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Re: Fink, MacPorts, HomeBrew, oh my...

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On 2015-09-26, Michael Vilain <vilain@NOspamcop.net> wrote:
> In article <d6menvFt8lU1@mid.individual.net>,
>  Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com> wrote:
>
>> Personally, I avoid package managers and just install from source. I
>> dislike the overhead of a package manager, and most open source software
>> I want to run is relatively easily compiled in OS X (usually just a
>> simple: ./configure, make, sudo make install).
>
> I gave up "doing it by hand" when I hit packages that dependencies of
> over 100 packages.  That's why I switched to a package manager.

I find those are typically GUI application packages, which I don't
desire or need. I prefer to use genuine Mac GUI applications instead.
Most of the open source *nix software I use is command-line software,
and generally the dependencies are quite manageable.

> These days I'd rather just install a package and have the manager
> download the 100 dependencies and compile them than go through the
> multiple iterations of looking up where to download something,
> downloading it, finding out it needs specific libraries that I also
> have to download.  The last time I tried this was with php 5.4 with
> various components.  I spent 4 days working on it and finally just
> gave up and used the Apple version.
>
> Some years later, I needed a version with mod_<something> which Apple
> didn't provide.  So I downloaded the module, identical version of php,
> libraries, etc., built the module then installed it on the php modules
> directory, tossing the rest.

I've compiled Apache / PHP / etc on various versions of OS X though the
years, all by hand. I do it professionally on enterprise Linux servers
as well though, which makes me rather familiar with the standard
dependencies and so on. You're right that it's somewhat cumbersome
compared to simpler stand-alone applications. But I'm usually done with
everything in the same day. I very much like knowing exactly what is
being installed and exactly how it is configured.

> The OP isn't a developer and may not have any experience building
> software from open source or whatever.  You're suggestion that he just
> build it himself is sort of like handing a wrench to your mom and
> asking her to fix her own car.  She may be able to do it, but my mom
> doesn't know a distributor from an air filter.

I think we have a misunderstanding. Please note that I did no recommend
the OP do anything at all. I simply stated *my* preference for
installing from source. ; ) I do realize not everyone wants or knows how
to to compile their own software. And I am glad package managers exist
as an option on OS X. It's good that several choices are available.

> How nice that you can do it yourself.  I bake my own baguettes.

It is nice. I do enjoy it. I realize not everyone wants to compile their
own software, and I'm fine with that too. 

We cook all of our own meals every day in our house, and purchase our
produce directly from a local farm. We hardly ever eat out, and when we
do it's never fast food. We bake various breads every so often, but we
usually get our baguettes from a local artisan bakery that grinds its
own flour and uses high quality ingredients. Their baguettes are
*quite* lovely! : )

-- 
E-mail sent to this address may be devoured by my ravenous SPAM filter.
I often ignore posts from Google. Use a real news client instead.

JR

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Fink, MacPorts, HomeBrew, oh my... ANTant@zimage.com (Ant) - 2015-09-25 20:00 -0500
  Re: Fink, MacPorts, HomeBrew, oh my... Michael Vilain <vilain@NOspamcop.net> - 2015-09-25 18:16 -0700
    Re: Fink, MacPorts, HomeBrew, oh my... ANTant@zimage.com (Ant) - 2015-09-25 21:08 -0500
      Re: Fink, MacPorts, HomeBrew, oh my... David Ritz <dritz@mindspring.com> - 2015-09-26 00:37 -0500
        Re: Fink, MacPorts, HomeBrew, oh my... ANTant@zimage.com (Ant) - 2015-09-26 01:05 -0500
        Re: Fink, MacPorts, HomeBrew, oh my... Michael Vilain <vilain@NOspamcop.net> - 2015-09-25 23:48 -0700
      Re: Fink, MacPorts, HomeBrew, oh my... Paul Sture <nospam@sture.ch> - 2015-09-27 19:11 +0200
        Re: Fink, MacPorts, HomeBrew, oh my... ANTant@zimage.com (Ant) - 2015-09-27 19:32 -0500
    Re: Fink, MacPorts, HomeBrew, oh my... Paul Sture <nospam@sture.ch> - 2015-09-27 19:10 +0200
      Re: Fink, MacPorts, HomeBrew, oh my... Michael Vilain <vilain@NOspamcop.net> - 2015-09-27 11:02 -0700
  Re: Fink, MacPorts, HomeBrew, oh my... Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com> - 2015-09-26 02:37 +0000
    Re: Fink, MacPorts, HomeBrew, oh my... Michael Vilain <vilain@NOspamcop.net> - 2015-09-25 23:57 -0700
      Re: Fink, MacPorts, HomeBrew, oh my... ANTant@zimage.com (Ant) - 2015-09-26 05:54 -0500
        Re: Fink, MacPorts, HomeBrew, oh my... Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com> - 2015-09-26 16:19 +0000
          Re: Fink, MacPorts, HomeBrew, oh my... ANTant@zimage.com (Ant) - 2015-09-27 19:31 -0500
      Re: Fink, MacPorts, HomeBrew, oh my... Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com> - 2015-09-26 16:19 +0000
        Re: Fink, MacPorts, HomeBrew, oh my... Lewis <g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> - 2015-09-27 15:53 +0000
          Re: Fink, MacPorts, HomeBrew, oh my... Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com> - 2015-09-27 16:30 +0000
            Re: Fink, MacPorts, HomeBrew, oh my... Lewis <g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> - 2015-09-27 19:44 +0000
  Re: Fink, MacPorts, HomeBrew, oh my... Warren Oates <warren.oates@gmail.com> - 2015-09-26 07:53 -0400
  Re: Fink, MacPorts, HomeBrew, oh my... John D <duncanjdiii@gmail.com> - 2015-09-27 17:06 -0400
    Re: Fink, MacPorts, HomeBrew, oh my... John D <duncanjdiii@gmail.com> - 2015-09-27 17:15 -0400
      Re: Fink, MacPorts, HomeBrew, oh my... Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com> - 2015-09-27 21:31 +0000
    Re: Fink, MacPorts, HomeBrew, oh my... Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com> - 2015-09-27 22:45 +0000
    Re: Fink, MacPorts, HomeBrew, oh my... Lewis <g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> - 2015-09-28 07:46 +0000

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