./options-descr file suggestion for ports

[David Southwell]

On Wednesday 13 June 2007 00:36:58 Alexander Leidinger wrote:
> Quoting Gabor Tjong A Hung <g.v.tjongahung at gmail.com> (from Tue, 12
>
> Jun 2007 17:26:35 +0200):
> > As it is now some ports don't even have OPTIONS, and you need to define
> > variables to "define" your options. I don't really understand why this is
> > done this way, but this is equally annoying.
>
> First there where no OPTIONS, then OPTIONS was introduced. If you feel
> annoyed by those ports which are not converted yet to OPTIONS (because
> nobody felt annoyed enough to convert them), feel free to submit
> patches for them.
>
> Bye,
> Alexander.

OK guys

Can I bring this back to the topic please?
Some thoughtful contributions would be appreciated.

thanks

The original posting was:

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Would it be possible , when a port has options,  to ask porters if they would 
consider the merits/demerits of adding:

1. An ./options-descr file in the port directory that describes  the options, 
their purpose and any notes about an option

Reasons:
This would be extremely useful for anyone not familiar with the port to help 
in the task of choosing which options to install. 

I realise that this would depend upon whether maintainers are willing to add 
an additional task to the already heavy burden they undertake. Maintainers 
who are willing to consider this idea but are reluctant to prepare the notes 
themselves but do not have the time or are for any reason reluctant to do so, 
could invite users to submit notes for incorporating in ./options-descr.

By way of example I am just installing www/ruby-gem-rails and had no immediate 
idea whether or not to add fastcgi support without trying to find out whether 
it is or is not needed when one has mod_ruby installed and
LoadModule ruby_module libexec/apache/mod_ruby.so
in httpd.conf. A brief note in a ./options-descr could be very helpful, 
especially for some ports where the options are sometimes numerous and not 
always completely documented.

A little bit of intial guidance about options would be most helpful to a 
system administrator who is not necessarily familiar with the a specific 
port.

my two pennorth.
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