MacPorts on Apple Macintosh Systems

The MacPorts Project is an open-source community initiative to design an easy-to-use system for compiling, installing, and upgrading a wide range of Free and Open-Source Software on macOS. A Physics MacPorts Build is installed on the majority of the Apple desktop systems or it can also be installed via the Self Service application. This will install a common set of software that is used in the Physics Department.

Help pages on how to use MacPorts and the port command can be found on their webpages

MacPorts Guide

A basic version of Python3 is installed on the systems, if you wish to add extra libraries to it then you will need to use the port command to install the extra libraries.

Using the MacPorts port command via Self Service

If you are using a system which you do not have administrator access to you can edit MacPorts software installed via the Self Service application.

Adding and Removing software from MacPorts via Self Service

Open Self Service from the Applications directory and then click on Augment Physics MacPorts Build from the MacPorts category.

You will be prompted from a popup window to enter your port command. For example, if you would like to install ROOT6 to your system via MacPorts type the following into the popup window:

install root6

This will run the command:

port -N install root6

Updating Physics MacPorts Build via Self Service

Open Self Service from the Applications directory and then click on Update Physics MacPorts Build from the MacPorts category.

This will update the version of MacPorts and update any installed software via MacPorts. It will run the following commands:

port -N selfupdate
port -N upgrade outdated

Removing MacPorts via Self Service

Open Self Service from the Applications directory and then click on Uninstall MacPorts Build from the MacPorts category.

Physics MacPorts Build Log File

A log of the build process is available from:

/Library/Logs/PhysMacPortsBuild.log.

If you are using MacPorts via the Self Service application and want to see the current status of the build process then type the following into a terminal window:

tail -F /Library/Logs/PhysMacPortsBuild.log

Categories: Apple | Astrophysics | Mac | macports | python