editors/libreoffice disappeared from ports

mer · Dec 13, 2023

astyle said:
As long as we keep atttracting new users, we'll be faced with the task of explaining the difference between packages and ports... I was at one point accused of splitting hairs by someone who didn't know a thing about software compiling....

Splitting hairs? Wow.
Tell them "packages are like taking Uber, ports are like driving yourself" You get to the same destination, but one uses your resources the other uses someone elses.

Cath O'Deray · Dec 28, 2023

gpw928 said:
… So I think it would make sense to modify the pkg upgrade command to default to fail if it would have to remove a package that was explicitly installed by the user. … ordinary users …

Instead: a package can be locked, or vital.

For an 'ordinary' user, I would not recommend either approach.

Existence of a lock (and its consequences) is too easily forgotten, and so on.

pkg-lock(8)

pkg-set(8)

Cath O'Deray · Dec 28, 2023

Disappearance of <https://www.freebsd.org/ports/> was premature.

The page could, should have been improved.

astyle said:
… explaining the difference between packages and ports …

Yep, it's important for people to know the basics, especially since FreeBSD-provided packages are no longer limited to the ports tree.

Less basic, an obscure example of a vital non-ports package:

Code:

root@mowa219-gjp4-zbook-freebsd:~ # bectl list -c creation
BE                     Active Mountpoint Space Created
n264998-d9fee1d02178-a -      -          5.79G 2023-08-24 21:07
n264998-d9fee1d02178-b -      -          573M  2023-08-25 15:31
n265053-315ee00fa961-a -      -          458M  2023-08-28 11:13
n265053-315ee00fa961-c -      -          12.7G 2023-08-31 16:36
n266415-257b04454818-e -      -          13.3G 2023-12-03 06:11
n266992-604de40a024c-b -      -          1005M 2023-12-19 10:28
n266992-604de40a024c-c -      -          521M  2023-12-22 14:46
n266992-604de40a024c-d NR     /          483G  2023-12-25 08:36
root@mowa219-gjp4-zbook-freebsd:~ # bectl create n266992-604de40a024c-e
root@mowa219-gjp4-zbook-freebsd:~ # bectl mount n266992-604de40a024c-e /tmp/up
/tmp/up
root@mowa219-gjp4-zbook-freebsd:~ # pkg -r /tmp/up lock -l
Currently locked packages:
root@mowa219-gjp4-zbook-freebsd:~ # pkg -r /tmp/up query -e '%o = base' %n
FreeBSD-clibs
root@mowa219-gjp4-zbook-freebsd:~ # pkg -r /tmp/up delete FreeBSD-clibs
Checking integrity... done (0 conflicting)
Deinstallation has been requested for the following 1 packages (of 0 packages in the universe):

Installed packages to be REMOVED:
        FreeBSD-clibs: 15.snap20231222052511

Number of packages to be removed: 1

The operation will free 4 MiB.

Proceed with deinstalling packages? [y/N]: y
pkg: Cannot delete vital package: FreeBSD-clibs!
pkg: If you are sure you want to remove FreeBSD-clibs,
pkg: unset the 'vital' flag with: pkg set -v 0 FreeBSD-clibs
root@mowa219-gjp4-zbook-freebsd:~ # bectl umount n266992-604de40a024c-e
root@mowa219-gjp4-zbook-freebsd:~ # bectl destroy n266992-604de40a024c-e
root@mowa219-gjp4-zbook-freebsd:~ #

Cath O'Deray · Dec 28, 2023

karolyi said:
… can't find any recent ports fallout …

For future reference, when fallout is not an explanation for the absence of a package:

Using package build records at pkg-status.freebsd.org

https://people.freebsd.org/~grahamperrin/pkg-status/ This brief guide includes: screenshots an explanation of why the latest option – not to be confused with packages from the main branch of the ports tree (familiarly known as latest) – is not reliable a hint about the current requirement to...

forums.freebsd.org

astyle · Dec 28, 2023

grahamperrin said:

Disappearance of <https://www.freebsd.org/ports/> was premature.

The page could, should have been improved.

Yep, it's important for people to know the basics, especially since FreeBSD-provided packages are no longer limited to the ports tree.

Less basic, an obscure example of a vital non-ports package:

Code:

root@mowa219-gjp4-zbook-freebsd:~ # bectl list -c creation
BE                     Active Mountpoint Space Created
n264998-d9fee1d02178-a -      -          5.79G 2023-08-24 21:07
n264998-d9fee1d02178-b -      -          573M  2023-08-25 15:31
n265053-315ee00fa961-a -      -          458M  2023-08-28 11:13
n265053-315ee00fa961-c -      -          12.7G 2023-08-31 16:36
n266415-257b04454818-e -      -          13.3G 2023-12-03 06:11
n266992-604de40a024c-b -      -          1005M 2023-12-19 10:28
n266992-604de40a024c-c -      -          521M  2023-12-22 14:46
n266992-604de40a024c-d NR     /          483G  2023-12-25 08:36
root@mowa219-gjp4-zbook-freebsd:~ # bectl create n266992-604de40a024c-e
root@mowa219-gjp4-zbook-freebsd:~ # bectl mount n266992-604de40a024c-e /tmp/up
/tmp/up
root@mowa219-gjp4-zbook-freebsd:~ # pkg -r /tmp/up lock -l
Currently locked packages:
root@mowa219-gjp4-zbook-freebsd:~ # pkg -r /tmp/up query -e '%o = base' %n
FreeBSD-clibs
root@mowa219-gjp4-zbook-freebsd:~ # pkg -r /tmp/up delete FreeBSD-clibs
Checking integrity... done (0 conflicting)
Deinstallation has been requested for the following 1 packages (of 0 packages in the universe):

Installed packages to be REMOVED:
        FreeBSD-clibs: 15.snap20231222052511

Number of packages to be removed: 1

The operation will free 4 MiB.

Proceed with deinstalling packages? [y/N]: y
pkg: Cannot delete vital package: FreeBSD-clibs!
pkg: If you are sure you want to remove FreeBSD-clibs,
pkg: unset the 'vital' flag with: pkg set -v 0 FreeBSD-clibs
root@mowa219-gjp4-zbook-freebsd:~ # bectl umount n266992-604de40a024c-e
root@mowa219-gjp4-zbook-freebsd:~ # bectl destroy n266992-604de40a024c-e
root@mowa219-gjp4-zbook-freebsd:~ #

To be fair, I was astonished to learn that there's certain important packages that are not in Ports.... A bit of quick-and-dirty research in cgit.freebsd.org showed me that this one (FreeBSD-clibs) might be something in base, rather than ports... This could be similar in importance to graphics/drm-kmod... another example of a system-level software that is still on the same level as graphics/spectacle...

Point of this post being, we do try to be sensible and consistent with how the software is organized, but exceptions still manage to sneak through and confuse the hell out of users.

Cath O'Deray · Dec 28, 2023

astyle said:
might be something in base, rather than ports

It's definitely base;

grahamperrin said:
a vital non-ports package

pkg -r /tmp/up query -e '%o = base' %n above was for a boot environment mounted at /tmp/up.

Cath O'Deray · Dec 28, 2023

astyle said:
… similar in importance to graphics/drm-kmod...

Removing this meta port will have no immediate effect on usability of the system.

There are consequences if pkg-autoremove(8) is used. An example:

Code:

root@mowa219-gjp4-zbook-freebsd:~ # pkg delete --quiet --yes drm-kmod
root@mowa219-gjp4-zbook-freebsd:~ # pkg iinfo drm-515-kmod
drm-515-kmod-5.15.118_2
root@mowa219-gjp4-zbook-freebsd:~ # pkg autoremove
Checking integrity... done (0 conflicting)
Deinstallation has been requested for the following 1 packages:

Installed packages to be REMOVED:
        drm-515-kmod: 5.15.118_2

Number of packages to be removed: 1

The operation will free 14 MiB.

Proceed with deinstalling packages? [y/N]: y
[1/1] Deinstalling drm-515-kmod-5.15.118_2...
[1/1] Deleting files for drm-515-kmod-5.15.118_2: 100%
root@mowa219-gjp4-zbook-freebsd:~ #