from source"
> (currently it "does nothing")
> 
> At least output something like "twolame is already installed" but,
> better yet, I had hoped that it would basically reinstall it, from
> source, realizing that its initial installation had been from a binary
> package.

There is no information stored whether a port was installed from a
pre-compiled archive or from source. In fact, install always uses an
archive, just sometimes it has to be built locally first.

To force a reinstallation from source:

  sudo port -s -n upgrade --force suchAndSuch

Rainer