mpkg package variants

[Werner LEMBERG]

>> Let me reformulate my question: Does the way how I have installed
>> MacPorts packages on my computer influence how `port mpkg' works
>> for a given package?  Given that `port mpkg' rebuilds all packages,
>> I would expect no.  Instead, I would expect some control file (or a
>> special command line sequence) to control variants of package
>> dependencies.
> 
> I believe you can just specify the variants that you want (for the
> port and all of its dependencies) at the command line when you run
> `port mpkg`, can't you?  As in:
> 
>   sudo port mpkg lilypond-devel +mactex +perl5_28

This seems to work, thanks!  Maybe it's worth to document that.

Of course, the next question is whether MacPorts variant strings form
a consistent set without contradictions.

Another issue: There are many files in the mpkg file that are
definitely unnecessary to run the final program (in my case the
`lilypond' binary from `lilypond-devel'), for example test files for
python, or header files of C libraries, or (most of the)
documentation.  Is there any support from `port' to not package that?


    Werner