Ports that don't honor PREFIX?

[Paul Schmehl]

I'm working on updating a port that depends on a bunch of X11 and Gnome 
stuff.  It seems there are a bunch of ports that don't honor PREFIX.  In 
addition there seem to be a number of ports that are improperly done, 
because the detection of dependent ports fails.

For example, building x11/libX11 results in this:

===>  Installing for libXau-1.0.6
===>   libXau-1.0.6 depends on file: /usr/local/libdata/pkgconfig/xproto.pc 
- found
===>   libXau-1.0.6 depends on executable: pkgconf - found
===>   Generating temporary packing list
===>  Checking if x11/libXau already installed
===>   libXau-1.0.6 is already installed
      You may wish to ``make deinstall'' and install this port again
      by ``make reinstall'' to upgrade it properly.
      If you really wish to overwrite the old port of x11/libXau
      without deleting it first, set the variable "FORCE_PKG_REGISTER"
      in your environment or the "make install" command line.
*** Error code 1

Stop in /usr/ports/x11/libXau.
*** Error code 1

This should not be happening.

The Makefile doesn't even list a build dependency for libXau.

BUILD_DEPENDS+= 
${LOCALBASE}/libdata/pkgconfig/xcb.pc:${PORTSDIR}/x11/libxcb \
 
${LOCALBASE}/share/aclocal/xorg-macros.m4:${PORTSDIR}/devel/xorg-macros
RUN_DEPENDS+=   ${LOCALBASE}/libdata/pkgconfig/xcb.pc:${PORTSDIR}/x11/libxcb

XORG_CAT=       lib
USE_XORG=       bigreqsproto xau xcmiscproto xdmcp xextproto xtrans \
                kbproto:both inputproto xf86bigfontproto xproto:both

I suppose it's somehow being picked up by XORG_CAT= lib, but ports should 
know when a dependency is already installed and not try to build it again, 
right?

. if ${XORG_CAT} == "lib"
USE_GNOME+=     gnomehack pkgconfig
USE_LDCONFIG=   yes
CONFIGURE_ARGS+=--enable-malloc0returnsnull
. endif

So is this something wrong with the underlying make system?  Something 
wrong with the xorg system?  Gnome?

Or is it me?

-- 
Paul Schmehl, Senior Infosec Analyst
As if it wasn't already obvious, my opinions
are my own and not those of my employer.
*******************************************
"It is as useless to argue with those who have
renounced the use of reason as to administer
medication to the dead." Thomas Jefferson
"There are some ideas so wrong that only a very
intelligent person could believe in them." George Orwell