# Configure options in make.conf



## cpm@ (Jun 14, 2013)

Yesterday was announced an important change  to define the options for ports in /usr/ports/UPDATING:

```
[CMD]% less +/20130614 /usr/ports/UPDATING[/CMD]
20130614:
  AFFECTS: users who set port options in make.conf
  AUTHOR: [email]tijl@FreeBSD.org[/email]

  Configuring options in make.conf using variables like OPTIONS_SET and
  OPTIONS_UNSET now also suppresses the option dialog for those options.
  This means that when building a port the option dialog will only appear if
  there are truly new options that have not been configured before using either
  the dialog or make.conf.  This allows you to set options like DOCS, NLS,
  X11, etc. once for all ports and not have option dialogs pop up if those are
  the only options.  For a list of variables you can set in make.conf to
  control options see Mk/bsd.options.mk.
```

More information...


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## ShelLuser (Jun 15, 2013)

And the ports hierarchy keeps getting better and better. I especially enjoyed reading the part about ${UNIQUENAME}_SET and ${UNIQUENAME}_UNSET because that will avoid a _lot_ of issues with possible overlapping options (which could therefore possibly cause issues with other or future ports).

I already clicked "that" option but even so: thanks for sharing this stuff, this isn't only really useful but in my opinion also a must-read for anyone who is deeper interested in the way the Ports collection works.


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## cpm@ (Jun 15, 2013)

@ShelLuser,

Totally agree with your opinion, hopefully from now on there will be less confusion when someone wants to use options or knobs in make.conf without breaking some port(s)


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## jozze (Jun 15, 2013)

Thanks, @cpu82! That explanation was exactly what I was looking for!


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