Date: Sun, 4 Apr 1999 09:49:16 +1000 From: Sue Blake <sue@welearn.com.au> To: Tony Villasenor <tony@villasenor.org> Cc: freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: how to obtain 'mtools'? Message-ID: <19990404094916.32929@welearn.com.au> In-Reply-To: <Pine.BSF.3.96.990403101536.28517B-100000@gateway.villasenor.org>; from Tony Villasenor on Sat, Apr 03, 1999 at 10:25:10AM -0500 References: <Pine.BSF.3.96.990403101536.28517B-100000@gateway.villasenor.org>
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On Sat, Apr 03, 1999 at 10:25:10AM -0500, Tony Villasenor wrote:
>
> I just installed FreeBSD 3.1 and would like to use MTOOLS.
>
> I have the directory "/usr/ports/emulators/mtools", but
> when I type any of the MTOOLS commands (mdir, mcopy,...)
> I get the message: Not Found.
The files in the ports directory are not the actual program. They're
just those files which are used to transform the source code into
something that compiles and installs nicely under FreeBSD, without
requiring much knowledge or intervention from the person doing the
installation.
Those who are not still struggling with the basics like the fact that
you can customise a port before installing it, while the rest of us are
happy for now to get a few characters to type with confidence that it
will work.
> What steps do I need to take (e.g., get from 3.1 Packages,
> compile, etc.) to create the command library?
For each piece of additional software you might want to install, you
basically have two ways of doing it:
1) Use the "port". This method involves compiling from the source
code, after applying any necessary patches and config changes.
The FreeBSD ports collection automates this process for you, the
"port" being a collection of all the little files that are needed
to let the compile happen nicely under FreeBSD for each port. If
the source code is not found in the distfiles directory, it will
automatically be fetched from its Internet site. You should have
very little to do to install a port. See
http://www.freeebsd.org/handbook/ports.html or
/usr/share/doc/handbook/ports.html for instructions and
background info. It's something everyone should read.
2) Use the "package" which is an archive of the pre-compiled binaries
and associated files, ready for a quick install.
All but a small number of ports are available as packages too. I
can't find the instructions in the Handbook or FAQ, but basically
it's just cd to the directory where the package (archive) is, after
mounting your CD if that's what you're using, and type
pkg_add package-file-name
where package-file-name is the full name of the file including the
".tgz" at the end. If other packages need to be installed before
this program will work, pkg_add will install them for you at the
same time if they're not already installed.
That's nowhere near the whole story, and there's other ways (for
example using sysinstall), but it should at least get you to the point
where you know what to read and what to ask freebsd-questions.
If you have any questions or comments or corrections to what I've said
about how to install packages or ports, please reply to
freebsd-questions (and cc: me).
If you can recommend another web page where this is documented really
well, or have any other comments on the documentation needs of
very inexperienced users, please respond to freebsd-newbies. I'll have
another look through the Handbook for mention of pkg_add, and if I
still can't find it I'll be making noises in freebsd-doc to find out if
there is some reason, other than lack of an author, why it isn't there.
--
Regards,
-*Sue*-
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