Date: Fri, 8 Aug 2025 14:56:18 +0100 From: David Chisnall <theraven@FreeBSD.org> To: =?utf-8?Q?Dag-Erling_Sm=C3=B8rgrav?= <des@FreeBSD.org> Cc: Tomek CEDRO <tomek@cedro.info>, Colin Percival <cperciva@freebsd.org>, vermaden <vermaden@interia.pl>, Sulev-Madis Silber <freebsd-current-freebsd-org111@ketas.si.pri.ee>, "freebsd-current@freebsd.org" <freebsd-current@freebsd.org>, freebsd-stable@freebsd.org, freebsd-pkgbase@freebsd.org Subject: Re: PKGBASE Removes FreeBSD Base System Feature Message-ID: <0CC405ED-BCFC-41AD-A487-5261421BF8A6@FreeBSD.org> In-Reply-To: <86pld62alk.fsf@ltc.des.dev> References: <zxdjhwcktnktdqzisgzy@qkoz> <FD0B239A-7DE4-4588-840E-C31FBBECBBEF@submonkey.net> <pecwwvnjxkiaplcpxkph@fpas> <DA41BBC2-6AD6-44FC-8C0A-213D63DBFF15@ketas.si.pri.ee> <ckjuzadqerchrokhlejz@pkwi> <ffd818ae-9922-413f-b8d8-acb7af51f865@freebsd.org> <CAFYkXjkKMpuJqZkt_x_kpFhMi2kSbJN1ydGK6y9JQeCXpX=MAQ@mail.gmail.com> <864iui3si5.fsf@ltc.des.dev> <CAFYkXjkf2NVQfv9_L=81bzK5ASxRzrfs4Jn9Jg2D0GxWUqTT2g@mail.gmail.com> <86pld62alk.fsf@ltc.des.dev>
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On 8 Aug 2025, at 14:42, Dag-Erling Smørgrav <des@FreeBSD.org> wrote: > > Tomek CEDRO <tomek@cedro.info> writes: >> [...] from user perspective these changes were easy to adapt to :-) > > So will this one. Let’s remember the thing that started this entire thread: `pkg delete -af` This is an *incredibly* stupid thing to do. Long before pkg came along, I did the equivalent of this and managed to lock myself out of a headless box by doing this because I forgot that I was using the ports version of openssh instead of the base one. There are lots of other ways that deleting all packages will break your system. This is why `pkg delete` *shows you a list of packages that it will delete*, whether you specify `-a` or a single package. If you add `-f`, you are explicitly saying ‘I know what I am doing, I don’t need to see the list of packages, I know exactly what is happening’. To all of the people worrying about this: In the decade since pkg was introduced, how many times have you *ever* run `pkg delete -af`? My guess, for 99% of users, the answer is zero. It’s like running rm -rf without checking what’s in a directory first. This entire long thread is because someone did a large destructive operation, using a tool that defaults to telling them in detail what it will do and giving them a chance to stop, and intentionally put the tool in the mode where it didn’t do that. If that’s the most likely way of accidentally breaking a FreeBSD system, we’re in an amazing position. I doubt it’s even in the top 100. Davidhome | help
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