Should ${PORTSDIR} normally be first in PORTSDIR_PATH ?

[eradman]

The README for openbsd-wip suggests that ${PORTSDIR} be the first element of PORTSDIR_PATH in mk.conf. Hence I was using

PORTSDIR_PATH=${PORTSDIR}:/home/eradman/git/openbsd-wip:/home/eradman/cvs/ports

But this caused problems when I updated git/openbsd-wip or cvs/ports because the ports infrastructure was scanning /usr/ports first. Here I'm building the package for PostgreSQL 9.4, but it's picking up 9.3 dependencies:

$ sudo make port-lib-depends-check
Asking ports for dependency libxml-2.9.1p1(textproc/libxml,-main)
Asking ports for dependency postgresql-client-9.3.4p0(databases/postgresql,-main)
Asking ports for dependency libxml-2.9.1p1(textproc/libxml,-main)
Asking ports for dependency libxml-2.9.1p1(textproc/libxml,-main)
Asking ports for dependency postgresql-server-9.3.4p0(databases/postgresql,-server)
Asking ports for dependency postgresql-client-9.3.4p0(databases/postgresql,-main)
Asking ports for dependency python-2.7.7(lang/python/2.7,-main)
Asking ports for dependency postgresql-server-9.3.4p0(databases/postgresql,-server)

Moving ${PORTSDIR} to the end of the path solves this:

$ sudo make port-lib-depends-check
Asking ports for dependency libxml-2.9.1p1(textproc/libxml,-main)
Asking ports for dependency libxml-2.9.1p1(textproc/libxml,-main)
Asking ports for dependency libxml-2.9.1p1(textproc/libxml,-main)
Asking ports for dependency postgresql-server-9.4beta1(databases/postgresql,-server)
Asking ports for dependency python-2.7.7(lang/python/2.7,-main)
Asking ports for dependency postgresql-server-9.4beta1(databases/postgresql,-server)

Am I right that the README is misleading?

[afresh1]

It depends.

I normally put PORTSDIR at the end because I want the newest stuff and it makes sure if I upgrade a required dependency it Just Works.

If I am getting ready to submit a port, I put PORTSDIR at the beginning and re-run installation and packaging tests to make sure it works with the existing ports tree.

I think in this case, there will be fewer problems by suggesting putting it at the end.

[jasperla]

Feel free to reword that part of the readme, along with a short explanation as to why and how? So people can change the new "default" (at the end) to at the beginning if they see fit.

[czarkoff]

Isn't it more practical to put PORTSDIR in the end and override it via make flag when preparing to submit the port?