Clicking on the Download Now (Visit Site) button above will open a connection to a third-party site. Download.com cannot completely ensure the security of the software hosted on third-party sites.
Install various open-source software packages on Mac OS X.
The aim of the MacPorts project is to develop a second-generation system for the building, installation and management of third party software. MacPorts is probably best described by comparison: It's sort of like the FreeBSD ports collection or Fink in that it automates the process of building third party software for Mac OS X. MacPorts also tracks all dependency information for a given piece of software. In other words, it knows what it needs to build and install and in what order for the piece of software you want to work properly. MacPorts knows how to make, build and install the software to a specific location, meaning that software installed via MacPorts doesn't simply scatter itself all over the system or require user knowledge of dependencies in what order.
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />It really doesn't work much like fink or BSD's Portage. Maybe it's supposed to, but it doesn't. So many packages are broken; dependencies fail to build for all kinds of reasons. A giant time waster. It's a shame some interesting software is offered and some software authors seem to rely on macports for their OS X releases.
I for one do not buy the BS about installing macports wholly seperate fomr OS X. This requires the installation of sometimes enormous amounts of redundant software and prevents the convenient use of macports to install things to complie other sources against the way one can, seemlessly, with fink. This is a nice idea very poorly done.
Installing hangs...
Cattus Thraex
Pros
Cons
Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />Indeed, installing last version hangs... yet it is sufficient to force quit, restart, download Porticus and.. all is OK (1.67 PB with Leo).
do not be so rude with its author, indeed installer hangs indefinitely, but seems a non-critical issue, after restart all seems OK. Or am I wrong?
Don't Install This from .pkg
mwarne
Pros
Cons
Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />The .pkg installer doesn't work properly and leaves you with an unusable installation.
I am now stuck because, despite uninstalling v 1.6.0, I can't now install any earlier version (which would work) and update.
This is a SERIOUS pain in the backside.
Don't Install This from .pkg
mwarne
Pros
Cons
Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />The .pkg installer doesn't work properly and leaves you with an unusable installation.
I am now stuck because, despite uninstalling v 1.6.0, I can't now install any earlier version (which would work) and update.
This is a SERIOUS pain in the backside.
Nice
anonymous3456
Pros
Cons
Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />Darwin ports is great.
DarwinPorts and Fink
amcgee
Pros
Cons
Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />DarwinPorts and Fink compliment each other nicely, and I don't think it's an either/or situation. Fink has many more available packages, a good graphical interface via FinkCommander, and the ease of binary installation via Debian's apt-get, whereas DarwinPorts has much more flexibility and many more package installation options, as well as being a more proper BSD-style package management system. I'm glad that DP finally has a smooth installer, for those less comfortable with CVS. Now it will be easier for more people to use them both, side-by-side.
FYI, in order to insure that Fink and DarwinPorts coexist peacefully, the path to DarwinPorts should come before Fink. In order to do this, make sure the last lines in your .profile looks like this:
test -r /sw/bin/init.sh && . /sw/bin/init.sh
export PATH="/opt/local/bin:${PATH}"
export MANPATH="/opt/local/share/man:${MANPATH}"
export INFOPATH="/opt/local/share/info:${INFOPATH}"
If Fink frustrates you then try this
Hangnail--2008
Pros
Cons
Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />The Ports method of management has been around a while on the FreeBSD side and has been adopted by several linux distros as a way to manage packages. While I suggest you visit their site for a more technical detail I will let you know my newbie's experience. I wanted to install elinks to test web pages in a text only browser. I've had bad experiences with Fink but many people are extremely happy with fink so It may have been my not following detail that caused the problem.
Someone mentioned the darwin ports so I went out there and read the instructions for installing it. worked great and I was able to get elinks up fairly quickly with full openssl. I say fairly quickly as you work with the source files and compile it localy. I think there is a way to just use binaries but from what I've seen, if yo pull source you tend to get the latest releases.
You have to install the developer tools and make sure you install the x11 headers (a separate install package with the developer tools). But that is pretty simple.
Overall I have found this to be a very solid and stable way to get unix software. This install package takes all the pain from the inital setup (other than installing xcode). There is no GUI but the web site has good docs and there are man pages if you know how to read that sort of thing. Someone has made a GUI to the ports. the first version was terrible but they have a newer one I haven't tried yet.
Overall I am ecstatic with the ports and the system, once you learn it, seems pretty bullet proof
