configure.compiler-append has no effect on the command line. No warnings generated.

[potmj (Michael Pot)]

When trying to install ngspice, -universal on 10.5.8, failure log suggested '-read_only_relocs suppress' was required. To test, I tried to add this on the command line.

% sudo port clean ngspice
% sudo port install ngspice -universal configure.cflags-append='-read_only_relocs suppress'

This had no effect. Inspecting main.log, before and after this test showed no change to the line:-

 CFLAGS='-Os -arch i386'

There was no warning message suggesting "configure.cflags-append" was not being recognised.
The workaround was to NOT use -append but include the normal default flags (-Os) [except -arch i386, which gets added regardless], in a full replacement configure.cflags.

% sudo port clean ngspice
% sudo port install ngspice -universal  configure.cflags='-Os -read_only_relocs  suppress'

The same behaviour occurs for configure.ldflags
Perhaps this is related to defects like #41418

[ryandesign (Ryan Carsten Schmidt)]

It was probably never intended for users to use var, var-append, var-prepend, var-replace, var-strsed, or var-delete on the command line.

[potmj (Michael Pot)]

Replying to ryandesign@…: Sorry, I meant the keyword to say "configure.cflags". Not sure how I can fix the title.
If the command line supports the configure.cflags, one would expect an error message if it is used incorrectly by adding the -append which is then not actioned.

[ryandesign (Ryan Carsten Schmidt)]

Most variables, like configure.cflags, are intended to be used in a portfile or portgroup, not at the command line. And I don't think we've ever claimed that modifiers like -append, -prepend, -replace, -strsed or -delete work on the command line, so I'm not surprised that they don't.

[raimue (Rainer Müller)]

Overriding values from the command line is meant as a debugging feature. It should not be used by regular users.