On 1/22/08, Ryan Schmidt <ryandesign@macports.org> wrote:
On Jan 21, 2008, at 23:25, Matt Scilipoti wrote:
Randy, Thanks for your instruction. I have created ticket #14028 and included michael.thon@yahoo.com in the CC.
More below.
On 1/21/08, Ryan Schmidt wrote: ... snipped ...
For future reference... A google search shows that the checksum error has occurred before. This is one of the reasons many libraries have started including version numbers in the file name. This practice also ensures that prior versions of the libraries remain available.
Thanks for attention in this matter.
That's great advice, but it would do more good if sent to the developers of ncbi_tools, not to the MacPorts project, which is merely at the developers' mercy.
I would like to assist the port maintainer by directing him to some MacPort specific guidelines, but I was unable to find them on the wiki. I have noticed that python, xfce, and a few others are using a similar convention in MacPorts. Perhaps there are other measures available in MacPorts? I saw that I could install a particular version, but I could not find how to list the available versions.
Available versions? It's only possible to install the version of the software specified in the portfile. If a newer version is available, the portfile should be updated by its maintainer. It is not possible (without a bit of fiddling outside of MacPorts) to install earlier versions.
Sorry. I assumed that the @version option in the port command allowed me to specify a version. I wanted to try it, but I couldn't find a port that listed any prior versions. Hence, my question about listing previous versions.
What convention are you observing in python, xfce...?
Including the version number in the file name: python: python21 thru python30, py25-*, py30-* perl5.8 xfce4
Guidelines for writing ports and for using MacPorts are in the guide at http://guide.macports.org/ . If it needs to be updated with new information, I'm sure the guide authors would appreciate feedback. A ticket can be filed for documentation improvements as well.
Yes. That's where I looked. While it does state that the MacPort system allows for multiple versions (http://guide.macports.org/#internals.images), it doesn't discuss how to list which versions are available, or how to specify which version you wish to use. I assume you manually update your local portfile: version AND checksums. I guess I have to tell it not to use the listed master_sites as well (either in the portfile or using sources.conf). Or should I bypass all these MacPort layers and adjust the hardlink directly (ie: activate phase)? I also don't see any information which would guide a maintainer during a port upgrade. If these sections exist, please direct me to them. Otherwise, I will formulate these questions/suggestions into an enhancement ticket (or tickets). Thanks again for helping someone who is lost, but trying.