boost: Attempt to install an older version (1.42) failed

[amidu.o.oloso@…]

The tail of the log file is:

:debug:fetch Fetching distfile failed:: The requested URL returned error: 404
:notice:fetch --->  Attempting to fetch patch-libs-random-random_device.cpp.diff from http://internode.dl.sourceforge.net/boost
:debug:fetch Fetching distfile failed:: The requested URL returned error: 404
:notice:fetch --->  Attempting to fetch patch-libs-random-random_device.cpp.diff from http://netcologne.dl.sourceforge.net/boost
:debug:fetch Fetching distfile failed:: The requested URL returned error: 404
:notice:fetch --->  Attempting to fetch patch-libs-random-random_device.cpp.diff from http://svn.macports.org/repository/macports/distfiles/boost
:debug:fetch Fetching distfile failed:: The requested URL returned error: 404
:error:fetch org.macports.fetch for port boost returned: fetch failed
:debug:fetch Error code: NONE
:debug:fetch Backtrace: fetch failed
    while executing
"portfetch::fetchfiles"
    (procedure "portfetch::fetch_main" line 17)
    invoked from within
"$procedure $targetname"
:info:fetch Warning: targets not executed for boost: org.macports.activate org.macports.fetch org.macports.checksum org.macports.extract org.macports.patch org.macports.configure org.macports.build org.macports.destroot org.macports.install
:notice:fetch 

Any suggestions?
Thanks

[ryandesign (Ryan Carsten Schmidt)]

It sounds like you haven't followed the instructions properly. It sounds like you got the older version of the portfile, but did not also get the corresponding version of the files directory, which should contain the patch files.

[amidu.o.oloso@…]

I followed the instructions at ​https://trac.macports.org/wiki/howto/InstallingOlderPort.

I downloaded "Portfile" and all files in "files" from the following URL: ​https://trac.macports.org/browser/trunk/dports/devel/boost?rev=63360

Are those not the right ones? The revision note says "Update to boost 1.42.0".

Thanks, -Hamid

[jmroot (Joshua Root)]

It's possible that that particular revision was broken. If the portfile at that revision refers to patchfiles that are not present in the same revision, you need to use a different revision.

[jmroot (Joshua Root)]

In any case, there is nothing that can be done to fix problems in an old version except update to a newer version.

[adfernandes (Andrew Fernandes)]

Replying to jmr@…:

In any case, there is nothing that can be done to fix problems in an old version except update to a newer version.

I would second this to add that boost works very, very hard to maintain backward compatibility. If they break backward compatibility, it's almost always for a very, very good reason. Something along the lines of "it was not reliable" or "it broke too many test cases" or something.

If there is code you're using that absolutely requires an old version, well... in my experience, they're using boost incorrectly somehow, and you're much, much better off patching the software that uses boost rather than patching boost itself.

Again; those are general guidelines only. Once you're beyond the "support the latest build", it can get to be a lot of work very quickly.

[amidu.o.oloso@…]

Thank you for your responses. I will try to contact the developers of the application that requires boost to get their take on the issue.