>> > is there an convenient way to build a package with symbols and have it
>> > installed without strip-ing, other than manipulating the makefile/configure
>> > by hand?
>> 
>> You mean NetBSD pkgsrc packages? In a word, "no".

>You just have to explicitly set STRIPFLAG to an empty value in
>/etc/mk.conf first, and then maybe add '-g' to CFLAGS (either on the
>command-line, or in /etc/mk.conf).

No need to set STRIPFLAG in mk.conf, just set it on the command line.
-current make will propagte that through the sub-makes.

As for -g, I find DBG=-g usually does the trick (haven't tried with pkgsrc
mind), since our sys.mk defaults CFLAGS to ${DBG}

HTH
--sjg