From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Tue Feb 5 03:22:58 2013 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:1900:2254:206a::19:1]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 98F9C8A1 for ; Tue, 5 Feb 2013 03:22:58 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from freebsd@edvax.de) Received: from mx02.qsc.de (mx02.qsc.de [213.148.130.14]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 5D55326A for ; Tue, 5 Feb 2013 03:22:58 +0000 (UTC) Received: from r56.edvax.de (port-92-195-74-250.dynamic.qsc.de [92.195.74.250]) by mx02.qsc.de (Postfix) with ESMTP id C9AA12782F; Tue, 5 Feb 2013 04:22:50 +0100 (CET) Received: from r56.edvax.de (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by r56.edvax.de (8.14.5/8.14.5) with SMTP id r153Mqew003792; Tue, 5 Feb 2013 04:22:52 +0100 (CET) (envelope-from freebsd@edvax.de) Date: Tue, 5 Feb 2013 04:22:52 +0100 From: Polytropon To: "Joseph A. Nagy, Jr" Subject: Re: which pkg repository with 9.1 Message-Id: <20130205042252.60a97fd1.freebsd@edvax.de> In-Reply-To: <511076C8.9080207@gmail.com> References: <20130204190315.e7a64819c502038e2e2cd605@sohara.org> <51106FBB.30907@gmail.com> <511074A0.5080306@gmail.com> <511076C8.9080207@gmail.com> Organization: EDVAX X-Mailer: Sylpheed 3.1.1 (GTK+ 2.24.5; i386-portbld-freebsd8.2) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.14 Precedence: list Reply-To: Polytropon List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 05 Feb 2013 03:22:58 -0000 On Mon, 04 Feb 2013 21:04:40 -0600, Joseph A. Nagy, Jr wrote: > I've almost always built from source since I switched to FreeBSD (I > sometimes, during the initial installation, used pkgs), it's longer but > more reliable. I'm also doing this since I have sufficient CPU and RAM. :-) However, for systems that are low on capacity, using precompiled packages is a really comfortable way to initially install software. The traditional "pkg_add -r " was possible for most of the available software with two exceptions: 1. software that needed compile-time options to make them work as intended (e. g. mplayer with mencoder and all codecs), 2. software that had no packages (e. g. german OpenOffice which had a "pkg_add -r de-openoffice" way in the past). With pkgng and the new "pkg" command set, not just installing would be possible (as known from pkg_add), but also updating (like with freebsd-update, but for ports). At the moment, this functionality is not provided, but it should become possible in the future, obsoleting the traditional pkg_* tools, while the use of ports, either with the "bare" make framework (make update, relying on SVN instead of CVS, make install, make deinstall and so on) or by the use of a port management tool (like portmaster) will of course still be possible. I know even pkgng can't deal with the two exceptions mentioned above, but it will add the binary updating and therefor make system _and_ software updates easier, especially when you're low on resources. It's also a welcome means if you need to perform an offline installation, i. e. you don't have Internet connection to obtain binary packages or sources, but you can install from optical media instead. The only problem I see (or which I hope not to see) is the upcoming Linuxism of repositories. Plural: many of them. By the use of the traditional pkg_* tools and the make framework for ports, you don't have to deal with selecting repositories. The correct files will be served. I hope there won't be a situation in the future where arbitrary or contradicting repositories "free" and "non-free", "vendor-provided", "private", "development", different in priority and content, will be required to be chosen by the user just to make basic things work (again). For those who have ever tried to explain "repositories" to a novice user in regards of a Linux distributions: You probably know what I'm talking about. :-) -- Polytropon Magdeburg, Germany Happy FreeBSD user since 4.0 Andra moi ennepe, Mousa, ...