Re: NetBSD vs FreeBSD

[Alex Goncharov <alex-goncharov%comcast.net@localhost>]

,--- You/Jeremy (Thu, 4 Aug 2011 07:56:28 -0500 (CDT)) ----*
| On Thu, 4 Aug 2011, Alex Goncharov wrote:
| >   a. Nothing prevents you from using it on FreeBSD (AFAIU).
| 
| I use FreeBSD ports on a few systems for work.
| 
| Some things I like about pkgsrc:
| 
| - use on multiple operating systems. I use it on Linux, Solaris, Mac OS 
|   X, and other systems. (Even on old FreeBSD systems where ports was 
|   desupported.)

I would undoubtedly use 'pkgsrc' had I regularly need open-source
software on Solaris or AIX... and maybe even on Linux... But on
FreeBSD all my needs are met by ports.  "My needs" -- not claiming
"everybody's", but I am probably more typical than an atypical FreeBSD
user.

| - choose to use an operating system's own X or pkgsrc's X Windowing 
|   System.

"Own X" -- not Xorg, I figure?  How well does it work with modern X
applications?  What's the reason for not using Xorg?  (There has been
maddening upgrade problems with that, but for the last couple of years
Xorg seems to be good and painless.)

| - not interactive (once I set it up to use sudo). (I know FreeBSD ports 
|   can be configured to not prompt me.)

To my shame, I haven't found an option not to pop up an option menu
when a port is first installed.  Didn't try hard enough, perhaps. I
see your point here.

| - customize where configurations are placed and used and it doesn't 
|   overwrite configurations. (And rc.d scripts)

For all ports I am using, the configurations have never been
overwritten by an upgrade.
 
| - help from make (describe and teaches about options and commands)

Nice!

| - option framework (FreeBSD has similar and has nice interactive menu 
|   too).

I wish I knew how to avoid the menus and just use the defaults (see
above.)

| - miscellaneous options like papersize

This is in FreeBSD ports options, somewhere; e.g. I set papersize to
'letter'.
 
| - able to check for library versions (FreeBSD has this some too, but I 
|   think is done manually)

There are some checks, on a port-by-port basis...

| - in some cases, pkgsrc has more up-to-date packages for what I need at 
|   that time. (But that argument can easily be reversed for others 
|   needs.)

This is a function of a specific port maintainer's activity.  In my
experience, the key ports track the upstream quickly enough.  Just
"install from ports" rather than wait for a package.

Yours was a very good itemized description of "pkgsrc" vs. "ports"
potential differences -- thank you!

| But overall both do basically the same thing and FreeBSD does have more 
| packages (and Debian has more too :)

At last: "overall both do basically the same thing"!..  Thank you!
(I've felt similarly.)

-- Alex -- alex-goncharov%comcast.net@localhost --