${prefix}/var/db/dports contains five directories: build ===== this is where all the temporary files go whenever you install something. unless you're building something, it should be empty (it can potentially contain a lot of sub-directories but those should themselves only contain an empty 'work' dir. If you've disabled cleaning after installation... * through 'portautoclean no' in ${prefix}/etc/ports/ports.conf * through -k on the command line (e.g. 'sudo port -k install foo +bar) ...which you mostly likely haven't, the directory will *not* be empty but instead still contain files. long story short: ================= unless another action is running, you're free to remove the directory, most likely not saving space, though. (see distfiles -> long story short) distfiles ========= whenever a port is installed, files are fetched and put into this directory, so whenever you decide to uninstall something and feel like reinstalling it (the same version!) at a later point in time, you won't have to fetch any files that time. long story short: ================= this is the directory you can safely get rid of. instead of deleting it, you might first want to... sudo port -f clean --all to clean both the distfiles and the build directory. receipts ======== doesn't take up much space. i won't go into detail but this directory is essential for macports to run, don't delete it. software ======== this is where both inactive and active ports go. activating or deactivating a port doesn't change anything about how much space it takes up on your hd. the file in ${prefix}/(bin|lib|include|...) are only links, which take up virtually no extra space. long story short: ================= to save space, get rid of inactive ports. port echo inactive gets you a list. don't remove anything from this directory by hand! sources ======= the portfiles for every port there is are placed here - assuming your macports installation is up to date. sudo port sync makes sure that is the case. removing this directory isn't really harmful, it's pointless, though because * you won't be able to install anything without it * it'll be restored after every successful sync/selfupdate. Regards, Elias Pipping On Apr 13, 2007, at 1:22 AM, Markus Weimer wrote:

Hi,

I just checked my system for places where I can get a few megabytes of diskspace back and found that /opt/local/var/db/dports contains quite a lot of files. Essentially all software packages I installed are there once again. Is it safe to delete them? Is there a general procedure to free as much space as possible while keeping the ports intact?

Thanks in advance for any pointers,

Markus _______________________________________________ macports-users mailing list macports-users@lists.macosforge.org http://lists.macosforge.org/mailman/listinfo/macports-users

On Apr 13, 2007, at 1:57 AM, Elias Pipping wrote:

${prefix}/var/db/dports contains five directories:

build ===== this is where all the temporary files go whenever you install something. unless you're building something, it should be empty (it can potentially contain a lot of sub-directories but those should themselves only contain an empty 'work' dir. If you've disabled cleaning after installation...

* through 'portautoclean no' in ${prefix}/etc/ports/ports.conf * through -k on the command line (e.g. 'sudo port -k install foo +bar)

...which you mostly likely haven't, the directory will *not* be empty but instead still contain files.

long story short: =================

unless another action is running, you're free to remove the directory, most likely not saving space, though. (see distfiles -> long story short)

distfiles =========

whenever a port is installed, files are fetched and put into this directory, so whenever you decide to uninstall something and feel like reinstalling it (the same version!) at a later point in time, you won't have to fetch any files that time.

long story short: =================

this is the directory you can safely get rid of. instead of deleting it, you might first want to...

sudo port -f clean --all

should have been sudo port -f clean --all all

to clean both the distfiles and the build directory.

what i forgot to mention is: tarballs will start to pile up here through updates. so if you install a port and upgrade it twice you'll have three tarballs in there. (unless it's e.g. vim where updates only consist of small patches. (with vim it'd probably be a bad idea to clear this directory)

receipts ========

doesn't take up much space. i won't go into detail but this directory is essential for macports to run, don't delete it.

software ========

this is where both inactive and active ports go. activating or deactivating a port doesn't change anything about how much space it takes up on your hd. the file in ${prefix}/(bin|lib|include|...) are only links, which take up virtually no extra space.

long story short: =================

to save space, get rid of inactive ports.

port echo inactive

gets you a list. don't remove anything from this directory by hand!

sources =======

the portfiles for every port there is are placed here - assuming your macports installation is up to date.

sudo port sync

makes sure that is the case. removing this directory isn't really harmful, it's pointless, though because

* you won't be able to install anything without it * it'll be restored after every successful sync/selfupdate.

Regards,

Elias Pipping

On Apr 13, 2007, at 1:22 AM, Markus Weimer wrote:

...

Hi,

I just checked my system for places where I can get a few megabytes of diskspace back and found that /opt/local/var/db/dports contains quite a lot of files. Essentially all software packages I installed are there once again. Is it safe to delete them? Is there a general procedure to free as much space as possible while keeping the ports intact?

Thanks in advance for any pointers,

Markus _______________________________________________ macports-users mailing list macports-users@lists.macosforge.org http://lists.macosforge.org/mailman/listinfo/macports-users

_______________________________________________ macports-users mailing list macports-users@lists.macosforge.org http://lists.macosforge.org/mailman/listinfo/macports-users

Could someone please add a paragraph along the lines of To save some space, you could execute sudo port -f clean --all all to clean both the distfiles and the build directory. to this FAQ item Elias references? I registered for the website on the naïve assumption that this would let me edit the wiki, but no. (Ridiculous.) Dan 2007/4/13, Elias Pipping <pipping@macports.org>:

You might find this link useful, too.

[1] http://trac.macports.org/projects/macports/wiki/ FAQ#Whatarethefoldersinprefix/var/db/dports/ forandwhydotheytakeupsomuchspace

Regards,

Elias Pipping

On Apr 13, 2007, at 1:22 AM, Markus Weimer wrote:

...

Hi,

I just checked my system for places where I can get a few megabytes of diskspace back and found that /opt/local/var/db/dports contains quite a lot of files. Essentially all software packages I installed are there once again. Is it safe to delete them? Is there a general procedure to free as much space as possible while keeping the ports intact?

Thanks in advance for any pointers,

Markus _______________________________________________ macports-users mailing list macports-users@lists.macosforge.org http://lists.macosforge.org/mailman/listinfo/macports-users

_______________________________________________ macports-users mailing list macports-users@lists.macosforge.org http://lists.macosforge.org/mailman/listinfo/macports-users

-- http://www.mcld.co.uk

2007/4/16, Elias Pipping <pipping@macports.org>:

On Apr 16, 2007, at 12:35 PM, Dan Stowell wrote:

...

I registered for the website on the naïve assumption that this would let me edit the wiki, but no. (Ridiculous.)

How do we know you're not the spam fairy in disguise? ;)

Because I've registered and had to verify my email address!

Seriously, though, there's a ticket[1] for that issue.

[1] http://trac.macports.org/projects/macports/ticket/10673

OK Dan