Ticket #15077 (new enhancement)
Document that installing other software in /usr/local can break ports
| Reported by: | ryandesign@… | Owned by: | markd@… |
|---|---|---|---|
| Priority: | Normal | Milestone: | |
| Component: | guide | Version: | |
| Keywords: | Cc: | ||
| Port: |
Description
We often field questions on the mailing lists regarding some port that doesn't install with some obscure error, and this is often the result of rogue software installed in /usr/local. readline is a frequent culprit but any software installed there is a bad idea. The Guide should recommend not having anything installed in /usr/local. Note that having things installed in /usr/local/anything is not a problem at all. For example, having /usr/local/mysql is fine. However having things directly in /usr/local is a problem because the compiler looks there by default and will find libraries that are installed there. So having things in /usr/local/bin and /usr/local/lib for example are problematic and not supported. Users who experience problems and who have the directory /usr/local are advised as a troubleshooting step to rename it (e.g. to /usr/local-off), clean the affected port, and retry the installation. If it succeeds, the software in /usr/local was the culprit. Users are advised to install whatever software they need using MacPorts and remove it from /usr/local.
This goes for /usr too, but presumably the vendor is the only one that install stuff there.