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Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc Path: sserve!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!yarrina.connect.com.au!classic.iinet.com.au!news.uoknor.edu!news.ecn.uoknor.edu!paladin.american.edu!zombie.ncsc.mil!news.mathworks.com!gatech!news.sprintlink.net!noc.netcom.net!netcom.com!mvh From: mvh@netcom.com (Michael Harding) Subject: Re: Ports confuse me... Message-ID: <mvhD8qnMn.CK2@netcom.com> Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest) X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL1] References: <3pd31k$ebd@hq.hq.af.mil> Date: Wed, 17 May 1995 20:01:35 GMT Lines: 29 Sender: mvh@netcom16.netcom.com I finally figured out what's up with ports. Copy the port directory to /usr/ports, and type 'make DISTDIR=(directory where ports distfiles are)'. You can do a make, and a make install. I was able to build the TeX distribution this way, and when I had asked earlier, I was told that TeX is not on the CD! If you don't put a 'DISTDIR=xxx' in the make line, the make will fetch the current sources from an ftp repository. I don't have connectivity yet, so I built stuff from the CD distribution directory. Basically, a port is an automated way to get a program working on BSD. It fetches the current sources, does extracts and patches, and runs it. As a program like TeX has many files in the distribution, the ports makefile will fetch the proper files. I figured this out from looking at the makefile: I couldn't find any documentation anywhere! Leslie Peters (lpeters@scratchy.hq.af.mil) wrote: : I am a two-year veteran of Net- and now FreeBSD (currently at 2.0-950210), : yet I am baffled by ports. How does it work? I have looked at : the info that is in any particular program port and I can't make heads : or tails of it. Taking a source tarball and make'ing it, no problemo. : Even when it isn't completely clean, I can usually get it to work. : However, ports are beyond my ken at this moment. : Low-temp assistance is appreciated :) : -- : "Voom? Mate, this parrot wouldn't voom if you put 4 million volts through it!" : Les Peters (lpeters@scratchy.hq.af.mil/lpeters@aol.net/FiddyRing@aol.com) : (2.1) GCS d H- s+:+ !g p1 au+ a27 w+ v- C++ UVBAH++++$ P+++ L- 3+ E--- : N+ K- W+ M V- po Y+ t++(+++) 5 j+ R G' tv+ b+ !D B- e+ u++ h---- : f+ r+++ n+(----) y++++(*)