Date: Tue, 20 Jun 2017 01:00:42 +0000 From: "Thomas Mueller" <mueller6722@twc.com> To: freebsd-ports@freebsd.org Subject: Re: pkg convert? Message-ID: <34.A9.03935.5B378495@dnvrco-omsmta01> References: <5C.19.03935.91517495@dnvrco-omsmta01> <0e32b32b-5a8d-6f08-b969-9d3fd638d459@FreeBSD.org>
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> On 19/06/2017 01:04, Thomas Mueller wrote:
> > Looking through the man page for pkg, I see there is still an entry for convert ("pkg help convert" or "man pkg-convert").
> DESCRIPTION
> > pkg convert is used to convert from/to pkg(8) local database to legacy
> > pkg_install tools format.
> OPTIONS
> > The following options are supported by pkg convert:
> > -d pkg_dbdir, --pkg-dbdir pkg_dbdir
> > The location of the pkg_add(1) dbdir. Defaults to /var/db/pkg.
> > -n, --dry-run
> > Dry-run mode. Do not actually convert anything. Just show what
> > would be done.
> > What is this? Looks obsolete to me, I thought the legacy pkg_install tools format was long gone with no going back.
> > I tried this with -n (dry-run) just for curiosity, and naturally it didn't work:
> > I got
> > pkg: Unable to open plist file: /var/db/pkg/texlive-texmf-20150523_3/+CONTENTS
> > Skipping invalid package: /var/db/pkg/texlive-texmf-20150523_3
> > and many more like that.
> > If this legacy functionality is long gone, why is it still in the man page or "pkg help convert"?
> > I saw it as recently as 11.1-PRERELEASE.
> I believe the documentation is somewhat inaccurate: pkg-convert(8) will
> convert the old pkg_tools format to pkg(8), but not the reverse.
> Yes, this is pretty much of legacy interest only nowadays, but I suspect
> there are still 8.x machines needing upgrade here and there.
> Cheers,
> Matthew
Actually, I have an old FreeBSD 8.2 installation on a 40 GB IDE hard drive, MBR with legacy FreeBSD bsdlabel on MBR slice 4, not enough maneuvering space for any upgrading.
I had the later thought, pkg is also in NetBSD pkgsrc, maybe pkg convert in NetBSD, but I would be inclined to try only on a system already messed up sufficiently that there is nothing further to lose.
Or one can use pkgsrc (ouch!) with FreeBSD with old pkg_* tools and decide to switch to FreeBSD pkgng format.
Tom
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