Does FreeBSD have maintainer shortage?

capybara · Nov 12, 2025

I see more often outdated package in FreeBSD than OpenBSD. Is FreeBSD have shortage of ports maintainer?

For example webkitgtk latest version is 2.50.1 which was quickly updated on OpenBSD just after a week but FreeBSD ports tree still have 2.46.6.

freebsd-ports/www/webkit2-gtk/Makefile at main · freebsd/freebsd-ports

FreeBSD ports tree (read-only mirror). Contribute to freebsd/freebsd-ports development by creating an account on GitHub.

github.com

ports/www/webkitgtk4/Makefile at master · openbsd/ports

Read-only git conversion of OpenBSD's official cvs ports repository. Pull requests not accepted - send diffs to the ports@ mailing list. - openbsd/ports

github.com

tingo · Nov 12, 2025

FreeBSD *always* has a shortage of hands to do all the work needed, especially for ports.

cracauer@ · Nov 13, 2025

The GNOME/Gtk section might be particularly overloaded. Unthankful job.

Starcat · Nov 13, 2025

capybara said:
I see more often outdated package in FreeBSD than OpenBSD. Is FreeBSD have shortage of ports maintainer?

For example webkitgtk latest version is 2.50.1 which was quickly updated on OpenBSD just after a week but FreeBSD ports tree still have 2.46.6.

freebsd-ports/www/webkit2-gtk/Makefile at main · freebsd/freebsd-ports

FreeBSD ports tree (read-only mirror). Contribute to freebsd/freebsd-ports development by creating an account on GitHub.

github.com

ports/www/webkitgtk4/Makefile at master · openbsd/ports

Read-only git conversion of OpenBSD's official cvs ports repository. Pull requests not accepted - send diffs to the ports@ mailing list. - openbsd/ports

github.com

Do you want to be a ports maintainer? If so, please see this thread:

Thread adopt-an-orphaned-port-project.36243

cracauer@ said:
The GNOME/Gtk section might be particularly overloaded. Unthankful job.

I hope that they know some of us really appreciate their hard work. Whomever is maintaining the GNOME port is doing a fantastic job. It must be a herculean task for one person.

capybara · Tuesday at 2:27 PM

Can I take only the patchfiles from OpenBSD and try building the updated port with poudriere?

I might contribute but contributing is not frictionless as I understand from my other FOSS projects experience.

cracauer@ · Tuesday at 3:31 PM

capybara said:
Can I take only the patchfiles from OpenBSD and try building the updated port with poudriere?

I might contribute but contributing is not frictionless as I understand from my other FOSS projects experience.

Which port?

Whether OpenBSD patches make something work or are even required cannot generally be answered. They might or might not.

tingo · Tuesday at 5:03 PM

capybara said:
I might contribute but contributing is not frictionless as I understand from my other FOSS projects experience.

There is a saying: nothing worth doing is easy, quick or painless.

Alain De Vos · Tuesday at 5:07 PM

I lack the knowledge. But if i would i would adopt a port.

capybara · Tuesday at 5:49 PM

cracauer@ said:
Which port?

Whether OpenBSD patches make something work or are even required cannot generally be answered. They might or might not.

I am mostly interested in Gnome, Webkit, Zig and few others. Previously I updated Gnome 43 to 47 only to discover Gnome maintainers released 47 few days later.