Date: Wed, 31 May 2000 15:02:25 -0700 From: Kent Stewart <kstewart@3-cities.com> To: "Eric J. Schwertfeger" <ejs@bfd.com> Cc: Vernon Buck Jr <vbuck@usa.net>, questions@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Newbie question about Packages, & Ports Message-ID: <39358BF1.44770478@3-cities.com> References: <Pine.BSF.4.10.10005311422030.73617-100000@harlie.bfd.com>
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"Eric J. Schwertfeger" wrote: > > On 31 May 2000, Vernon Buck Jr wrote: > > > What's the difference between a package, and a port which is better? > > port first: A port is a Makefile and set of supporting files that tells > the machine where to fetch the source code from and how to install the > source. As such, a port is usually very small, but requires that the > source to be downloaded seperately. > > A package is the end results of the port (a "make package" command in the > port directory will generate the package). No compiling is necessary, you > usually just install the package and use it. Packages seldom come with > source. > One side effect that I have encountered recently is that a port can be broken. You do a ports cvsup and suddenly a new version is required in the ports. Right now the jadeTeX port is broken and I can't build it but I need it to make a local copy of the FreeBSD documents that I routinely cvsup. The package was built before the latest release and isn't broken. Everything else in the meta project docproj is a port but for right now, jadeTeX is a package. I'm happy because I can generate HTML and have the most recent copy without resorting to Internet access. Kent -- Kent Stewart Richland, WA mailto:kstewart@3-cities.com http://www.3-cities.com/~kstewart/index.html http://daily.daemonnews.org/ SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) @ Home http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/ To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message
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