can macports be less strict with aux packages download?

[Mojca Miklavec]

On 16 January 2018 at 18:07, islaind via macports-users wrote:
> can macports be less strict with aux packages download?
> -------------------------------------------------------
> (on osx 10.8.5, port version 2.4.2)
>
> In installing xpdf 'port' decides to install perl 5.24 (I have already
> installed perl 5.22)
> then requires to install OpenMotif which in turn prompts me to install the
> following:
>
> perl5.16 @5.16.3
> perl5.22 @5.22.2

If you are promted to install perl5.16 and perl5.22 then something is
seriously outdated on your system.

> Can port be told to be less strict with large packages like perl, ruby and,
> the horror of all, the several pythons?

To start with, it would help to run "selfupdate" and get rid of any
local repositories with horribly outdated ports that keep requesting
perl5.16.

Once you do that: no, you cannot avoid installing perl5.26 even if you
do have all of perl5.8, perl5.10, perl5.12, perl5.14, perl5.16,
perl5.18, perl5.20, perl5.22 installed. But you can uninstall all of
the latter. (Once a few packages get updated - and you can help with
that - you will also be able to get rid of perl5.24.)

Alternatively you can modify the package sources locally yourself and
then you should be able to avoid installing any dependency that you
don't want.

Mojca