Wrap binary in scrip to set some variables

[tkjacobsen]

Hi all

I'm maintaining a port (graphics/ipe) and the newest version needs a
variable set. The way I would solve this is to rename the binary (and
move it out of PATH), create a script instead with the original and
let the script set the variable.

Is this the way to go or should I rather do something else?

If yes, how would I do so. Do a 'mv' in the Makefile and put the
script in files/?

Best Regards

Troels Kofoed Jacobsen

[SirDice]

The way I would solve this is to rename the binary (and move it out of PATH), create a script instead with the original and let the script set the variable.
The net-p2p/mldonkey port does something similar. Except it installs the binary in /usr/local/bin but renames it to mlnet-real. The script is named mlnet.

If yes, how would I do so. Do a 'mv' in the Makefile and put the script in files/?
That's how the mldonkey port does it.

[DutchDaemon]

There's also some moving/renaming going on in the nvidia port (x11/nvidia-driver), so even more inspiration there ;)

[vivek]

I'm little late to party but this technique can be used with php, and perl via Apache+fastcgi too. You write a wrapper and move original php / perl binary and call your script. You can set additional environment, security checking (e.g. do not run perl script in /tmp) and much more.

[aragon]

I'm maintaining a port (graphics/ipe) and the newest version needs a
variable set.
I take it you mean it needs a variable set to work at all on FreeBSD? If so, surely it'd be better to patch the source so that it doesn't need that env var and wrapper script?

[tkjacobsen]

Actually, it needs a variable set to work with tetex. Here is the error I get:

! Pdftex is too old. Set IPEANCIENTPDFTEX environment variable!.
l.3 ...Set IPEANCIENTPDFTEX environment variable!}

The minute someone imports texlive into ports this will go away.