macportsAssistant

A modern, unified macOS package manager installer for MacPorts

Quick Start

# Download and run - that's it!
sudo ./macportsAssistant.sh

The script automatically detects your system and does the right thing:

• 🆕 Fresh installation if MacPorts isn't installed
• ⬆️ Smart upgrade if you have an existing macportsAssistant installation
• 🔄 Update only with --update-only flag

Features

• ✅ Zero Configuration - Automatically detects what needs to be done
• 🎯 Intelligent - Knows the difference between install, upgrade, and update
• 🛡️ Safe - Backs up your ports before upgrades
• 🎨 Modern - Colorized output with clear progress indicators
• 🔧 Robust - Comprehensive error handling and recovery
• 📱 Compatible - Supports macOS 10.12 Sierra through macOS 15 Sequoia

System Requirements

• macOS 10.12 Sierra or later
• Administrator privileges (sudo)
• Internet connection
• Xcode Command Line Tools (installed automatically if needed)

Usage

Basic Usage (Recommended)

# Let the script decide what to do
sudo ./macportsAssistant.sh

Advanced Options

# Show help
sudo ./macportsAssistant.sh --help

# Force reinstallation
sudo ./macportsAssistant.sh --force

# Only update existing installation
sudo ./macportsAssistant.sh --update-only

# Show version
sudo ./macportsAssistant.sh --version

Regular Maintenance

After installation, keep MacPorts updated with:

sudo ~/bin/macports_updater.sh

What It Does

1. 🔍 Detection Phase

   • Checks if MacPorts is installed
   • Determines if it was installed by macportsAssistant
   • Identifies your macOS version

2. ⚙️ Setup Phase

   • Creates ~/bin/MacPorts working directory
   • Installs/updates Xcode Command Line Tools
   • Downloads appropriate MacPorts version for your macOS

3. 📦 Installation/Upgrade Phase

   • New Install: Fresh MacPorts installation
   • Upgrade: Backs up ports → Reinstalls MacPorts → Restores ports
   • Update: Updates MacPorts and all installed ports

4. 🔧 Maintenance Phase

   • Creates updater script in ~/bin/
   • Sets up proper permissions and ownership
   • Adds directories to PATH

Directory Structure

macportsAssistant/
├── macportsAssistant.sh          # ← Main script (start here!)
├── macports_updater.sh            # Modern updater template
├── README.md                      # This file
├── CHANGELOG.md                   # Version history
├── VERSION                        # Current version info
├── legacy/                        # Legacy scripts for compatibility
│   ├── README.md                  # Legacy documentation
│   ├── macports_assistant_install.sh
│   ├── macports_assistant_upgrade.sh
│   └── macports_updater_legacy.sh
└── [documentation files...]

Legacy Scripts

The original individual scripts are preserved in the legacy/ directory for backward compatibility. New users should use the unified macportsAssistant.sh script.

Troubleshooting

Permission Errors

# Ensure you're using sudo
sudo ./macportsAssistant.sh

Download Failures

• Check internet connection
• Try again (temporary network issues)
• Check if GitHub is accessible

Xcode Issues

# Manually install if automatic installation fails
xcode-select --install

Port Restoration Issues

• Backup files are saved in ~/bin/MacPorts/
• Manually restore using: sudo port install $(cat ~/bin/MacPorts/myports.txt)

Version Information

• Current Version: 3.0.0 (Unified script) / 2.2.2 (Legacy scripts)
• Supported macOS: 10.12 Sierra through 15 Sequoia
• MacPorts Versions: Automatically selects latest compatible version

See CHANGELOG.md for detailed version history.

Development

The project follows modern development practices:

• Error Handling: set -euo pipefail for robust bash scripting
• Code Style: .editorconfig for consistent formatting
• Version Control: Proper .gitignore and .gitattributes
• Documentation: Comprehensive changelog and docs

See CONTRIBUTING for contribution guidelines.

Support

If you encounter issues:

1. Check CHANGELOG.md for known issues
2. Verify system requirements
3. Try --force for problematic installations
4. Report bugs following BUGS guidelines

License

GNU General Public License v3.0 - see COPYING for details.

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Hoyt Harness • Positronikal • Email • 2023-2024