Hello,
I'd like to propose switching the editors/nedit port from the old
SourceForge NEdit 5.7 source tree to the nedit-classic fork maintained
by Alexander Mai:
https://github.com/alx210/nedit-classic
This is the same developer behind EMWM and the related Motif
applications such as XFile, XImaging, and emwm-utils. His NEdit fork is
based directly on the classic Motif NEdit code and keeps the traditional
interface and behavior rather than replacing it with a different
toolkit or substantially different editor.
The current OpenBSD port still uses the original NEdit 5.7 release from
2017. The proposed patch instead tracks a recent nedit-classic snapshot
from April 11, 2026:
dd408440cb392db2258edfef753c57e134cfbbd8
The main advantage of this fork is that it continues development of the
classic Motif version while adding functionality useful on modern X11
desktops. Upstream specifically carries experimental support for MWM
workspace management and optional Xft font support. This also makes it a
natural companion to the updated Motif library and EMWM ports.
The fork otherwise remains recognizably NEdit 5.7 and preserves its
existing client/server model, Motif interface, macro system, syntax
highlighting, and other established behavior.
For the port, I changed HOMEPAGE and the distfile source to the
nedit-classic GitHub repository and use a dated package version for the
selected upstream commit.
I also adjusted the OpenBSD makefile patch so the Motif library is
resolved correctly through LOCALBASE and explicitly pass LOCALBASE and
X11BASE through MAKE_ENV.
The documentation build is now performed explicitly with pod2man after
the main build, while installation remains controlled by the port. The
obsolete separate nedit_patterns distfile and associated packaged files
are no longer included.
The package description has also been updated to identify this as the
classic fork and document its MWM workspace compatibility and Xft
support.
My main reason for proposing the switch is similar to the Motif update:
the existing NEdit 5.7 release has been static for many years, while
nedit-classic provides a current continuation of the same traditional
Motif codebase by a developer who is actively working on the surrounding
Motif desktop ecosystem.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Best regards,
David
Index: Makefile
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/ports/editors/nedit/Makefile,v
diff -u -p -u -r1.85 Makefile
--- Makefile 21 Sep 2023 12:22:33 -0000 1.85
+++ Makefile 27 Aug 2026 00:38:07 -0000
@@ -1,20 +1,17 @@
-COMMENT= a fast, compact Motif/X11 plain text editor
+COMMENT= fast, compact Motif/X11 plain text editor (classic fork)
-DISTNAME= nedit-5.7
-P_V= 0.5
-EPOCH= 0
-REVISION = 1
-DISTFILES= ${DISTNAME}-src${EXTRACT_SUFX}
-DISTFILES.trap = nedit_patterns-${P_V}.tgz
-
-CATEGORIES= editors x11
-HOMEPAGE = https://sourceforge.net/projects/nedit/
-MAINTAINER = Alessandro De Laurenzis <[email protected]>
+COMMIT_ID= dd408440cb392db2258edfef753c57e134cfbbd8
+DISTNAME= nedit-classic-5.7.20260411
+PKGNAME= nedit-5.7.20260411
-SITES= ${SITE_SOURCEFORGE:=nedit/}
-SITES.trap= http://distfiles.sigtrap.nl/
+CATEGORIES= editors x11
+HOMEPAGE= https://github.com/alx210/nedit-classic
+MAINTAINER= Alessandro De Laurenzis <[email protected]>
-DIST_SUBDIR= nedit
+SITES= https://github.com/alx210/nedit-classic/archive/
+DISTFILES= ${COMMIT_ID}.tar.gz
+
+WRKDIST= ${WRKDIR}/nedit-classic-${COMMIT_ID}
# GPLv2
PERMIT_PACKAGE= Yes
@@ -22,27 +19,28 @@ PERMIT_PACKAGE= Yes
WANTLIB += ICE SM X11 Xau Xdmcp Xext Xft Xmu Xpm Xrender Xt
WANTLIB += c expat fontconfig freetype iconv m z Xm
-LIB_DEPENDS+= converters/libiconv \
- x11/motif
+LIB_DEPENDS+= converters/libiconv \
+ x11/motif
+
+ALL_TARGET= openbsd
-ALL_TARGET= openbsd docs
+post-build:
+ /usr/bin/pod2man --section=1 ${WRKSRC}/doc/nedit.pod ${WRKSRC}/doc/nedit.man
+ /usr/bin/pod2man --section=1 ${WRKSRC}/doc/nc.pod ${WRKSRC}/doc/nc.man
-NO_TEST= Yes
+NO_TEST= Yes
-MAKE_ENV+= MOTIFLIB='-L${LOCALBASE}/lib -lXm'
+MAKE_ENV+= MOTIFLIB='-L${LOCALBASE}/lib -lXm' \
+ LOCALBASE='${LOCALBASE}' \
+ X11BASE='${X11BASE}'
do-install:
sed -i "s/^\.TH NC/&L/" ${WRKSRC}/doc/nc.man
- ${INSTALL_PROGRAM} ${WRKBUILD}/source/nedit ${PREFIX}/bin
+ ${INSTALL_PROGRAM} ${WRKBUILD}/source/nedit ${PREFIX}/bin/nedit
${INSTALL_PROGRAM} ${WRKBUILD}/source/nc ${PREFIX}/bin/ncl
${INSTALL_MAN} ${WRKSRC}/doc/nedit.man ${PREFIX}/man/man1/nedit.1
${INSTALL_MAN} ${WRKSRC}/doc/nc.man ${PREFIX}/man/man1/ncl.1
${INSTALL_DATA} ${WRKSRC}/doc/NEdit.ad \
${PREFIX}/lib/X11/app-defaults/NEdit
- ${INSTALL_DATA_DIR} ${PREFIX}/share/doc/nedit
- ${INSTALL_DATA} ${WRKSRC}/doc/nedit.doc ${PREFIX}/share/doc/nedit
- ${INSTALL_DATA_DIR} ${PREFIX}/share/nedit/patterns
- ${INSTALL_DATA} ${WRKDIR}/nedit_patterns-${P_V}/*.pats \
- ${PREFIX}/share/nedit/patterns/
.include <bsd.port.mk>
Index: distinfo
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/ports/editors/nedit/distinfo,v
diff -u -p -u -r1.19 distinfo
--- distinfo 28 Feb 2019 23:00:47 -0000 1.19
+++ distinfo 27 Aug 2026 00:38:07 -0000
@@ -1,4 +1,2 @@
-SHA256 (nedit/nedit-5.7-src.tar.gz) = rdmsef+XNSitNshoWCOLrE9ZiWwn2/KFy+ak1CX8oXo=
-SHA256 (nedit/nedit_patterns-0.5.tgz) = 7qnt2CG5d9xtvfYGk7nAOlSeuNrba+d++GO5y58bpdA=
-SIZE (nedit/nedit-5.7-src.tar.gz) = 1344754
-SIZE (nedit/nedit_patterns-0.5.tgz) = 9245
+SHA256 (dd408440cb392db2258edfef753c57e134cfbbd8.tar.gz) = VgrTf5ZbH3CjFy5V8fzJOXp5Oz98LQ6Siw4gMU12vTc=
+SIZE (dd408440cb392db2258edfef753c57e134cfbbd8.tar.gz) = 1329024
Index: patches/patch-makefiles_Makefile_openbsd
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/ports/editors/nedit/patches/patch-makefiles_Makefile_openbsd,v
diff -u -p -u -r1.11 patch-makefiles_Makefile_openbsd
--- patches/patch-makefiles_Makefile_openbsd 11 Mar 2022 18:58:33 -0000 1.11
+++ patches/patch-makefiles_Makefile_openbsd 27 Aug 2026 00:38:07 -0000
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ Index: makefiles/Makefile.openbsd
+CFLAGS+=-DUSE_DIRENT -DUSE_LPR_PRINT_CMD -DHAVE_MKSTEMP
ARFLAGS=-ur
-LIBS= -L/usr/X11R6/lib -lXm -lXpm -lXp -lXext -lXt -lSM -lICE -lX11 -lm
-+MOTIFLIB?=-L${LOCALBASE} -lXm
++MOTIFLIB?=-L${LOCALBASE}/lib -lXm
+LIBS=-L${X11BASE}/lib ${MOTIFLIB} -lXft -lXpm -lXext -lXt -lSM -lICE -lX11 -lfontconfig -lfreetype -lexpat -lm -lXau -lXdmcp -lXrender -lXmu -lz -liconv
include Makefile.common
Index: pkg/DESCR
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/ports/editors/nedit/pkg/DESCR,v
diff -u -p -u -r1.5 DESCR
--- pkg/DESCR 28 Feb 2019 23:00:47 -0000 1.5
+++ pkg/DESCR 27 Aug 2026 00:38:07 -0000
@@ -1,4 +1,8 @@
-NEdit is a standard GUI (Graphical User Interface) style text editor
-for programs and plain-text files. It provides mouse based editing and
-a streamlined editing style, based on popular Macintosh and MS Windows
-editors, for users of X workstations and X terminals.
+NEdit is a multi-purpose text editor for the X Window System, which
+combines a standard, easy to use, graphical user interface with the
+thorough functionality and stability required by users who edit text
+eight hours a day.
+
+This is the "classic" fork with experimental patches adding MWM
+workspace manager compatibility and optional support for Xft fonts.
+Compatible with the updated Motif 2.3.9 library.
Index: pkg/PLIST
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/ports/editors/nedit/pkg/PLIST,v
diff -u -p -u -r1.17 PLIST
--- pkg/PLIST 11 Mar 2022 18:58:33 -0000 1.17
+++ pkg/PLIST 27 Aug 2026 00:38:07 -0000
@@ -1,25 +1,5 @@
-@pkgpath ${BASE_PKGPATH}
-@pkgpath ${BASE_PKGPATH},wrapmark
-@pkgpath ${BASE_PKGPATH},lesstif,wrapmark
-@pkgpath ${BASE_PKGPATH},lesstif
@bin bin/ncl
@bin bin/nedit
lib/X11/app-defaults/NEdit
@man man/man1/ncl.1
@man man/man1/nedit.1
-share/doc/nedit/
-share/doc/nedit/nedit.doc
-share/doc/pkg-readmes/${PKGSTEM}
-share/nedit/
-share/nedit/patterns/
-share/nedit/patterns/arm.pats
-share/nedit/patterns/diff.pats
-share/nedit/patterns/erlang.pats
-share/nedit/patterns/forth.pats
-share/nedit/patterns/haskell.pats
-share/nedit/patterns/lua.pats
-share/nedit/patterns/mipsasm.pats
-share/nedit/patterns/postgresql.pats
-share/nedit/patterns/prolog.pats
-share/nedit/patterns/ruby.pats
-share/nedit/patterns/scheme.pats
