From owner-freebsd-ports@FreeBSD.ORG Tue Nov 30 18:46:46 2010 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-ports@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id E0F771065672 for ; Tue, 30 Nov 2010 18:46:46 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from cswiger@mac.com) Received: from asmtpout023.mac.com (asmtpout023.mac.com [17.148.16.98]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id C6C0A8FC1A for ; Tue, 30 Nov 2010 18:46:46 +0000 (UTC) MIME-version: 1.0 Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Received: from cswiger1.apple.com ([17.209.4.71]) by asmtp023.mac.com (Sun Java(tm) System Messaging Server 6.3-8.01 (built Dec 16 2008; 32bit)) with ESMTPSA id <0LCP00C64O5KXR50@asmtp023.mac.com> for freebsd-ports@freebsd.org; Tue, 30 Nov 2010 10:46:32 -0800 (PST) X-Proofpoint-Spam-Details: rule=notspam policy=default score=0 spamscore=0 ipscore=0 suspectscore=0 phishscore=0 bulkscore=0 adultscore=0 classifier=spam adjust=0 reason=mlx engine=6.0.2-1010190000 definitions=main-1011300108 X-Proofpoint-Virus-Version: vendor=fsecure engine=2.50.10432:5.2.15,1.0.148,0.0.0000 definitions=2010-11-30_10:2010-11-30, 2010-11-30, 1970-01-01 signatures=0 From: Chuck Swiger In-reply-to: <201011301841.35462.david@vizion2000.net> Date: Tue, 30 Nov 2010 10:46:31 -0800 Message-id: <3B286D1E-E7F8-4FF5-85E9-29309A8693C6@mac.com> References: <201011301824.15550.david@vizion2000.net> <9C919663-9CAE-4A7D-889F-D36B62787A46@mac.com> <201011301841.35462.david@vizion2000.net> To: David Southwell X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.1082) Cc: freebsd-ports@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Ports - installation & upgrade history X-BeenThere: freebsd-ports@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Porting software to FreeBSD List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 30 Nov 2010 18:46:47 -0000 On Nov 30, 2010, at 10:41 AM, David Southwell wrote: > I was thinking of something which is far more comprehensive and systematic. Whilst installed options are obtained by examining /var/db/ports the files do not do not provide the detailed historical information which I envisage. Correct. Unless you've taken good backups, nothing else currently preserves all of the historical information you envision, but you can at least get some of the requested info just out of the current filesystem. > The freshports/freebsd sites will tell us when the distributed ports tree was changed but does not provide a historical record of changes to the local ports tree. Also correct. Again, short of having periodic backups made at sufficiently rapid intervals, there is no way to track that information over time. Regards, -- -Chuck