PORTS(7)
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ports -- contributed applications
The FreeBSD Ports Collection offers a simple way for users and adminis-
trators to install applications. Each port contains any patches neces-
sary to make the original application source code compile and run on BSD.
Compiling an application is as simple as typing make build in the port
directory! The Makefile automatically fetches the application source
code, either from a local disk or via FTP, unpacks it on your system,
applies the patches, and compiles it. If all goes well, simply type make
install to install the application.
It is possible to download and use ports from the FreeBSD repository that
are newer than the installed system; however it is important to install
the appropriate ``Upgrade Kit'' from http://www.FreeBSD.org/ports/ first!
The portcheckout(1) script (also a port, of course!) will help to down-
load new ports.
For more information about using ports, see ``Packages and Ports'' in The
FreeBSD Handbook,
(file:/usr/share/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/ports.html or
http://www.FreeBSD.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/ports.html).
For information about creating new ports, see The Porter's Handbook
(file:/usr/share/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/porters-handbook/index.html or
http://www.FreeBSD.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/porters-handbook/).
Some of the targets work recursively through subdirectories. This lets
you, for example, install all of the ``biology'' ports. The targets that
do this are build, checksum, clean, configure, depends, extract, fetch,
install, and package.
The following targets will be run automatically by each proceeding target
in order. That is, build will be run (if necessary) by install, and so
on all the way to fetch. Usually, you will only use the install target.
config Configure OPTIONS for this port using dialog(1).
fetch Fetch all of the files needed to build this port from the
sites listed in MASTER_SITES and PATCH_SITES. See FETCH_CMD
and MASTER_SITE_OVERRIDE.
checksum Verify that the fetched distfile's checksum matches the one
the port was tested against. Defining NO_CHECKSUM will skip
this step.
depends Install (or compile if only compilation is necessary) any
dependencies of the current port. When called by the extract
or fetch targets, this is run in piecemeal as fetch-depends,
build-depends, etc. Defining NO_DEPENDS will skip this step.
extract Expand the distfile into a work directory.
patch Apply any patches that are necessary for the port.
configure Configure the port. Some ports will ask you questions during
this stage. See INTERACTIVE and BATCH.
build Build the port. This is the same as calling the all target.
install Install the port and register it with the package system.
This is all you really need to do.
The following targets are not run during the normal install process.
showconfig Display OPTIONS config for this port.
rmconfig Remove OPTIONS config for this port.
fetch-list Show list of files to be fetched in order to build the
port.
fetch-recursive Fetch the distfiles of the port and all its dependen-
cies.
fetch-recursive-list
Show list of files that would be retrieved by
fetch-recursive.
pretty-print-run-depends-list, pretty-print-build-depends-list
Print a list of all the compile and run dependencies,
and dependencies of those dependencies.
clean Remove the expanded source code. This recurses to
dependencies unless NOCLEANDEPENDS is defined.
distclean Remove the port's distfiles and perform the clean tar-
get. The clean portion recurses to dependencies unless
NOCLEANDEPENDS is defined, but the distclean portion
never recurses (this is perhaps a bug).
reinstall Use this to restore a port after using pkg_delete(1)
when you should have used deinstall.
deinstall Remove an installed port from the system, similar to
pkg_delete(1).
deinstall-all Remove all installed ports with the same PKGORIGIN from
the system.
package Make a binary package for the port. The port will be
installed if it has not already been. The package is a
.tbz file that you can use to install the port on other
machines with pkg_add(1). If the directory specified by
PACKAGES does not exist, the package will be put into
the current directory. See PKGREPOSITORY and PKGFILE.
package-recursive
Like package, but makes a package for each depending
port as well.
readmes Create a port's README.html. This can be used from
/usr/ports to create a browsable web of all ports on
your system!
search Search the INDEX file for the pattern specified by the
key (searches the port name, comment, and dependencies),
name (searches the port name only), path (searches the
port path), info (searches the port info), maint
(searches the port maintainer), cat (searches the port
category), bdeps (searches the port build-time depen-
dency), rdeps (searches the port run-time dependency)
make(1) variables, and their exclusion counterparts:
xname, xkey etc. For example, one would type:
cd /usr/ports && make search name=query
to find all ports whose name matches ``query''. Results
include the matching ports' path, comment, maintainer,
build dependencies, and run dependencies.
cd /usr/ports && make search name=pear- \
xbdeps=apache
To find all ports whose names contain ``pear-'' and
which do not have apache listed in build-time dependen-
cies.
cd /usr/ports && make search name=pear- \
xname='ht(tp|ml)'
To find all ports whose names contain ``pear-'', but not
``html'' or ``http''.
make search key=apache display=name,path,info keylim=1
To find ports that contain ``apache'' in either of the
name, path, info fields, ignore the rest of the record.
describe Generate a one-line description of each port for use in
the INDEX file.
index Create /usr/ports/INDEX, which is used by the
pretty-print-* and search targets. Running the index
target will ensure your INDEX file is up to date with
your ports tree.
fetchindex Fetch the INDEX file from the FreeBSD cluster.
You can change all of these.
PORTSDIR Location of the ports tree. This is /usr/ports on FreeBSD
and OpenBSD, and /usr/pkgsrc on NetBSD.
WRKDIRPREFIX Where to create any temporary files. Useful if PORTSDIR is
read-only (perhaps mounted from a CD-ROM).
DISTDIR Where to find/put distfiles, normally distfiles/ in
PORTSDIR.
PACKAGES Used only for the package target; the base directory for
the packages tree, normally packages/ in PORTSDIR. If this
directory exists, the package tree will be (partially) con-
structed. This directory does not have to exist; if it
does not, packages will be placed into the current direc-
tory, or you can define one of
PKGREPOSITORY Directory to put the package in.
PKGFILE The full path to the package.
PREFIX Where to install things in general (usually /usr/local or
/usr/X11R6).
MASTER_SITES Primary sites for distribution files if not found locally.
PATCH_SITES Primary locations for distribution patch files if not found
locally.
MASTER_SITE_FREEBSD
If set, go to the master FreeBSD site for all files.
MASTER_SITE_OVERRIDE
Try going to these sites for all files and patches, first.
NOCLEANDEPENDS
If defined, do not let clean recurse to dependencies.
FETCH_CMD Command to use to fetch files. Normally fetch(1).
FORCE_PKG_REGISTER
If set, overwrite any existing package registration on the
system.
MOTIFLIB Location of libXm.{a,so}.
INTERACTIVE If defined, only operate on a port if it requires interac-
tion.
BATCH If defined, only operate on a port if it can be installed
100% automatically.
OPTIONS If defined, list of what WITH_* options this port accepts.
Note: to make OPTIONS actually work, it is necessary to
include bsd.port.pre.mk before starting to test the WITH_*
variables.
/usr/ports The default ports directory (FreeBSD and
OpenBSD).
/usr/pkgsrc The default ports directory (NetBSD).
/usr/ports/Mk/bsd.port.mk The big Kahuna.
make(1), pkg_add(1), pkg_create(1), pkg_delete(1), pkg_info(1),
pkg_version(1)
The following are part of the ports collection:
pib(1), portcheckout(1), portlint(1)
The FreeBSD Handbook.
http://www.FreeBSD.org/ports (searchable index of all ports)
This man page was originated by David O'Brien.
The Ports Collection appeared in FreeBSD 1.0. It has since spread to
NetBSD and OpenBSD.
Ports documentation is split over four places --
/usr/ports/Mk/bsd.port.mk, The Porter's Handbook, the ``Packages and
Ports'' chapter of The FreeBSD Handbook, and this man page.
This man page is too long.