xorg-libXau @1.0.8_0: Xauth.h is being used by another port

[normadize@…]

I get this when I attempt to install fontforge, for the xorg-libXau dependency:

--->  Computing dependencies for fontforge
--->  Dependencies to be installed: giflib xorg-libX11 xorg-libXau xorg-libXdmcp xorg-libxcb xorg-libpthread-stubs xorg-xcb-proto libxml2 xz xorg-libsm xorg-libice jpeg libuninameslist tiff xorg-libXi xorg-inputproto xorg-libXext xorg-xextproto xorg-libXfixes xorg-fixesproto xorg-libXt xorg-libxkbui xorg-libxkbfile
--->  Activating xorg-libXau @1.0.8_0
Error: org.macports.activate for port xorg-libXau returned: /opt/local/include/X11/Xauth.h is being used by another port
Error: Failed to install xorg-libXau
Please see the log file for port xorg-libXau for details:
    /opt/local/var/macports/logs/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_release_tarballs_ports_x11_xorg-libXau/xorg-libXau/main.log

The xorg-libXau log file says:

$ cat /opt/local/var/macports/logs/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_release_tarballs_ports_x11_xorg-libXau/xorg-libXau/main.log
version:1
:debug:main Attempting ln -sf /opt/local/var/macports/build/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_release_tarballs_ports_x11_xorg-libXau/xorg-libXau/work /opt/local/var/macports/sources/rsync.macports.org/release/tarballs/ports/x11/xorg-libXau/work
:debug:main changing euid/egid - current euid: 0 - current egid: 0
:debug:main egid changed to: 501
:debug:main euid changed to: 502
:debug:activate activate phase started at Fri Apr 17 15:08:47 BST 2015
:debug:activate Can't run activate on this port without elevated privileges. Escalating privileges back to root.
:debug:activate euid changed to: 0. egid changed to: 0.
:debug:activate Executing org.macports.activate (xorg-libXau)
:msg:activate --->  Activating xorg-libXau @1.0.8_0
:debug:activate Using /usr/bin/tar
:debug:activate Using /usr/bin/bzip2
:info:activate x ./
:info:activate x ./+COMMENT
:info:activate x ./+CONTENTS
:info:activate x ./+DESC
:info:activate x ./+PORTFILE
:info:activate x ./+STATE
:info:activate x ./opt/
:info:activate x ./opt/local/
:info:activate x ./opt/local/include/
:info:activate x ./opt/local/lib/
:info:activate x ./opt/local/share/
:info:activate x ./opt/local/share/man/
:info:activate x ./opt/local/share/man/man3/
:info:activate x ./opt/local/share/man/man3/Xau.3.gz
:info:activate x ./opt/local/share/man/man3/XauDisposeAuth.3.gz
:info:activate x ./opt/local/share/man/man3/XauFileName.3.gz
:info:activate x ./opt/local/share/man/man3/XauGetAuthByAddr.3.gz
:info:activate x ./opt/local/share/man/man3/XauGetBestAuthByAddr.3.gz
:info:activate x ./opt/local/share/man/man3/XauLockAuth.3.gz
:info:activate x ./opt/local/share/man/man3/XauReadAuth.3.gz
:info:activate x ./opt/local/share/man/man3/XauUnlockAuth.3.gz
:info:activate x ./opt/local/share/man/man3/XauWriteAuth.3.gz
:info:activate x ./opt/local/lib/libXau.6.dylib
:info:activate x ./opt/local/lib/libXau.a
:info:activate x ./opt/local/lib/libXau.dylib
:info:activate x ./opt/local/lib/pkgconfig/
:info:activate x ./opt/local/lib/pkgconfig/xau.pc
:info:activate x ./opt/local/include/X11/
:info:activate x ./opt/local/include/X11/Xauth.h
:debug:activate Activation failed, rolling back.
:error:activate org.macports.activate for port xorg-libXau returned: /opt/local/include/X11/Xauth.h is being used by another port
:debug:activate Error code: registry::already-active
:debug:activate Backtrace: /opt/local/include/X11/Xauth.h is being used by another port
    while executing
"$port activate $imagefiles"
    invoked from within
"try {
                $port activate $imagefiles
                foreach file $files {
                    if {[_activate_file "${extracted_dir}${file..."
    invoked from within
"registry::write {
            # Activate it, and catch errors so we can roll-back
            try {
                $port activate $imagefiles
       ..."
    invoked from within
"try {
        registry::write {
            foreach file $imagefiles {
                set srcfile "${extracted_dir}${file}"

                # To be ..."
    (procedure "_activate_contents" line 21)
    invoked from within
"_activate_contents $requested"
    (procedure "portimage::activate" line 57)
    invoked from within
"registry_activate $subport $version $revision $portvariants [array get user_options]"
    (procedure "portactivate::activate_main" line 4)
    invoked from within
"portactivate::activate_main org.macports.activate"
    ("eval" body line 1)
    invoked from within
"eval $procedure $targetname"
:error:activate Failed to install xorg-libXau
:debug:activate /opt/local/include/X11/Xauth.h is being used by another port
    while executing
"$port activate $imagefiles"
    invoked from within
"try {
                $port activate $imagefiles
                foreach file $files {
                    if {[_activate_file "${extracted_dir}${file..."
    invoked from within
"registry::write {
            # Activate it, and catch errors so we can roll-back
            try {
                $port activate $imagefiles
       ..."
    invoked from within
"try {
        registry::write {
            foreach file $imagefiles {
                set srcfile "${extracted_dir}${file}"

                # To be ..."
    (procedure "_activate_contents" line 21)
    invoked from within
"_activate_contents $requested"
    (procedure "portimage::activate" line 57)
:notice:activate Please see the log file for port xorg-libXau for details:
    /opt/local/var/macports/logs/_opt_local_var_macports_sources_rsync.macports.org_release_tarballs_ports_x11_xorg-libXau/xorg-libXau/main.log

[ryandesign (Ryan Carsten Schmidt)]

Which other port is using /opt/local/include/X11/Xauth.h? What is the output of:

port provides /opt/local/include/X11/Xauth.h

[normadize@…]

Upon investigation, the package holding it was actually itself ... weird. I think it may have tripped itself because it was interrupted while installing previously, e.g. Ctrl+C applied when macports was installing it and it only got there partially.

[jeremyhu (Jeremy Huddleston Sequoia)]

Yeah, that's likely. If you want to break during activate, I suggest waiting and doing it during the extraction of the next project.