A Few Simple Ports Questions

**bryansmith** · 09-07-2005

Hey everyone,

I am new to BSD and have two questions regarding ports.

1. How do I set it up so that my ports directory includes the latest and greatest? I did cvsup with the supplied supfile with PCBSD but it is a bit outdated (not much but I like to be bleeding edge).
2. Is there something I can do that would update the entire system, something like apt-get dist-upgrade? Can I do this with packages or would I have to do this with ports?

Thanks in advance,
Bryan

**serz** · 09-07-2005

Are you using FreeBSD? If so, check the handbook, it's all there.

**lordnothing** · 09-10-2005

PC-BSD should be avoided as they have designed their package manager to be incompatible with ports (they aren't even *aware* of each other)..

if you want a BSD aimed at user-friendly, etc.. check out DesktopBSD instead.. their intention is to *always* be based on and compatible with FreeBSD-STABLE...

**bryansmith** · 09-10-2005

Originally Posted by lordnothing

PC-BSD should be avoided as they have designed their package manager to be incompatible with ports (they aren't even *aware* of each other)..

if you want a BSD aimed at user-friendly, etc.. check out DesktopBSD instead.. their intention is to *always* be based on and compatible with FreeBSD-STABLE...

Ports seems to work fine. Also, DesktopBSD doesn't work for me. I get some crazy mounting error during boot. I may give it another try.

Bryan

**karantan** · 10-16-2005

Originally Posted by serz

Are you using FreeBSD? If so, check the handbook, it's all there.

amm well i dont agree with you. i have read it and i can tell you that there is a LOT to be said abaut fbsd in that book. if you had read it also than your knowladge is very limeted... i realy get mad if some1 tells me that in handbook is all for fbsd, becaus its not.

**chopin1810** · 10-16-2005

I don't think there's anything like apt-get for FreeBSD... it's just because, think about it, most people running FreeBSD are using it for servers... servers require the most stable software, not the newest. People running servers need to keep them running all the time, and don't really have time to upgrade apache every month.

**Demetrius** · 10-16-2005

The ports and packages system are as good, if not better, than apt. The Gentoo 'portage' system is inspired, and works very much like, FreeBSD's ports system. If you want the newest versions of all the software you want to install, you'll have to be running the -CURRENT branch of FreeBSD. Of course, that's FreeBSD not PCBSD and I'm not sure if PCBSD has -STABLE or -CURRENT branches like FreeBSD does.

The apt-get dist-upgrade equivalent in the ports system is make buildworld and you can read about it here: http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO...makeworld.html .

**chopin1810** · 10-17-2005

The -CURRENTS totally defeat the purpose of FreeBSD in my view. At least I haven't had good experiance with them. Even with 5.4 I was having some issues. So I stick with good ol' 4.11. And anyway, if there's no internet interface for upgrades, then what's the point?
Oh, and PCBSD sucks. They basically took FreeBSD and threw an Anaconda installer on it. It's too young to be taken seriously at this point. It just doesn't have enough experience. If you want UNIX for home then get Linux. Linux has much more support, more hardware drivers written, and more books about it.

**bryansmith** · 10-17-2005

To answer the negatives here about PCBSD:

For one, I had no problems with ports the few times I used it (I usually used packages but those seemed to work fine).

Also, what's wrong with having an anaconda like installer and having things preconfigured? The whole purpose of PCBSD is to be easy and please don't use this whole "what fun is it if you don't have to configure/work to get it to do what you want attitude". Some of us like things to just work out of the box.

Bryan

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