warn when an unavailable version is requested for install

[ottd@…]

I found the following strange behaviour:

> sudo port install zlib@1.2.3_4+universal
--->  Computing dependencies for zlib
--->  Deactivating zlib @1.2.4_1
--->  Activating zlib @1.2.4_1+universal
--->  Cleaning zlib

> port installed zlib
The following ports are currently installed:
  zlib @1.2.3_3
  zlib @1.2.3_4
  zlib @1.2.4_1
  zlib @1.2.4_1+universal (active)

> port
MacPorts 1.8.2

I expected actually that the 1.2.3_4 version would be re-compiled as universal library with the first command shown. Maybe this is similar to #17367 ?

[danielluke (Daniel J. Luke)]

Macports can only build the current version of a port. See InstallingOlderPort for how to build an older version.

The current implementation could probably error out if you specify a version that doesn't match the current portfile, though.

[ottd@…]

Oh, I missed that. Thanks for pointing that out and giving the link.

May this ticket then be changed in a feature request so that installation of older versions in the described manner can work? It will be helpful in cases like this where one likes to test code against different library versions or where for example the current version is defective (zlib 1.2.4 has confirmed by zlib devs a broken gzeof which some of my programmes rely on, zlib < 1.2.3_4 doesn't show that defect).

[ryandesign (Ryan Carsten Schmidt)]

Giving MacPorts the ability to install older versions would be a major change that I doubt we want to make.

zlib has already been updated to 1.2.5 to address the known defects you mentioned.

[ryandesign (Ryan Carsten Schmidt)]

Has duplicate #38764.

[cooljeanius (Eric Gallager)]

Cc Me!

[jmroot (Joshua Root)]

#60454