rsync-3.0.7_0 error activating startup item

[alex@…]

Trying to install rsync with the rsyncd variant on 10.6.4. Complation/installation succeeds, but then I cannot activate the startup item.

Instructions provided by the build script:

--->  Creating launchd control script
###########################################################
# A startup item has been generated that will aid in
# starting rsync with launchd. It is disabled
# by default. Execute the following command to start it,
# and to cause it to launch at startup:
#
# sudo port load rsync
###########################################################

Trying to activate the startup item:

$ sudo port load rsync
Error: Target org.macports.load returned: Launchd plist /Library/LaunchDaemons/org.macports.rsync.plist was not found
Log for rsync is at: /opt/local/var/macports/logs/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_release_ports_net_rsync/main.log
Error: Status 1 encountered during processing.

In /Library/LaunchDaemons there is a org.macports.rsyncd.plist file instead of the org.macports.rsync.plist that it is looking for.

Changing the startupitem.name attribute in Portfile from "rsyncd" to "rsync" fixes the problem. Patch attached.

[ryandesign (Ryan Carsten Schmidt)]

It should not be a requirement for startupitem.name to match the port name; the variable is exposed because ports are allowed to change it, and it is not expected that changing it would cause anything to break.

I was having trouble figuring out why I don't see this problem with mysql5-server, which also changes startupitem.name. The problem is that rsync changes startupitem.name in a variant only. So in order to load or unload it, you have to specify the variant then too.

sudo port load rsync +rsyncd

sudo port unload rsync +rsyncd

This is somewhat unexpected.

For rsync, I might suggest that the rsyncd variant be deleted and its functionality be incorporated into the main part of the port. This should pose no problem since startup items aren't on unless turned on, and the only other thing it installs is a conf file which is harmless enough too.

This problem could easily affect other ports too (any other port that sets startupitem.name in a variant) and the suggested resolution there might be the same.

[ryandesign (Ryan Carsten Schmidt)]

proposed patch

[nerdling (Jeremy Lavergne)]

Fixed in r85579.