Re: Getting started pkgsrc with Linux

[jnemeth%victoria.tc.ca@localhost (John Nemeth)]

On Dec 30,  2:33am, "Thomas Mueller" wrote:
}
} I have some questions/concerns regarding pkgsrc with Linux.
} 
} One is patches to the source packages that might be included to make
} the package build and run properly on NetBSD, and which might hurt
} things when building and running on Linux.  FreeBSD ports collection
} does something like that, patching to build and run on FreeBSD as
} opposed to Linux.

     FreeBSD ports have different goals then pkgsrc (one is that it
only runs on FreeBSD).  In pkgsrc, patches are not supposed to mess up
packages when building for other platforms.  If they do, then it is a
bug in the package and you should file a bug report.

} Another concern is that pkgsrc would not cover the whole system, in
} that it, like the FreeBSD ports collection, would not include the
} base system.  But with Linux, or at least some distributions,
} everything is part of a package, including the vital things like
} util-linux-ng, coreutils, gcc and more.  So how would pkgsrc under
} Linux build these vital parts?

     It wouldn't.  pkgsrc is strictly concerned with third party
software.  For stuff that comes with the OS, use the OS' native
packaging system.

} I also notice from the documentation that pkgsrc on Linux and other
} non-NetBSD platforms uses bmake instead of make.  But some packages
} require gmake as opposed to make, as I found by browsing the Mozilla
} web site regarding Seamonkey and Firefox.  I guess bmake would not
} work in this case?

     No, always use bmake.  When you invoke (b)make, you are really
invoking the pkgsrc system.  If a package needs gmake, then pkgsrc will
invoke gmake at the appropriate time.

} I don't think I could well try this on my present computer but am
} planning to buy a new computer, likely amd64, where I might want to
} try Linux with pkgsrc.

     It is very safe to use pkgsrc on a system.  Just about everything
pkgsrc does is confined to /usr/pkg (and the package directory while
building a package).  There are some minor exceptions.  Examples are
that pkgsrc will create /var/db/{pkg,pkg.refcount} to keep track of the
packages installed; if you set PKG_RCD_SCRIPTS=YES then it will put rcd
scripts in /etc/rc.d; and there are some packages that will store stuff
in /var.  This last item could potentially be an issue.

}-- End of excerpt from "Thomas Mueller"