[geeks] Fink vs Darwinports

[Jonathan C. Patschke]

Historically I use my Mac for Mac things (Adobe and Microsoft apps, IM,
Xcode, etc.).  However, I have something of an immediate need to run
more GNUish stuff on my Mac.

Specifically, I'm developing an application that will need to run[0] on
a number of OSes.  I was originally planning to target GNustep/Cocoa,
since that would get me all the platforms I care about, except for
the legacy Windows OS, which the target environment is retiring.
However, after spending a couple of days hacking around on GNUstep, it's
become pretty clear to me that the GNUstep folks are either exaggerating
their claims of progress or I'm just spoiled with how polished Cocoa is.

So I need GTK[1], and I mostly need it to Just Work.  The last time I
built GTK by hand (v2.4.x or so), it had umpty-bazillion dependencies.
I can only assume v2.12.x has umpty-bazillion-squared dependencies.

So, what's the consensus on the least-suckful way to get Unix-ish
applications and libraries onto Mac OS without having to resolve
dependencies by hand?  I've used both fink and DarwinPorts years and
years ago, and both of them tended to be unreliable and have outdated
software.  Has either one improved any?


[0] Java isn't an option, unfortunately.  I don't have time to go back
     and rewrite the hardware-interface bits in a Java-friendly way, and
     I don't want to IPC it to hell and back.
[1] I can do a native Cocoa port later.  $target doesn't have Macs, but
     they will shortly have a large number of BSD boxes.  The Mac port is
     strictly for me and $boss and a couple of other people who've gotten
     workstation-envy since I kicked the Dell junk off my desk and got a
     Mac.
-- 
Jonathan Patschke | "There is no such thing as a short of reserves...
Elgin, TX         |  one bank can have a problem...the Fed can print
USA               |  money, there is no shortage."
.                 |     --Jim Glassman, US Economist, JPMorgan Chase