From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Mon Nov 12 19:44:22 2007 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 1B5AB16A41B for ; Mon, 12 Nov 2007 19:44:22 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from youshi10@u.washington.edu) Received: from mxout3.cac.washington.edu (mxout3.cac.washington.edu [140.142.32.166]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id EA6DE13C4AC for ; Mon, 12 Nov 2007 19:44:21 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from youshi10@u.washington.edu) Received: from smtp.washington.edu (smtp.washington.edu [140.142.32.139]) by mxout3.cac.washington.edu (8.13.7+UW06.06/8.13.7+UW07.09) with ESMTP id lACJi2aD008511 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=DHE-RSA-AES256-SHA bits=256 verify=OK); Mon, 12 Nov 2007 11:44:03 -0800 X-Auth-Received: from [127.0.0.1] (node233.245.100.208.1dial.com [208.100.245.233] (may be forged)) (authenticated authid=youshi10) by smtp.washington.edu (8.13.7+UW06.06/8.13.7+UW07.09) with ESMTP id lACJhwI6014599 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=DHE-RSA-AES256-SHA bits=256 verify=NOT); Mon, 12 Nov 2007 11:44:00 -0800 Message-ID: <4738ACDD.50108@u.washington.edu> Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2007 11:43:25 -0800 From: Garrett Cooper User-Agent: Thunderbird 2.0.0.6 (Windows/20070728) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Chuck Robey References: <2852884D-270A-4879-B960-C10A602E080E@ashleymoran.me.uk> <47387891.2060007@unsane.co.uk> <47387BCA.6080604@foster.cc> <20071112183502.438b44b8@gumby.homeunix.com.> <4738A71A.6060100@chuckr.org> In-Reply-To: <4738A71A.6060100@chuckr.org> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-PMX-Version: 5.3.3.310218, Antispam-Engine: 2.5.2.313940, Antispam-Data: 2007.11.12.112112 X-Uwash-Spam: Gauge=IIIIIII, Probability=7%, Report='__CT 0, __CTE 0, __CT_TEXT_PLAIN 0, __HAS_MSGID 0, __MIME_TEXT_ONLY 0, __MIME_VERSION 0, __SANE_MSGID 0, __USER_AGENT 0' Cc: RW , freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Ports with GUI configs X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2007 19:44:22 -0000 Chuck Robey wrote: > RW wrote: >> On Mon, 12 Nov 2007 08:14:02 -0800 >> "Mark D. Foster" wrote: >> >>> Vince wrote: >>>> Ashley Moran wrote: >>>> >>>>> Hi >>>>> >>>>> I was just wondering, what is the motivation behind the GUI >>>>> configuration for some ports? Simply put, they drive me up the >>>>> wall. I've lost count of the number of times I've come back to a >>>>> big install to find it hanging on a config screen. Possibly I'm >>>>> missing something. >>>> I agree though, I often suffer the same problem, coming back after >>>> a few hours to a build that should have finished to find its >>>> sitting on the first dependency. >>>> >>> Maybe it's been suggested before (in which case I add my vote) but a >>> timeout mechanism would solve this... give the user 10s to provide a >>> keypress else bailout and use the "default" options. >>> >> >> That would involve standing-over the build for hours or days in case >> you miss a 10-second window - it's just not practical IMO. >> >> >> Setting the menus is pretty easy to script, and you can also set BATCH >> to take the default options > > A suggestion I recently made on the ports list would, as a side > effect, make a better solution. You see, allowing a default timer > does get things built, but then it allows no user input to let users > avoid installing software that they either have no ise for, or do not > want for other reasons. I have enough input now, so I'm going ahead > and coding up the Makefile mods to allow my system, but it looks > somewhat like the Gentoo Portage "USE" flags system. Not identical, > and I am only proposing to use their USE flags, not the rest (I very > much like using Makefiles as FreeBSD ports does, and wouldn't change > that.) > > If you want to see what it is, go look at recent postings on ports > list. It'll probably get changed, as I get something for folks to > look at and discuss. USE flags are a pain in the ass (former Gentoo user of 3 years). Introducing that type of complexity into a ports system isn't necessary and does unexpected things at times for end-users when developers change variable names or behavior, which happened quite often with Gentoo. make config-all or something similar to have people fill in their desired config info in all of the ncurses config sections would however be a much better idea I think.. -Garrett