Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2007 10:59:02 +0000 From: Matt Dawson <matt@chronos.org.uk> To: freebsd-ports@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Limitations of Ports System Message-ID: <200712141059.03146.matt@chronos.org.uk> In-Reply-To: <20071214084944.0CCCA16A4B3@hub.freebsd.org> References: <20071214084944.0CCCA16A4B3@hub.freebsd.org>
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On Friday 14 Dec 2007, freebsd-ports-request@freebsd.org wrote: > I was not planning to skimp on the requirements at all but the test > case is xorg. A far better test case, IMHO, would be to run a similar build to the pointyhat cluster if you're serious about *replacing* the ports system. Unless a new system can do this, as well as being able to produce packages for a centralised port build system for multiple machines (yes, you can do this with NFS and a little thought), the metaphor "snowball in hell" springs to mind. The job you've given yourself is an elephant. I'll leave it up to others to decide if it's white or just too large to eat on your own all at once. Furthermore, if said elephant isn't consumed in its entirety, expect some resistance to your proof of concept code from some unexpected sources since the ports system isn't just the package management system some people seem to think it is. Looking at all this from a user's perspective is fine and dandy until you have a release to do. The ports are tied into bits of the base system in various ways, for example, make release or USE_OPENSSL=base. The current system, although appearing to drip with legacy methods and what look like arcane rituals to appease the make god (until you understand how it all fits together), is very powerful - perhaps more so than any other package managment system I've ever used - and is structured to work for end users, the release engineering and ports management teams. I suspect this is why so many @FreeBSD.org replies were negative. I don't wish to rock the boat and start another 8 kids 1 toy discourse and there is certainly no malice or insult intended, but the ports system is so much more than getting X installed on a desktop box. First and foremost, release engineering depends on it. Change can be good, but always remember the alternate definition of progress: Taking the best of what you have. And ruining it. -- Matt Dawson. matt@chronos.org.uk MTD15-RIPE
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