Tue, 16 Jun 2009
Package List (plist) Details
For the most part plists (in FreeBSD ports) are simply a listing of files installed by the port relative to ${PREFIX}. The contents of the plist get put into the +CONTENTS file in the package. Failure to get the plist correct in the port causes the package and the port to not properly clean up after itself, which leads to stray files on your machine. Not only is it a tidy problem it can potentially cause problems later on down the road. It's not hard to imagine a scenario where a binary is left laying around with a vulnerability in it. It is important to get plists correct to ensure a happy user experience.
Probably the most common thing you will see done in plists besides listing files is handling configuration files during (de)installation. This is well documented in the handbook (and don't forget to put the corresponding part in the Makefile as the plist is not processed when using the port). You can actually do a lot more with the plist if you need to, though it is not often the case.
I've had a few people ask me recently how plists work so I thought I would document what I consider to be a good resource regarding plists. When in doubt I always take a look at pkg_create(1) - specifically the PACKING LIST DETAILS section. If you're working on a port and get yourself confused when dealing with the plist I would look through that and it will most likely clear up any issue you have.
posted at: 17:10 | tags: freebsd, ports | path: /entries/freebsd | permanent link to this entry
