/usr/ports/Tools [was: GNU packages and gettext]

[Oliver Eikemeier]

Joe Marcus Clarke wrote:

> On Thu, 2003-10-23 at 21:39, Oliver Eikemeier wrote:
> 
>>Joe Marcus Clarke wrote:
>>
>>>On Thu, 2003-10-23 at 21:17, Oliver Eikemeier wrote:
>>>
>>>>Joe Marcus Clarke wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>On Thu, 2003-10-23 at 20:53, Oliver Eikemeier wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>Simon Barner wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>I have two approaches in mind how one could tackle this problem at its
>>>>>>>root:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>[...]
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>2. Modify portlint such that it reports an error when either
>>>>>>>`charset.alias' or `locale.alias' are in the pkg-plist.
>>>>>>
>>>>>><advertisement> perhaps the portconflitcs tool will help? </advertisement>
>>>>>
>>>>>Have you send-pr'd this?  It can be added to /usr/ports/Tools.
>>>>
>>>>Currently in a closed alpha:
>>>> http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-ports/2003-October/005712.html
>>>>
>>>>I will check it in sometime after 4.9R :) probably to devel/portconflits.
>>>
>>>I was thinking it might make a nice simple addition to our Tools
>>>directory...but a port will do, too, I guess.
>>
>>It is designed as a complementary tool to portlint, therefore the advertisement.
>>Portlint checks the style of the port before installing, portconflicts the
>>packing list afterwards. First I though of making something like Bill Fenners
>>portsurvey(TM), but I think it might be useful for new ports too. I can still
>>send out email reminders, if this is A Good Thing. Where doe you think it would
>>have its place in the Tools directory? To be honest, I use none of the nifty
>>little snippets there.
> 
> If it's going to be like portlint, a port would be fine.  As for useful
> Tools, I find plist invaluable.

The reason why I called them "nifty little snippets" is that they are not ready
for widespread use. A port is expected to install its dependencies and documentation.

Compare for example cdiff: Do you prefer
  http://people.FreeBSD.org/~eivind/cdiff
  (from http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/articles/committers-guide/cvs.operations.html)
or
  /usr/ports/textproc/cdiff
or should we have
  /usr/ports/Tools/scripts/cdiff

Do you see what I mean? I guess most people use portlint, but few know about the existence
of plist. Perhaps we should have a category portingtools, with portlint, porteasy, porttools etc.
Even if it is only a virtual category it would make live easier for porters:

consider to install
  awk -F\| ' $7 ~ /\<portingtools\>/ { print $1" ("$2"): "$4 }' /usr/ports/INDEX