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From: Lowell Gilbert <freebsd-questions-local@be-well.ilk.org>
To: till plewe <till.plewe@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: local ports collection
References: <CACxAsm7khsW9Gt4uC6kHGvaX5-LZ=iMw_7qaw2=u63DvSDJKBQ@mail.gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 03 Dec 2013 12:08:56 -0500
In-Reply-To: <CACxAsm7khsW9Gt4uC6kHGvaX5-LZ=iMw_7qaw2=u63DvSDJKBQ@mail.gmail.com>
 (till plewe's message of "Wed, 4 Dec 2013 00:46:01 +0900")
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till plewe <till.plewe@gmail.com> writes:

> I would like to use the ports tree to install and manage packages inside my
> home directory. I tried setting:
>
> PKG_DBDIR,PREFIX,PORTSDIR,LOCALBASE,PORT_DBDIR,DESTDIR

Don't use DESTDIR; it doesn't do what you think it does.
[What did you think it did anyway, and why?]

> to directories within my home directory but then I get error messages like
>
> $ make build
> ===>  Creating some important subdirectories
> mount_nullfs: Operation not permitted
>
> when trying to build/install ports.
>
> Any suggestions on how to use ports completely avoiding root?
> (I rented space on a server and have permission to install binaries
> but do not have root access)

You'll probably have to change SU_CMD as well. 
Something like "su $USER -c" should do it.
And you may need to bootstrap the pkg(8) command somehow.

Good luck.