>> Let me reformulate my question: Does the way how I have installed >> MacPorts packages on my computer influence how `port mpkg' works >> for a given package? Given that `port mpkg' rebuilds all packages, >> I would expect no. Instead, I would expect some control file (or a >> special command line sequence) to control variants of package >> dependencies. > > I believe you can just specify the variants that you want (for the > port and all of its dependencies) at the command line when you run > `port mpkg`, can't you? As in: > > sudo port mpkg lilypond-devel +mactex +perl5_28
This seems to work, thanks! Maybe it's worth to document that. Of course, the next question is whether MacPorts variant strings form a consistent set without contradictions. Another issue: There are many files in the mpkg file that are definitely unnecessary to run the final program (in my case the `lilypond' binary from `lilypond-devel'), for example test files for python, or header files of C libraries, or (most of the) documentation. Is there any support from `port' to not package that? Werner