Ports/Package Options in new 9.1 install

[shepper]

I successfully install FreeBSD 9.1 on an old laptop with apm/wireless and am now looking at installing a lightweight desktop similar to that described recently in the howto.

Questions:

1. Does anyone have insight as to how the binary packages for 9.1 are coming along? I would love to utilize pkgng.
2. If I go with ports - I installed the ports collection that came on the USB installer. The date stamp is from December 3, 2012. I am debating deleting /usr/ports and starting with a fresh portsnap. If I start with ports and binary packages become available can I transition to pkgng?

 

[fonz]

Anyone have insight as to how the binary packages for 9.1 are coming along?

To be honest, I have no idea. Some communication from the devs would be nice.

I am debating deleting /usr/ports and starting with a fresh portsnap.

Why?

If I start with ports and binary packages become available can I transition to pkgng?

Well, I suppose that once binary packages have been made available you could deinstall your ports (do remember to make a list of what you have installed!) and reinstall binary packages, if that's what you want.

 

[wblock@]

The conversion to pkgng translates the existing package information to the pkgng database, AFAIK. Also realize that there are still old-style pkg_add(1) packages around, and will be for quite a while. Although they have not been updated lately, which is a separate problem.

Even on slow machines, I prefer to use ports. Packages are canned things that either don't have all the options I need enabled, or depend on not-installed versions of things.

Once the repositories for pkgng are up and available, the situation may change.

 

[shepper]

@fonz

Why?

5.6.2 Migrating from CVSup/csup to portsnap

Warning: By February 28, 2013, the ports tree will no longer be exported to CVS and therefore CVSup and csup will no longer provide updates for the ports tree.

Migration to Portsnap

The migration will require about 1 GB of disk space on /usr, plus Portsnap requires about 150 MB disk space on /var.

Disable any automated ports updates you may use, such as a cron(8) job calling CVSup or csup.

Move the existing ports tree to a temporary location:

# mv /usr/ports /usr/ports.old

Fetch the new ports tree with Portsnap and extract it to /usr/ports:

# portsnap fetch extract

Move distfiles and saved packages to the new ports tree:

# mv /usr/ports.old/distfiles /usr/ports
# mv /usr/ports.old/packages /usr/ports

Delete the old ports tree:

# rm -rf /usr/ports.old

If CVSup was used before, it can now be uninstalled:

# pkg_delete -r -v cvsup-without-gui-\*

Users of pkgng can use the following command:

# pkg delete cvsup-without-gui

I am starting with just the base install - a clean slate and believe that I have a release ports tree. I want to start with an up-to-date ports tree. Will there be new packages with the old-style pkg_add? I am leaning toward building the ports with pkgng. After updating ports I will add

WITH_PKGNG=	yes

to /etc/mk.conf

 

[DutchDaemon]

to /etc/mk.conf

/etc/make.conf

 

[fonz]

I am starting with just the base install - a clean slate and believe that I have a release ports tree. I want to start with an up-to-date ports tree.

If you already have a release ports tree you can just start using portsnap(8). No need to remove anything.

Will there be new packages with the old-style pkg_add? I am leaning toward building the ports with pkgng.

All 9.X-releases will probably still be using the current pkg_add(1) format.

 

[tiny]

Even on slow machines, I prefer to use ports. Packages are canned things that either don't have all the options I need enabled, or depend on not-installed versions of things.

Honestly, I do like ports too. And on an old machine running [CMD=""]portsnap fetch update[/CMD] doesn't take too long, but when followed by [CMD=""]portmaster -a[/CMD] it can easily take 2+ days to complete an update on my old laptop and I think binary's might be better suited for the old machine.