Using MacPorts to deploy Leo on macOS computers

[David Szent-Györgyi]

Has anyone taken a recent look at MacPorts for deploying Leo?

I know that using Homebrew to install Leo is the current recommendation. Homebrew has for years installed in /usr/local on Intel Macs, and is now forced by Apple's tightening of access to that folder to install in /opt/homebrew on Apple Silicon Macs, which come with macOS 11 "Big Sur";  the recommendation for the Intel Mac remains /usr/local. 

You might call me old school, but MacPorts is my preferred system for deploying open-source software on the Mac I live in for work. MacPorts already installs under /opt, basing its filesystem hierarchy under /opt/local. It can install precompiled binaries when available; it can compile everything from source code, pulling that from GitHub as needed. 

A custom installation can base the MacPorts filesystem in another folder underneath /opt, such as /opt/leo-editor. Such a custom installation requires compiling everything from source - no small job if one installs Python and Qt - but provides the option of installing Leo with all dependencies, keeping that installation independent of other software. 

I can forsee separate installations, one with custom installation under /opt/leo-editor for work on development of Leo, one with the default installation under /opt/local for day-to-day use. 

MacPorts is written to install without stepping on software bundled with the operating system - and without relying on Apple to deliver the most recent releases of that software (such as Python!). MacPorts has good support for Python and for Qt, and the range of software that it supports means that work is already done for supporting specific versions of Python and Qt. All that would be needed would be a "portfile" that tells MacPorts how to install Leo. 

It is possible to use MacPorts to deploy macOS Applications, which would in Leo's case be a launcher that would run the MacPorts-hosted Python and use that to launch the MacPorts-hosted Leo. 

[chr...@gmail.com]

I totally agree. I recently tried both Homebrew and MacPorts for the first time to install Python, and I found MacPorts better designed, with better and clearer information about the process, no tiresome jargon, better utilities for package management, and an altogether more satisfying experience.

For example, compare Portfile Development (and following pages), with Formula Cookbook ...

Until we get a Leo Port,  and since Installing Leo on MacOs 10.7 (Lion) and later is 11 years-old and obsolete, and as I'm using an M1 Mac with Monterey, I'm going to try How to install Leo under M1 chip macOS 12.*

Wish me good luck :)

[Edward K. Ream]

On Wed, Sep 21, 2022 at 11:22 AM chr...@gmail.com <chr...@gmail.com> wrote:

Until we get a Leo Port,  and since Installing Leo on MacOs 10.7 (Lion) and later is 11 years-old and obsolete, and as I'm using an M1 Mac with Monterey, I'm going to try How to install Leo under M1 chip macOS 12.*

That's great news. Many thanks for your efforts.

Edward