Re: Effects of Fink / MacPorts [was: PCRE library requirement]

[Jarno Rajahalme]

On Feb 1, 2011, at 15:08 , ext Ben Abbott wrote:
> 
> I've been considering switching to MacPorts since it doesn't allow mixing of 
> compiler versions (all dependencies are built with the same compiler). I 
> don't think this was always the case. My impression is this changed with the 
> release of Snow Leopard (just guessing really).
> 

I don't think this is the case. Portfiles can not depend on a specific variant 
of a dependency. You have any source for this?

On naming of compilers: I like the way macports uses it's own names (e.g. 
gfortran-mp-4.5), so that by default the system's own compiler is used, unless 
a specific other compiler is called for explicitly.

On the "need to port": I think of macports more like a "package management 
system". The portfile contains all the info needed to download, verify, build 
(e.g., if specific configure options are needed), and install the package, with 
version control and management of dependencies. The few patches where needed 
are a nice bonus.

  Jarno