FreeBSD Porter's Handbook
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# 8.5 Changing the names of `pkg-`*`` files

All the names of `pkg-`*`` files are defined using variables so you can change them in your `Makefile` if need be. This is especially useful when you are sharing the same `pkg-`*`` files among several ports or have to write to one of the above files (see writing to places other than `WRKDIR` for why it is a bad idea to write directly into the `pkg-`*`` subdirectory).

Here is a list of variable names and their default values. (`PKGDIR` defaults to `${MASTERDIR}`.)

Variable | Default value
--- | ---
`DESCR` | `${PKGDIR}/pkg-descr`
`PLIST` | `${PKGDIR}/pkg-plist`
`PKGINSTALL` | `${PKGDIR}/pkg-install`
`PKGDEINSTALL` | `${PKGDIR}/pkg-deinstall`
`PKGREQ` | `${PKGDIR}/pkg-req`
`PKGMESSAGE` | `${PKGDIR}/pkg-message`

Please change these variables rather than overriding `PKG_ARGS`. If you change `PKG_ARGS`, those files will not correctly be installed in `/var/db/pkg` upon install from a port.

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