From owner-freebsd-ports@FreeBSD.ORG Sat Oct 22 05:31:22 2005 Return-Path: X-Original-To: freebsd-ports@freebsd.org Delivered-To: freebsd-ports@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id E831016A41F for ; Sat, 22 Oct 2005 05:31:22 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from v.velox@vvelox.net) Received: from S3.cableone.net (s3.cableone.net [24.116.0.229]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 7B2AB43D48 for ; Sat, 22 Oct 2005 05:31:22 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from v.velox@vvelox.net) Received: from vixen42.vulpes (unverified [24.119.122.41]) by S3.cableone.net (CableOne SMTP Service S3) with ESMTP id 34766226 for multiple; Fri, 21 Oct 2005 22:39:31 -0700 Date: Sat, 22 Oct 2005 00:35:47 -0500 From: Vulpes Velox To: Vizion Message-ID: <20051022003547.0b197d29@vixen42.vulpes> In-Reply-To: <200510201239.50154.vizion@vizion.occoxmail.com> References: <4357D830.7060506@swehack.se> <200510201239.50154.vizion@vizion.occoxmail.com> X-Mailer: Sylpheed-Claws 1.9.15 (GTK+ 2.6.10; i386-portbld-freebsd5.4) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-IP-stats: Incoming Last 0, First 157, in=278, out=0, spam=0 X-External-IP: 24.119.122.41 X-Abuse-Info: Send abuse complaints to abuse@cableone.net Cc: nocturnal , freebsd-ports@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Flaws in the ports system? X-BeenThere: freebsd-ports@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Porting software to FreeBSD List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sat, 22 Oct 2005 05:31:23 -0000 On Thu, 20 Oct 2005 12:39:48 -0700 Vizion wrote: > On Thursday 20 October 2005 10:47, the author nocturnal > contributed to the dialogue on- > Flaws in the ports system?: > > >Hi > > > >This is a very low priority discussion but i was just wondering if > >there are any known design flaws in the ports system or other > >reasons for the ports to be replaced by a new system. > > > >I'm wondering because ever since i started with freebsd and then > >discovered the ports they have been working perfectly so i must > >know if they truly are perfect or if some of you gurus out there > >see flaws in the system. > > > The system meets its original design specification - so to that > extent I do not believe that the system is flawed. There is > however, in my opinion, a big > BUT>>>> > > With the changes in computing methodology and user expectations > over the last 10 years the ports system appear to me to be in need > of some immediate serious revision if Freebsd is going to be seen > as meeting current and future challenges and user expectations. I > am but one voice and what I have to say is only my opinion. I see > the following challenges: > > 1. The user tools for maintaining the local ports collection do not > include an integrated GUI for management of the ports tree, local > installation, automated upgrading of the ports combined with > configuration files. Such a management could be built using, for > example, a web/database system or with a framework such as Eclipse. > FreeBSD has been built upon the traditional **ix framework that > relies, for its management, upon the sequential use of multiple > tools to solve problems. This is apowerful method for problem > solving but it has not traditionally included the kind of user > friendly GUI to which modern computer users are accustomed to and > expect. To deliver a new ports GUI would be a large project and, > in a ddition to the foregoing ewquirements, should include a > sophisticated ability to search information about th ports and link > with port focused dynamic help files and provide an efficient > interuser dialogue for each port. Something like this should be regarded as a add on and not part of the base system.