Error installing gnuplot/aquaterm

[James Linder]

> On 29 Oct. 2016, at 3:00 am, macports-users-request at lists.macosforge.org wrote:
> 
>> I am sorry if this is a silly question, but I am trying to install gnuplot
>> (I am running Mac OS Sierra, recently updated and performed the MacPorts
>> migration) and am getting the error shown below.  Aquaterm is needing to be
>> installed and that seem to be where it is hanging up.
>> 
>> Error: org.macports.activate for port aquaterm returned: Image error:
>> /Applications/MacPorts/AquaTerm.app/Contents/Info.plist already exists and
>> does not belong to a registered port.  Unable to activate port aquaterm. Use
>> 'port -f activate aquaterm' to force the activation.
> 
> This looks like a local problem on your machines. Some files exist
> that shouldn't be there. Try to run
>    sudo rm -rf /Applications/MacPorts/AquaTerm.app/
> and then try to install/activate aquaterm again. Alternatively do
>    sudo port -f activate aquaterm
> as suggested.
> 
> How did you uninstall MacPorts during migration? Just "sudo rm -rf
> /opt/local"? Or did you actually do "sudo port deactivate active" or
> "sudo port uninstall active"? If you just removed the contents of
> "/opt/local" without uninstalling or deactivating old ports, you might
> run into the same problem with other ports that install files outside
> of $prefix.
> 
> In that case I would suggest you to run "sudo port deactivate active",
> then "rm -rf /Applications/MacPorts" and potentially clean up a few
> more places (I have no clue which ones). You might have to force
> install other ports if you didn't properly uninstall the ports from
> earlier.

First my gnuplot *does* run
Next my install was messy and took many iterations

I downloaded the install_sierra app and made a memstick
I then updated and lots did not work (eg very important for me X11 forwarding)
I then reinstalled el capitan only to find my time machine disk had beem marked as ‘sierra’ and could no longer be used.
I did a fresh install (format disk) of sierra, then of macports, finally everything worked.
I installed the ports I remembered, then as I found whoops needed, all was quick and the pain tolerable.
James