Date: Tue, 9 Feb 2016 06:50:17 -0900 From: Royce Williams <royce@tycho.org> To: FreeBSD Ports ML <freebsd-ports@freebsd.org> Subject: Re: Removing documentation Message-ID: <CA%2BE3k922a91bsx1gh=pcx4S7q_L%2BeR=ezbdWZ6HaimmGqjX=BA@mail.gmail.com> In-Reply-To: <56BA01ED.7000504@ohlste.in> References: <E1aT6jw-000MGn-1T@pandora.amnic.net> <56B9D609.6030407@marino.st> <56B9EDC7.1010403@ohlste.in> <56B9F2D6.1090107@marino.st> <56BA01ED.7000504@ohlste.in>
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IMO, this entire thread is masking a deeper symptom: FreeBSD ports/packages management is fragmented. Each unofficial tool treats some symptoms well, and others poorly. The fact that I have to use the phrase "ports/packages" is indicative of a deep schizophrenia. Don't get me wrong -- I love the flexibility of choosing a package or a port. And I'm all for having choices. But people should not be choosing ways to manage core software management functions. Ideally, users could choose among different UIs/wrappers around the core of a port/package management system. The things that each tool has to do -- the database of current installs, dependency management, etc. -- should not be reinvented by each tool. They should be shared infrastructure that is part of the OS (like Debian's dpkg/apt system). A unified framework: * would make it easy for small-scale admins to install basic packages with sane defaults * would resolve dependencies sanely * would allow software maintainers to capture the manual steps currently stored in /usr/ports/UPDATING, and apply them in an automated/guided fashion * would support building and distributing your own packages * would be part of the base OS and documented accordingly Until this fragmentation is resolved , we'll be having this discussion every few months, users will keep shooting themselves in the foot ... and keep being incented to go elsewhere. We need to capture users' reasons for preferring specific frameworks, and build a roadmap to how they could be unified. Royce
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