[Midnightbsd-users] Maybe a conception error with mports?

[Stevan Tiefert]

Hello,

I observed something strange with the mports and I think it will grow 
maybe to a big usability problem.

I've installed binaries from 0.1-RELEASE-CD-ROM, like e.g gettext-0.14.5_2.
If you try to install a program like linux-firefox via ports witch 
depends on this already installed binary (here gettext) the make 
procedure fetches, compiles and try to install gettext and pkg_add is 
going to stop with an error, concerning an already installed gettext.

That happened sometimes with different other combinations.I deleted 
these packages via pkg_delete and rerun the make procedure, but how 
should a noob come to this?  I think the mports is testing against the 
existence of dependent files in Packages- or Distfiles-directory. But it 
would be better to test against the pkgdb-entries! Then make would not 
to need to fetch a not needed file, then it won't waste compiling time, 
then the installation of a port would be successfully.

I think this behavior will grow to a big usability problem, if more and 
more fetchable packages you will (hopefully :-) provide.

With regards
Stevan Tiefert