From owner-freebsd-ports@FreeBSD.ORG  Tue Aug 30 22:39:31 2011
Return-Path: <owner-freebsd-ports@FreeBSD.ORG>
Delivered-To: freebsd-ports@freebsd.org
Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34])
	by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 6CFC5106566C;
	Tue, 30 Aug 2011 22:39:31 +0000 (UTC)
	(envelope-from perryh@pluto.rain.com)
Received: from agora.rdrop.com (agora.rdrop.com [IPv6:2607:f678:1010::34])
	by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 4896E8FC14;
	Tue, 30 Aug 2011 22:39:31 +0000 (UTC)
Received: from agora.rdrop.com (66@localhost [127.0.0.1])
	by agora.rdrop.com (8.13.1/8.12.7) with ESMTP id p7UMdU4g013272
	(version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=DHE-RSA-AES256-SHA bits=256 verify=NOT);
	Tue, 30 Aug 2011 15:39:30 -0700 (PDT)
	(envelope-from perryh@pluto.rain.com)
Received: (from uucp@localhost)
	by agora.rdrop.com (8.13.1/8.12.9/Submit) with UUCP id p7UMdUGg013271; 
	Tue, 30 Aug 2011 15:39:30 -0700 (PDT)
Received: from fbsd81 ([192.168.200.81]) by pluto.rain.com
	(4.1/SMI-4.1-pluto-M2060407) id AA21779; Tue, 30 Aug 11 15:28:15 PDT
Date: Tue, 30 Aug 2011 22:28:11 -0700
From: perryh@pluto.rain.com
To: mandree@freebsd.org
Message-Id: <4e5dc66b.yG7fFB738rgdzrhe%perryh@pluto.rain.com>
References: <201108300823.p7U8NIfD038098@repoman.freebsd.org>
	<4E5CC44C.3070604@FreeBSD.org> <20110830111152.GF28186@home.opsec.eu>
	<4E5CD28A.1080809@FreeBSD.org> <20110830122726.GG28186@home.opsec.eu>
	<4E5D0856.8080505@FreeBSD.org>
In-Reply-To: <4E5D0856.8080505@FreeBSD.org>
User-Agent: nail 11.25 7/29/05
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Cc: freebsd-ports@freebsd.org
Subject: Re: cvs commit: ports/mail/procmail Makefile
X-BeenThere: freebsd-ports@freebsd.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5
Precedence: list
List-Id: Porting software to FreeBSD <freebsd-ports.freebsd.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-ports>,
	<mailto:freebsd-ports-request@freebsd.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-ports>
List-Post: <mailto:freebsd-ports@freebsd.org>
List-Help: <mailto:freebsd-ports-request@freebsd.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-ports>,
	<mailto:freebsd-ports-request@freebsd.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 30 Aug 2011 22:39:31 -0000

Matthias Andree <mandree@freebsd.org> wrote:

> I understand that keeping unchanging software can sometimes be
> necessary, if you're working around its quirks.
>
> At the same time I'd like to discourage new installations of dead
> software so that it disappears over time, rather than haunt fresh
> systems.
>
> How about if we added a new tag "OBSOLESCENT" or so that permits
> building the software only if it's already installed but refuses
> new installations?  Of course there could be a switch to override
> that, like TRYBROKEN that can override BROKEN= tags.
>
> I'm not sure if it's feasible for packages (but OBSOLESCENT could
> imply "do not package") but for ports it would be possible.

+1.  This would also address the python 2.4 problem mentioned in
another thread.

BTW (if it is not already being done) it would be good for the
-recursive targets to check for BROKEN, FORBIDDEN, OBSOLESCENT,
(others?) in the dependencies _before_ starting the actual work,
since the presence of a problematic dependency may well affect
the user's decision to install/build/whatever the leaf port.