cvs commit: ports/mail/procmail Makefile

[Beech Rintoul]

On Tuesday 30 August 2011 23:37:48 Conrad J. Sabatier wrote:
> On Tue, 30 Aug 2011 17:57:10 +0200
> 
> Matthias Andree <mandree at freebsd.org> wrote:
> > I understand that keeping unchanging software can sometimes be
> > necessary, if you're working around its quirks.
> > 
> > At the same time I'd like to discourage new installations of dead
> > software so that it disappears over time, rather than haunt fresh
> > systems.

This passive idea will do nothing but generate a lot of confusion. If a port 
is actually broken then it should be either fixed or deprecated with the 
proper advance notice. The idea of a port that disappears over time will catch 
a lot of users unprepared. This whole issue has been addressed by portmgr on 
several occasions that I can remember and the consensus was to leave alone 
mature working ports. As for procmail, has anyone bothered to talk to the 
maintainer?

> 
> That makes perfect sense, yes.
> 
> > How about if we added a new tag "OBSOLESCENT" or so that permits
> > building the software only if it's already installed but refuses new
> > installations?  Of course there could be a switch to override that,
> > like TRYBROKEN that can override BROKEN= tags.

We don't need another tag even if it can be overridden. We already have a 
method of dealing with "dead" ports.

> 
> You had me on the edge of my seat for a while there, talking about
> removing my beloved procmail.  Now this suggestion I could easily live
> with.  :-)
> 
> > I'm not sure if it's feasible for packages (but OBSOLESCENT could
> > imply "do not package") but for ports it would be possible.
> 
> I like it.  :-)

I don't!

Beech


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