From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG  Tue Feb  6 15:16:37 2007
Return-Path: <owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG>
X-Original-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [69.147.83.52])
	by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 6670616A401
	for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>;
	Tue,  6 Feb 2007 15:16:37 +0000 (UTC)
	(envelope-from stapleton.41@gmail.com)
Received: from nf-out-0910.google.com (nf-out-0910.google.com [64.233.182.191])
	by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id ECDC913C442
	for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>;
	Tue,  6 Feb 2007 15:16:36 +0000 (UTC)
	(envelope-from stapleton.41@gmail.com)
Received: by nf-out-0910.google.com with SMTP id m19so182363nfc
	for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>;
	Tue, 06 Feb 2007 07:16:36 -0800 (PST)
DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; c=nofws; d=gmail.com; s=beta;
	h=received:message-id:date:from:to:subject:mime-version:content-type:content-transfer-encoding:content-disposition;
	b=OOPaTaWLdhtRbP/NAqAjeLCOiseHWWvbJkfAK4Poryi4usExK9gRf4TtjIosnSGjF8NNB7+7ccojJ0WPJB9zniOCX9GA35ZMYBhV6TiyGSjPxieQdqDtuvZJ2v0wDfGfm2jOdnkEUI6sZ63ITSyc82fW/iOzoLUWAnhGiT47OKo=
Received: by 10.82.165.1 with SMTP id n1mr2602635bue.1170774995291;
	Tue, 06 Feb 2007 07:16:35 -0800 (PST)
Received: by 10.82.151.15 with HTTP; Tue, 6 Feb 2007 07:16:35 -0800 (PST)
Message-ID: <80f4f2b20702060716s72ee39c9j7efc25cb9ea370d3@mail.gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2007 10:16:35 -0500
From: "Jim Stapleton" <stapleton.41@gmail.com>
To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Content-Disposition: inline
Subject: I'd like to do my bit to support FreeBSD
X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5
Precedence: list
List-Id: User questions <freebsd-questions.freebsd.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions>, 
	<mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-questions>
List-Post: <mailto:freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>
List-Help: <mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions>, 
	<mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 06 Feb 2007 15:16:37 -0000

I've found quite a few tricks and techniques for handling FreeBSD's
ports system when things go south. I'd like to add them to the
handbook, adding, lets say "4.5.6 - When Ports Attack".

OK, really it'd be more along the lines of "4.5.6 - Installing Ports
When Things Go Wrong"

It would give hints that I've aquired over time from the mailing list,
or my own use:
1) config-recursive (my most recent gem aquired from you nice people!)
2) Keeping flag-sets in your make.conf (basically several sets of
CFLAGS/CXXFLAGS, so if something fails, you can quickly try something
else)
3) How to remove a broken dependancy (read: how to figure the next
port up, the list, and then configure that port to remove the
dependancy)
4) Rolling back your ports tree to an earlier date or dates, but
globally or one port at a time
5) determining which step will fix your problem.


Now, as far as I know this would requre:
1) Downloading the doc group of the ports tree to it's own special
directory, keeping the CVS flags in tact - I should be able to do this
2) Editing the file of interest - trivial beyond belief
3) ??Generating the file??
4) ??Submitting the diffs??