Re: [patch] remove build dependencies in bsd.ports.mk

On Mon, 21 Nov 2005, Brian Candler wrote:

> I don't support the ports system is smart enough to remember which ports
> were installed explicitly, and which were installed only because they were a
> dependency for another port?

I don't think so, but this would be a useful feature.  Debian's aptitude 
package manager has a feature like this, which is very convenient.  It 
works as follows.  Suppose package Foo requires package Bar, and neither 
is currently installed.  When you request the installation of Foo, Bar is 
also installed, but an "auto" flag is set for Bar.  Any package with the 
auto flag set is only kept so long as something depends on it.  If I 
remove Foo, Bar is automatically removed as well, provided I haven't in 
the meantime added anything else which depends on it.

The user can toggle the auto flag manually as well.  If I decide I really 
like Bar in itself, I can turn off its auto flag and keep it after I 
remove Foo.  If I am sick of Foo, I can set its auto flag and it will be 
removed once it is no longer needed (possibly at once).

Anyway, AFAIK FreeBSD doesn't have anything like this, but it would be 
nifty if it did.

I would guess build dependencies should be treated like regular 
dependencies.  If they're removed after building, then you would have to 
reinstall them every time you upgrade the depending package.

-- 
Nate Eldredge
nge_at_cs.hmc.edu