Based upon
bsdinstall/scripts/auto#L208-L218:
Bash:
if [ ! -f $BSDINSTALL_DISTDIR/MANIFEST ]; then
PKGBASE=yes
else
bsddialog --backtitle "$OSNAME Installer" --title "Select Installation Type" \
--yes-label "Distribution Sets" --no-label "Packages (Tech Preview)" --yesno \
$PKGBASE_DEFAULT_BUTTON \
"Would you like to install the base system using traditional distribution sets or packages (technology preview)?" 0 0
if [ $? -eq 1 ]; then
PKGBASE=yes
fi
fi
the term actually used is
Packages (Tech Preview). On 14.2|3-RELEASE and 14-STABLE pkgbase was "experimental".
I believe whether or not
Packages (Tech Preview) is presented as the default option, depends on what image you are installing FreeBSD15.0-RELEASE from; AFAIK, if I'm reading this correctly, when both options are available and a MANIFEST is present then the default option is "distribution sets". IIRC a minimal (smallest?) memstick or ISO image does only offer the option of installing a packaged base; there simply isn't room for both options when space is at a minimum.
This has been discussed rather fiercly on the MLs. The fact remains that, although this is in accordance to the documented behaviour of
pkg-delete(8), in the era of pre-base packages this was often used to "get rid" of any non-base stuff, that is: packages from the ports tree, and have a clearly defined state with only the base install. Some work/ideas seem to be in the making where it is easy to not affect base packges when issueing such a rigorous pkg-delete or pkg-remove command; I'm not aware of the current status of these developments.
