Date: Thu, 03 Dec 2009 12:05:17 -0500 From: Colin Albert <colintrebla@gmail.com> Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Newbie questions (updating, ports, etc.) Message-ID: <4B17EFCD.7090302@gmail.com> In-Reply-To: <6e38aed80912030738x255c241fo1095a299c410475e@mail.gmail.com> References: <200912031113.39344.macerl@telkomsa.net> <6e38aed80912030738x255c241fo1095a299c410475e@mail.gmail.com>
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S4mmael wrote: > 2009/12/3 Richard Mace <macerl@telkomsa.net>: > >> 1.) Keeping installed ports/packages up to date. >> >> As far as I can tell from the docs, perhaps the most convenient method is to >> use something like: >> >> # portsnap fetch update >> # pkgdb -F >> # portupgrade --batch -aP (do I need an "R" here?) >> >> > > I don't see any reason to upgrade all installed ports on daily or > weekly basis. In most cases you'll get nothing as the result of > updating some port version 2.16.134 to new version 2.16.135 but lost > time. > There are probably as many approaches to this as there are users. I update very regularly. I find it worse to have a long list of updates required that to dedicate a little time every day or so to updating. And I use... cd /usr/ports make update portmaster -aD portmaster --clean-distfiles > > >> which should first try to find a package from the repositories and failing that >> will fall back to a port. What is the current wisdom here? >> > Yes, it's right. > Given the machine you are targeting initially packages will probably be fine. I use ports because I have a non-typical processor. > >> Is it safe to use the --batch switch? As far as I understand, this will use >> the configuration defaults and not prompt the user whenever a port requires >> some user (options) configuration. Is this interpretation correct? >> > If the package is in use, there will no prompt. While building a port, > configuration in which this port was built last time is used. If there > is no such configuration, then port builds with default options. > I don't use --batch. I want to use the last configuration unless there are new options, then I want to be asked. I do use the -D option so that it does not ask me what to do with the dist files after each new update. Then I clean the distfiles at the end. > >> Related to the above, are the default options that appear in the ncurses >> dialogues the same as those used in the building of packages? >> > It's really intresting. > > >> 3.) Upgrading ports seems to take considerable time (at least with my >> experiments on a 5 year old Pentium IV). I am keen to adopt FreeBSD as my >> desktop for work (Physics Professor, Research and teaching). Is it feasible >> in a work environment to upgrade ports without getting bogged down in a >> compile-a-thon, leaving one with a useless workstation. (My target machine >> will be an 8-core HP z600 (Xeon) which leads me to believe that I could do the >> upgrading in the background while I continue to work uninterrupted. I'd like >> to hear others experiences here.) >> > Try to use something like "nice portupgrade -a". Read "man nice". > nice is probably the right answer here. Although given what you have said about your current machine I am not sure you will want/need to be bleeding edge. It may be best in that case to get it configured and leave it unless there is a security concern. When you get your new machine it will not be a factor so I would go with checking for fresh ports everyday or week. Also you will probably be able to take full advantage of the new target hardware by compiling from source. Colin
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