Updating Ports

[Robert Huff]

Peter Clark writes:

>  If you installed a port with some additional config args can you
>  either supply them the upgrade program or can it be reread from
>  the previous install somehow? I really am just trying to find a
>  relatively simple way to make sure that a port gets upgraded and
>  that I do not lose any of it dependencies in the process.

	1) Many ports accept and store port-specific settings through a
generic mechanism; "make config", "make showconfig", and "make
rmconfig" are the keys here.
	2) If you're using portupgrade, /usr/local/etc/pkgtools.cfg
will allow you to control various settings, for a single port or a
range of ports.
	3) It is possible to put port-related settings in
/etc/make.conf.  I discourage this, as that file gets used for
/every/ make session and I consider it asking for trouble to clutter
it with items that may accidentally overlap with another port.  (The
risk is very small ... but it's still not the right tool for the
job.)


				Robert Huff