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From: Don Yuniskis <dgy@rtd.com>
Message-Id: <199606241146.EAA24480@seagull.rtd.com>
Subject: Re: Re Ports and Functionality
To: chemques@ml.petech.ac.za (Chemquest Unit)
Date: Mon, 24 Jun 1996 04:46:30 -0700 (MST)
Cc: freebsd-hackers@freefall.FreeBSD.org (FreeBSD hackers)
In-Reply-To: <s1ce8538.075@ml.petech.ac.za> from "Chemquest Unit" at Jun 24, 96 12:07:37 pm
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> Hi there
Ditto!
 
> I would like some info on how software ports work in freebsd.
> What are they and how are they related to the actual package.

*PORTS* are the sources from which *PACKAGES* are made ;-)
This allows you to rebuild a particular package to suit your
own tastes, etc.  Also, due to licensing restrictions, some code
can't be distributed "precompiled".  Still other things need 
"site specific" information in order to be built properly,
etc.  So, some things really exist better as PORTS than as
PACKAGES.

Typically, though, the PACKAGE is used since it saves you the
hassle of building the code (and most folks just want to
use the software "as built")
 
> I find the manual's discussion on ports a bit vague.

*Which* "manual"?

--don