Date: 24 Aug 2004 15:46:39 -0400 From: Lowell Gilbert <freebsd-questions-local@be-well.ilk.org> To: "Charles Ulrich" <charles@idealso.com> Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Reinstalling, then upgrading (Was Re: Salvageable? (Was Re:make installworld error)) Message-ID: <44smaciajk.fsf@be-well.ilk.org> In-Reply-To: <37045.24.11.146.21.1093373223.squirrel@freedombi.com> References: <37045.24.11.146.21.1093373223.squirrel@freedombi.com>
next in thread | previous in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
"Charles Ulrich" <charles@idealso.com> writes: > Just out of curiosity, is it incorrect to simply say that ports build > packages? No, packages are indeed built from ports. > That is, once a piece of software is installed with 'make install', > is it treated the same as any package that was installed from the installation > CD? Not only are they handled the same, but once installed, they are completely indistinguishable. > (If not, or if the relationship is really a whole lot more complex than > that, then my rant below doesn't apply.) You understand it perfectly, except for the fact that the noun "package" is often used to refer to a tar file which can be fed to pkg_add(1). > A lot of new users can't readily tell the difference between a port and > package and frequently use the two terms interchangably. The handbook gives an > overview of both ports and package but stops short of clearly spelling out > this important distinction. You mean where it says: For any given application, the FreeBSD package for that application is a single file which you must download. The package contains pre-compiled copies of all the commands for the application, as well as any configuration files or documentation. A downloaded package file can be manipulated with FreeBSD package management commands, such as pkg_add(1), pkg_delete(1), pkg_info(1), and so on. Installing a new application can be carried out with a single command. A FreeBSD port for an application is a collection of files designed to automate the process of compiling an application from source code. That seems pretty clear about the distinction to me. > But at the same time, it also implies that ports > and packages are two completely separate ways of installing software when in > reality they are actually two parts of the same system. I'd say that they're actually two different ways of accessing the same database; a slight difference of emphasis... > The phrase "ports > build packages" is a neat and efficient way of rectifying the > misunderstandings that can occur when trying to give a proper explanation of > FreeBSD package management. A quick search on the FAQ and Handbook gives me the impression that most generic references discuss installing from "ports and(/or) packages" rather than one or the other. If you think you see specific places to improve the documentation, please write it up and submit it in a Problem Report. FreeBSD is, after all, a volunteer project...;2~
Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?44smaciajk.fsf>