Easily install open source software with MacPorts
Mac OS X, Command Line, Development
MacPorts, formerly DarwinPorts, is a free opensource app that allows Mac users to easily install command line software in Mac OS X. If this sounds to you like Fink, well, you’d be right because it’s pretty close. Functionality is much the same, but some people swear that MacPorts (or Fink) is better than the other. MacPorts is probably best for more advanced Mac users who have some experience with the command line, because MacPorts itself is also a command line tool.
After you install MacPorts, using it is pretty easy, you can search for, update, and install software with just a few commands.
Search for software with MacPorts (replace irssi with your package):
port search irssi
Install software with MacPorts (replace irssi with your package):
sudo port -v install irssi
Update all installed ports to most recent versions:
sudo port upgrade outdated
If you would prefer to use a GUI to install command line software, try out Fink Commander, which performs much the same as MacPorts but through a GUI interface. There are several GUI options available for MacPorts but most of them are shareware or commercial, and why pay for something that is free?
Mac Deals from the Apple Store:
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Comments:
Comments: 8
Comment from suresure
Time: May 21, 2007, 7:22 am
fink is better, macports is all outdated and slow
Comment from Maciek
Time: May 21, 2007, 1:20 pm
When I was trying out Fink, I decided to install Subversion as first thing.
I quickly found out the most recent svn binary package is at version 1.2 (well, a BIT outdated), so I decided to go with building most recent ver from source and I ended on building whole Apache 2 with whole subset of not really neccesary libraries.
When I was trying to build some other console app (don’t remeber what exactly right now), Fink asked me for confirmation to build xorg from sources.
I said “NO!” and currently I am completely happy with MacPorts. Maybe selection of packages is not so huge as in Fink, but quality is definitely better.
That’s my 5 cents…
Comment from cos
Time: May 21, 2007, 5:42 pm
“I decided to go with building most recent ver from source and I ended on building whole Apache 2 with whole subset of not really neccesary libraries.”
well, macports does the same, y’know - the build-time dependencies for subversion are the same.
hopefully macports’ summer of code task to build binary packages will bear fruit…
Comment from ed
Time: May 21, 2007, 7:22 pm
hey am a rookie to this one question after you install a program how do l open the program
Comment from Jeamr
Time: May 21, 2007, 8:04 pm
ed, you use the terminal, type port in the terminal
Comment from Frank
Time: May 22, 2007, 3:50 am
There’s also prefix-portage, it uses stuff developed on Linux, and nowadays works great on Mac OS. All packages are bleading edge, no outdate stuff.
See also: http://www.gentoo.org/proj/en/gentoo-alt/prefix/index.xml
Comment from Adam
Time: January 17, 2008, 5:03 pm
w00t! thanks for this command……
Comment from werw
Time: June 11, 2008, 4:10 am
“I decided to go with building most recent ver from source and I ended on building whole Apache 2 with whole subset of not really neccesary libraries.”
http://generic-purchase.info/purchasing/
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