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

On November 21, 2005 04:53 am, Nate Eldredge wrote:
> 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.

This is why I made the patch. I found it useless to have gcc-ooo and many 
other ports that could be cleaned out after a build, without having to run a 
tier software.  

It would be a nice thing if the port system did that, as it would be it's job 
to do so. 
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