From owner-freebsd-ports@FreeBSD.ORG Sat Jun 9 21:03:12 2007 Return-Path: X-Original-To: ports@freebsd.org Delivered-To: freebsd-ports@FreeBSD.ORG Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [69.147.83.52]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 79FA516A400 for ; Sat, 9 Jun 2007 21:03:12 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from krion@voodoo.bawue.com) Received: from voodoo.bawue.com (voodoo.bawue.com [212.9.161.119]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 449B613C469 for ; Sat, 9 Jun 2007 21:03:12 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from krion@voodoo.bawue.com) Received: from krion by voodoo.bawue.com with local (Exim 4.67 (FreeBSD)) (envelope-from ) id 1Hx7cb-000LWR-3N; Sat, 09 Jun 2007 22:33:17 +0200 Date: Sat, 9 Jun 2007 22:33:17 +0200 From: Kirill Ponomarew To: David Southwell Message-ID: <20070609203316.GC71246@voodoo.bawue.com> References: <200706090936.51775.david@vizion2000.net> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <200706090936.51775.david@vizion2000.net> X-NIC-HDL: KP869-RIPE Cc: ports@freebsd.org Subject: Re: ./options-descr file suggestion for ports X-BeenThere: freebsd-ports@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Porting software to FreeBSD List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sat, 09 Jun 2007 21:03:12 -0000 On Sat, Jun 09, 2007 at 09:36:51AM -0700, David Southwell wrote: > Hi > > 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. That's what ports/KNOBS supposed to be, see rev. 1.1 by ahze: Limitations to KNOBS: In the future we plan to add support for OPTIONS to support the KNOBS file, and so dialog(1) will be able to handle the size of each knob knob-name's are limited to 12 characters and knob-descriptions are limited to 45 characters, not including the white space between the knob-name and knob-description. Though, I don't know when OPTIONS support to KNOBS will be added. -Kirill