Well, from my point of view, I recommend my method of course. Simple for the end-user, that's the point. Though I don't build some of those.
Fink/Macports is handy for those that come over from some *nix background. A couple of problems:
- As you found, they can get confused between their own and system copies of libraries.
- They only build X11 versions of software, even though an OSX-native build is possible. Though I recall hearing that one of them could now build OSX-native.
- They have a massive duplication of effort. (I didn't realize that Macports even has its own copy of GCC! Fink doesn't, last I looked.)
Binaries are a good way to go nowadays. Much software has been compiled for those that don't want to deal with that, and some even by the developers as 'official' binaries. Though I've seen some that are based on Fink/Macports, ugh.
- Python (though Leopard's Python 2.5 is now very much in line with the 'official' binaries)
- many Python extensions
- R (nice bonus - a Fortran compiler)
- GRASS (me, a couple others)
- Qgis (me, devs)
- GDAL (me)
- ImageMagick (the official binaries are barebones, I package the GraphicsMagick alternative)
- MapServer (me)
- OSSIM (devs)
- PostGIS (me)
- miscellaneous support software (me, and in the system)
- a bunch of FOSS 3D packages
Supporting libraries and other software are easy to compile from source, if you're willing to get your command line fingers a little dirty. Developers are much more aware of OSX today, so the normal configure-make-install routine usually works.
I have build instructions for a bunch of software, mainly for the things I also package in binaries. Some of it is a bit out of date, but I'm in the process of updating it.
I looked at GMT a LONG time ago, before I found GRASS. That was before OSX was a common platform, and compilation was hellish. I'm sure it's much more smooth now.
I know what the OpenGL problem is, a bug in Apple's linker - see the MacOSX readme in the GRASS source for a workaround, though I don't know how you would apply that in Macports or Fink.
On Feb 5, 2008, at 1:22 AM, David Finlayson wrote:
I've got three brand new OS X Leopard Mac Pros that need the complete
OS Geographic software stack built (GMT, GRASS, Image Magic, etc) but
I have limited experience in OS X. For years on Debian/Ubuntu I just
let the package manager (aptget) handle all the libraries and I only
compiled from source the main programs that weren't in the repository.
What do you do to build up all the libraries? Manage the dozens of
required libraries manually? Fink? MacPorts? William Kyngesburye?
I tried using MacPorts on a Tiger laptop and wound up downloading and
compiling a brand new OS in /opt/local by the time I was done
satisfying dependencies---complete with a duplicate version of GCC
(SciPy wanted the new F95 compiler, I guess). That was a colossal
effort, a complete waist of all the work Apple has done and introduced
serious confusion between native OS X and X11 libraries which I never
completely resolved. In fact, a few days ago, GRASS stopped compiling
altogether because of an OpenGL problem...Anyway, I'd like to avoid
that if possible. Any ideas?
--
David Finlayson, Ph.D.
Operational Geologist
U.S. Geological Survey
Pacific Science Center
400 Natural Bridges Drive
Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
Tel: 831-427-4757, Fax: 831-427-4748, E-mail: dfinlayson@usgs.gov
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-----
William Kyngesburye <kyngchaos*at*kyngchaos*dot*com>
http://www.kyngchaos.com/
"Those people who most want to rule people are, ipso-facto, those least suited to do it."
- A rule of the universe, from the HitchHiker's Guide to the Galaxy