From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Thu Dec 3 17:30:01 2009 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 5B7201065672 for ; Thu, 3 Dec 2009 17:30:01 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from colintrebla@gmail.com) Received: from mail-gx0-f218.google.com (mail-gx0-f218.google.com [209.85.217.218]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 11A908FC19 for ; Thu, 3 Dec 2009 17:30:00 +0000 (UTC) Received: by gxk10 with SMTP id 10so358257gxk.3 for ; Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:30:00 -0800 (PST) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=domainkey-signature:received:received:message-id:date:from :user-agent:mime-version:cc:subject:references:in-reply-to :content-type:content-transfer-encoding; bh=T2UbxjwQjSbR07FT3nJn314uVLvT6xtHJdvpczW24uk=; b=V4dN0cnYv5fHceaZsNEpaF5AMenYwLc1ThwEjnh/7KWcFF1Qm2l7XreBTxZujRF5th CmsFQG6ptUE3gmq/Z6bhXdNzrMjcS4ZehVB4jgWFiJpf7QNQQv1gW8LSck8nueNWhHmZ OeMUg6lb7NUmGZErzP04nJNVcfUJn2lnsJKEc= DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; c=nofws; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=message-id:date:from:user-agent:mime-version:cc:subject:references :in-reply-to:content-type:content-transfer-encoding; b=TEi5g+pHjqNnyUXH/WtYV965dgCqv4yE61D533SH5E6B+nI72uuw1K7GFvwu/t3UiM D97YG8o58+1/chUbRAqnRRlP+8h7kLR3BtkTa2DBxAp0ey4svqZhIA3N1qeqpx2SjG4f dW8uZUTMdxlMOoDdgDqpq5GUpmdFUFVs8aYmo= Received: by 10.150.6.26 with SMTP id 26mr3362465ybf.17.1259859919046; Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:05:19 -0800 (PST) Received: from Tickles.e-alberts.com (cpe-098-024-140-172.carolina.res.rr.com [98.24.140.172]) by mx.google.com with ESMTPS id 13sm1196024gxk.5.2009.12.03.09.05.18 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=RC4-MD5); Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:05:18 -0800 (PST) Message-ID: <4B17EFCD.7090302@gmail.com> Date: Thu, 03 Dec 2009 12:05:17 -0500 From: Colin Albert User-Agent: Thunderbird 2.0.0.23 (X11/20091201) MIME-Version: 1.0 CC: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org References: <200912031113.39344.macerl@telkomsa.net> <6e38aed80912030738x255c241fo1095a299c410475e@mail.gmail.com> In-Reply-To: <6e38aed80912030738x255c241fo1095a299c410475e@mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Subject: Re: Newbie questions (updating, ports, etc.) X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:30:01 -0000 S4mmael wrote: > 2009/12/3 Richard Mace : > >> 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