Port installation without root access

[Frank J. Laszlo]

    This has been on my TODO list for quite some time now, and I havent 
really gotten around to actually implementing it. As it stands right 
now, I have a script that allows normal users to build/install ports 
with some environment trickery and a few hacks. I'd like to integrate 
this into the ports system. so it would be as simple as a user 
specifying a particular variable in their environment, NOROOT_BUILD, or 
something along those lines, as well as other user specified variables 
to allow full installation without root access.
    Normal users would be able to maintain their own package database, 
and their own upgrades locally. Obviously we do not want to give normal 
users access to ALL the ports, so i propose adding functionality to 
allow the system admin to customize what the normal users have access 
to. Such as a config file that says which ports they can and cannot 
install, or whether to allow normal user installations at all.
    At this point im just probing for interest, and hoping to recruit a 
couple port guru's to give me a hand with some of the details. :)

Regards,
    Frank