selfupdate failed: command execution failed

[zmotiv@…]

Machine is Mac laptop running El Capitan 10.11.2

Steps

After initial install of Mac Ports, I opened XQuartz and ran the command via sudo mode

port -d selfupdate

Issue

An error occurred: "command Execution failed"

Steps

I ran the command again in debug mode

Issue

DEBUG: Error synchronizing MacPorts sources: command execution failed
    while executing
"macports::selfupdate [array get global_options] base_updated"
Error: Error synchronizing MacPorts sources: command execution failed

Full terminal message error

port -v selfupdate
--->  Updating MacPorts base sources using rsync
receiving file list ... done
rsync: mkstemp "/opt/local/var/macports/sources/rsync.macports.org/release/tarballs/.base.tar.QmfBdr" failed: Permission denied (13)
inflate returned -3 (19 bytes)
rsync error: error in rsync protocol data stream (code 12) at /BuildRoot/Library/Caches/com.apple.xbs/Sources/rsync/rsync-47/rsync/token.c(419) [receiver=2.6.9]
rsync: connection unexpectedly closed (31 bytes received so far) [generator]
rsync error: error in rsync protocol data stream (code 12) at /BuildRoot/Library/Caches/com.apple.xbs/Sources/rsync/rsync-47/rsync/io.c(453) [generator=2.6.9]
Command failed: /usr/bin/rsync -rtzv --delete-after rsync://rsync.macports.org/release/tarballs/base.tar /opt/local/var/macports/sources/rsync.macports.org/release/tarballs
Exit code: 12
Error: Error synchronizing MacPorts sources: command execution failed
To report a bug, follow the instructions in the guide:
    http://guide.macports.org/#project.tickets
Error: /opt/local/bin/port: port selfupdate failed: Error synchronizing MacPorts sources: command execution failed

port -d selfupdate
DEBUG: MacPorts sources location: /opt/local/var/macports/sources/rsync.macports.org/release/tarballs
--->  Updating MacPorts base sources using rsync
receiving file list ... done
rsync: mkstemp "/opt/local/var/macports/sources/rsync.macports.org/release/tarballs/.base.tar.Pmphrh" failed: Permission denied (13)
inflate returned -3 (19 bytes)
rsync error: error in rsync protocol data stream (code 12) at /BuildRoot/Library/Caches/com.apple.xbs/Sources/rsync/rsync-47/rsync/token.c(419) [receiver=2.6.9]
rsync: connection unexpectedly closed (31 bytes received so far) [generator]
rsync error: error in rsync protocol data stream (code 12) at /BuildRoot/Library/Caches/com.apple.xbs/Sources/rsync/rsync-47/rsync/io.c(453) [generator=2.6.9]
Command failed: /usr/bin/rsync -rtzv --delete-after rsync://rsync.macports.org/release/tarballs/base.tar /opt/local/var/macports/sources/rsync.macports.org/release/tarballs
Exit code: 12
DEBUG: Error synchronizing MacPorts sources: command execution failed
    while executing
"macports::selfupdate [array get global_options] base_updated"
Error: Error synchronizing MacPorts sources: command execution failed
To report a bug, follow the instructions in the guide:
    http://guide.macports.org/#project.tickets
Error: /opt/local/bin/port: port selfupdate failed: Error synchronizing MacPorts sources: command execution failed

[ryandesign (Ryan Carsten Schmidt)]

You need to precede the port selfupdate command (and other commands that modify things) with sudo.

sudo port selfupdate