Tutorial for ports

[ibrg87]

I'm pretty new to freebsd, is there a nice tutorial for ports? The handbook doesn't seem to explain much. Thx

 

[richardtoohey2]

How do you mean? Using them? Making a new port?

If you just want to use FreeBSD, you can (mostly*) avoid ports unless you want to get into the weeds.

Use binary packages with "pkg install" (that installs a ported application so it is linked to ports, but you don't need to care. Unless you want to!).

* I said mostly because depending on what you are wanting to do, you might not be able to avoid them.

 

[Maturin]

The handbook doesn't seem to explain much.

Handbook: 4. Ports is all you need to know.
Unless you want to install some software that's not already part of the ports tree ( pkg search packagename), so need to create new ports yourself.

Maybe you come from Linux?
On many Linux distros installing software packages are bit more complicated:
The Linux way:

void install_a_package(char softwarepackagename)
{
    char repo_list, password;
    char package_manager_databes, dependencie_packagename;
 
    sudo add softwarepackagemame to repo_list;
    enter password;
        if (password valid){
            sudo update package_managers_database;
            enter password;
            if (password valid){
                sudo install softwarepackagename;
                enter password;
                if (password valid){
                    get lots of dependencies errors;
                    find dependencie_packagename;
                    install_a_package(dependencie_packagename);
                }
            }
        }
}

The FreeBSD way:
login as root
pkg install softwarepackagename
enjoy FreeBSD!

 

[ibrg87]

Handbook: 4. Ports is all you need to know.
Unless you want to install some software that's not already part of the ports tree ( pkg search packagename), so need to create new ports yourself.

Maybe you come from Linux?
On many Linux distros installing software packages are bit more complicated:
The Linux way:

void install_a_package(char softwarepackagename)
{
    char repo_list, password;
    char package_manager_databes, dependencie_packagename;
 
    sudo add softwarepackagemame to repo_list;
    enter password;
        if (password valid){
            sudo update package_managers_database;
            enter password;
            if (password valid){
                sudo install softwarepackagename;
                enter password;
                if (password valid){
                    get lots of dependencies errors;
                    find dependencie_packagename;
                    install_a_package(dependencie_packagename);
                }
            }
        }
}

The FreeBSD way:
login as root
pkg install softwarepackagename
enjoy FreeBSD!

thx

 

[Maturin]

thx

NP. That's what this forums are for. Even if such things are part of the HB, but one is eager to help people to start with FreeBSD - grow the game.
So, the most interesting question is:
Does it work?
And was it too much tinkering?

 

[Emrion]

You have also this very useful man page: ports(7)

 

[drhowarddrfine]

Even if such things are part of the HB

I saw a post today where someone wrote "lk what if i wanted to go down there..." I had to reread and think about that line for a minute to finally figure out "lk" was "like".