Re: Problems with pkg_rolling-replace and how else to update packages

[mueller6725%twc.com@localhost]

from David Vollenweider:

> In the case of Python packages, chances are the package it says it
> can't find is installed, but under a different Python version.  In your
> case it might be "py36-xcbgen" or even "py27-xcbgen."  Try finding
> which version is installed by running "pkg_info -e "py*-xcbgen" and
> then running pkg_delete -v -f on that package.  Then run
> pkg_rolling-replace again.  If the dependency is still needed it will
> pick it up later.
 
> Unfortunately handling multiple versions of packages for dynamic
> languages like Python is one of pkgsrc's weak points.  The way it's
> done now works well only if every package uses one and only one version
> of a language like Python. Once multiple versions are needed things
> like this start happening.

FreeBSD ports does better than pkgsrc when dealing with package renaming, removal, or multiple versions.

There has been discussion on this pkgsrc list about switching from python 2.7 to 3.6 or 3.7.  Unfortunately some packages still can work with python 2.7 but not 3.6 or 3.7.

I think in some cases I might have to rename /var/db/pkg to /var/db/pkg-old, /usr/pkg to /usr/pkg-old, and /usr/packages to /usr/packages-old and make adjustments to PATH, then rebuild from the start.

I might want to carry some packages over to get over the cwrappers hump.

That way, I still can keep the functionality of old system while rebuilding new.

I wouldn't want to rebuild everything all at once because I don't want to build bigger X applications like Firefox, vlc, ffmpeg, gnumeric, etc, until I know X works: build modular-xorg and a light window manager like icewm or jwm.  No use building the big graphic stuff if X won't start.

Tom