Backing up MacPorts directories

[Steve Holden]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ryan Schmidt [mailto:ryandesign at macports.org]
> Sent: 26 May 2015 20:33
> To: Larry Velázquez
> Cc: Steve Holden; MacPorts Users
> Subject: Re: Backing up MacPorts directories
> 
> On May 26, 2015, at 12:11 PM, Lawrence Velázquez wrote:
> 
> > On May 26, 2015, at 7:11 AM, Steve Holden wrote:
> >
> >> Is it recommended to omit any of the directories under
> >> ‘/opt/local/var/macports’ from backups (e.g. ‘distfiles’, ‘sources’)?
> >> https://guide.macports.org/#internals.hierarchy
> >>
> >> Whilst I’d like a fully-functioning MacPorts installation if I have to
> >> boot from or restore from a backup drive, I wondered whether any of
> >> its build directories could be safely omitted? Would their contents be
> >> re-downloaded or re-built automatically (or could they be manually)?
> >
> > You can probably omit these.
> >
> > - var/macports/build: A scratch directory for port builds. There
> >  shouldn't be anything in there, unless a build was interrupted and you
> >  didn't run `port clean` afterwards.
> > - var/macports/distfiles: A cache for ports' source distributions.
> >  MacPorts will redownload anything it can't find here.
> > - var/macports/logs: MacPorts' logs.
> > - var/macports/sources: Contains the ports tree and MacPorts base source
> >  code. I believe `port selfupdate` repopulates this, so you need not
> >  back it up.
> 
> While the contents of those directories can be safely deleted, MacPorts
> might expect the directories themselves to exist, with certain permissions
> and ownership. Not sure if they will be recreated automatically if you delete
> them (or exclude them from your backup, then restore them).

Thanks, Ryan and Larry - I'll exclude the contents (but not the directories themselves) from my backup.

Best wishes,
Steve