Chapter 12 Dos and Don'ts

Table of Contents
12.1 Introduction
12.2 WRKDIR
12.3 WRKDIRPREFIX
12.4 Differentiating operating systems and OS versions
12.5 __FreeBSD_version values
12.6 Writing something after bsd.port.mk
12.7 Use the exec statement in wrapper scripts
12.8 UIDs and GIDs
12.9 Do things rationally
12.10 Respect both CC and CXX
12.11 Respect CFLAGS
12.12 Threading libraries
12.13 Feedback
12.14 README.html
12.15 Marking a port not installable with BROKEN, FORBIDDEN, or IGNORE
12.16 Marking a port for removal with DEPRECATED or EXPIRATION_DATE
12.17 Avoid use of the .error construct
12.18 Usage of sysctl
12.19 Rerolling distfiles
12.20 Necessary workarounds
12.21 Miscellanea

12.1 Introduction

Here is a list of common dos and don'ts that you encounter during the porting process. You should check your own port against this list, but you can also check ports in the PR database that others have submitted. Submit any comments on ports you check as described in Bug Reports and General Commentary. Checking ports in the PR database will both make it faster for us to commit them, and prove that you know what you are doing.

For questions about the FreeBSD ports system, e-mail <ports@FreeBSD.org>.
For questions about this documentation, e-mail <doc@FreeBSD.org>.