When a port does not build or install, try the following:
Search to see if there is a fix pending for the port in the Problem Report database. If so, implementing the proposed fix may fix the issue.
Ask the maintainer of the port for help. Type
make maintainer
in the ports skeleton or read the port's
Makefile to find the maintainer's
email address. Remember to include the
$FreeBSD: line from the port's
Makefile and the output leading up to
the error in the email to the maintainer.
Some ports are not maintained by an individual but
instead by a group maintainer represented by a mailing
list. Many, but not all, of these addresses look
like <freebsd-.
Please take this into account when sending an
email.listname@FreeBSD.org>
In particular, ports maintained by
<ports@FreeBSD.org> are not
maintained by a specific individual. Instead, any fixes
and support come from the general community who subscribe
to that mailing list. More volunteers are always
needed!
If there is no response to the email, use Bugzilla to submit a bug report using the instructions in Writing FreeBSD Problem Reports.
Fix it! The Porter's Handbook includes detailed information on the ports infrastructure so that you can fix the occasional broken port or even submit your own!
Install the package instead of the port using the instructions in Section 4.4, “Using pkg for Binary Package Management”.
All FreeBSD documents are available for download at https://download.freebsd.org/ftp/doc/
Questions that are not answered by the
documentation may be
sent to <freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.org>.
Send questions about this document to <freebsd-doc@FreeBSD.org>.