new FreeBSD java binaries

[Scott I. Remick]

On Fri, 14 Apr 2006 12:28:15 +1200, Jonathan Chen wrote:

> In general, the ports system builds from sources if possible; the final
> decision is up to the port-maintainer. 

I understand. However there are several special exception ports that
install a binary when you do a normal "make install" (the nvidia driver
comes to mind, but there are others). Also, the ports system has a
facility built-in ( pkg_add -r ) for installing a pre-compiled binary if
possible.

> As the sources for the diablo-jdk15
> build is available for public perusal, I'm guessing that the port-maintainer
> has chosen to build from the source to keep the process as open as possible.

This doesn't make sense, then, because in the description for the port
they state:

"Add a port of the Diablo Caffe (native FreeBSD JDK) 1.5 binaries."

If the special port is for installing the binaries, why is it building
from source?

Seems to me (as an end-user), that the binaries should be available either:

A) As a separate port that will automatically install the pre-compiled
binaries when a user does a "make install"  (like the nvidia driver)

or B) As the binaries installed from java/jdk15 when a user uses "pkg_add
-r jdk15" (thereby utilizing the built-in functionality of the ports
system for installing binaries if available)

As far as I can tell, neither of these is currently the case, and what
exists is inconsistent and confusing. Apparently the only way to get the
binaries is to step outside the ports system (manually download a package
then pkg_add it), while at the same time none of the natural means for
installing binaries from within the ports system work.