port -D install doesn't work for subports

[wyuenho (Jimmy Yuen Ho Wong)]

I've clone macports-ports and point port to it with -D (i.e. port -D ~/macports-ports), the install command recognizes the changes on the top level port but not any subports, this makes testing subports difficult.

Also, how come none of the subports functionality is documented?

[jmroot (Joshua Root)]

There's no way for the program to know which subport you want, unless you indicate it somehow. Specifying a port name in the command is the usual way this is done, but it only works if the name is in the PortIndex. If you have to work with unindexed ports for some reason, you can append subport=something to the command.

[wyuenho (Jimmy Yuen Ho Wong)]

Is any of this documented somewhere?

[raimue (Rainer Müller)]

I do not think there is any documentation on this, besides the generic description of overriding options from the command line. Contributions to ​the guide are always appreciated!

[wyuenho (Jimmy Yuen Ho Wong)]

Thanks for the invitation, but I don't think asking a person who doesn't even know about the thing they are supposed to be documenting to document makes any sense...

[wyuenho (Jimmy Yuen Ho Wong)]

This problem has gotten worse now. It doesn't even work for the main port any more. Now I'm getting an Error: Unable to execute port: Could not open file:... for every port

[wyuenho (Jimmy Yuen Ho Wong)]

I checked out the dir into ~/Documents and sudo port -D ~/Documents/... doesn't seem to be very happy about it, even when execing under a sudoer account.

[wyuenho (Jimmy Yuen Ho Wong)]

@raimue @jmroot Is there any movement on this ticket? How is a port maintainer suppose to test their port update and subports now?

[wyuenho (Jimmy Yuen Ho Wong)]

Looks like the way to do it now is portindex