Best LinuxPort software

there are a couple of linux applications i want to install on my mac. I have been looking at the various ways to run them and so far i have found Andreas Fink
MacPorts fink and i beleive there is also darwin ports.

Im just wondering what is the difference between all these? which one is the easiest to use and which one is the best?

I looked at both of these as I moved from Linux to Mac. I found the DarwinPorts was more complete and easier to use. I installed it and used it to install all sorts of Linux favorites, from simple things like mc to larger packages like Abiword (even though there is also an Apple native version of that).

So, I can recommend DarwinPorts from experience.

does DarwinPorts work smiler to apt-get? How does it work?

Well basically, you first install the DarwinPorts software itself. This is a one time thing only. DarwinPorts is essentially an on-the-fly build environment. Behind it is a full source level "distro" with complete dependency management.

Once DarwinPorts is installed, you then select whatever package you are interested in. As an example, lets consider the xv image viewer/editor. You tell it to install xv. It downloads xv's source code and checks for dependencies. If it finds unmet dependencies, it downloads their source code too. Then it compiles and builds the whole thing in the correct order and installs it. Done!

To run the result, you typically need to start Apple's X11 and that is all. You can then run the resulting programs directly off the Dock, or via a menu (if you have ClassicMenu or the like), or can run them via an xterm command line.

It is very simple and easy to use. You install DarwinPorts. Then you just issue simple "install" commands for the packages of interest. It does all the rest automatically.

So, is it like apt-get? Well, sort of, but at the source level.

how long does it take to compile and build?

Its doing it now and i have to go to uni in 5 minuits lol