Rcmdr needs R installed with +tcltk

[barracuda156]

The problem is that it is not a variant of the port in question, but the port itself needs a non-default variant of its dependency; subsequently, using require_active_variants makes CI checks fail.

Specifics: Rcmdr and some of its dependencies require R to be built with +tcltk, however the latter is not included in default variants. I tried a couple of ways to write ports for the former, but cannot get past CI checks failure.

[ryandesign (Ryan Carsten Schmidt)]

There isn't a way to write such a Portfile. This is why the use of variants for features that other ports might depend on is discouraged.

The usual answer in these cases would be that either R should include tcltk support by default or rather unconditionally without a variant, or the tcltk components of the R port should be split off into a separate port upon which a dependency can then be declared (if they are in fact separate components).

[jmroot (Joshua Root)]

Trac is for tracking bugs, proposed enhancements, and other things that need to be done in our software; it isn't the right place to ask for advice (even just from the perspective of getting your question seen, it's not a good approach, because very few people read all tickets). Since this is arising from a specific issue, the ticket can remain open to track that issue.

[barracuda156]

Replying to jmroot:

Trac is for tracking bugs, proposed enhancements, and other things that need to be done in our software; it isn't the right place to ask for advice (even just from the perspective of getting your question seen, it's not a good approach, because very few people read all tickets). Since this is arising from a specific issue, the ticket can remain open to track that issue.

Got it, thank you for correction.

[barracuda156]

Replying to ryandesign:

There isn't a way to write such a Portfile. This is why the use of variants for features that other ports might depend on is discouraged.

The usual answer in these cases would be that either R should include tcltk support by default or rather unconditionally without a variant, or the tcltk components of the R port should be split off into a separate port upon which a dependency can then be declared (if they are in fact separate components).

I see, thanks. I will think what solution could work better in this case.

[barracuda156]

In 7efb84d65131d1f56047b47c2174d7cb805396df/macports-ports (master):

R: add +tcltk to default variants to support ports that depend on it

Closes: #67016