Request: `port provides <file>` should indicate whether or not it points to a macports port file

[paxperscientiam (Chris)]

Hello,

I've a straightforward feature request: the port provides <file> command should indicate whether or not a symlink file points to a file provided by a Macports port.

EG:

$ ls -l  /opt/local/bin/ruby
lrwxr-xr-x  1 root  wheel  22 May 24  2016 /opt/local/bin/ruby@ -> /opt/local/bin/ruby2.3
$
$ port provides /opt/local/bin/ruby
/opt/local/bin/ruby is not provided by a MacPorts port.
$
$ port provides /opt/local/bin/ruby2.3
/opt/local/bin/ruby2.3 is provided by: ruby23

To sum up, it would be better if port ascertained and indicated whether or not the symlink points to a file provided by a Macports port.

[ryandesign (Ryan Carsten Schmidt)]

I disagree. MacPorts should not say that it provided any symlink that happens to point to a MacPorts-provided file, unless MacPorts actually provided that symlink.

If that symlink is provided by a port, port provides should already give the correct answer.

See #43996 for the request that symlinks created by port select should be recorded in the registry (and would thus respond correctly when queried with port provides). This may be what you're actually asking for, since there is a ruby_select port and your /opt/local/bin/ruby symlink might have been created using it.

See #37853 for the request that files provided by MacPorts base be recognized by port provides.

[paxperscientiam (Chris)]

Hello ryandesign,

Yes, I agree that Macports should not say that it provided the symlink if it isn't so.

And yes, ticket #37853 and #43996 definitely pertain to my request.

Thanks for pointing that out; feel free to close this.

Edit: So, in the case that the symlink is created (managed?) by, say, python_select, then port provides <symlink> could output something like File not provided by a Macports port, though created by port python_select. Symlink points to /opt/local/bin/python.

Something like that.

[ryandesign (Ryan Carsten Schmidt)]

Sounds like this suggestion is covered by the existing tickets mentioned above.