Problem with Macports, homebrew, and ghostscript

[Art McGee]

> Based on some bad internet advice I appear to have installed homebrew
> without realizing it is not compatible (so to speak) with macports, and so
> I installed ghostscript via homebrew, without realizing that I had already
> installed it via macports, and that it appears to have been already
> installed "natively"...
>
>

> I don't know how I created this mess...but am not sure what to do.
>
> Should I delete ghostscript from homebrew? If I do will I destroy it from
> macports? Will I destroy the 9.05 version?
> I know that I am using ghostscript with LyX and some other TeX
> programs...I will have to figure out how to make sure they will still
> function but I think they all look for gs in usr/local/bin...ack!
>

Homebrew was specifically created as an arrogant and hostile alternative to
traditional OS X package managers such as MacPorts and Fink. You can NOT
use it with any other package manager. I'm actually fascinated that anyone,
anywhere on the net, would have advised you differently. Whoever did that
are complete idiots.

You need to choose which package manager you want to run, and delete the
other. Homebrew is mainly intended to be used by developers who use their
system almost exclusively for development. They are unconcerned with the
effects of mucking with /usr/local and it's ownership or permissions. For
everyone else, MacPorts, Fink, or Pkgsrc are preferred. They keep their
environment segregated from the rest of the system, and because of this,
even though any MacPorts admin will strongly and vehemently advise against
even trying it, they can work in concert with each other.

Yes, you can delete Ghostscript from Homebrew and it won't destroy anything
in MacPorts, but the bigger problem is the fact that you installed Homebrew
in the first place.

Art McGee
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