> -----Original Message-----
> From: Carl Wilhelm Soderstrom [mailto:chrome@real-time.com]=20
> Sent: Wednesday, August 11, 2004 11:21 AM
> To: Tim Underwood
> Subject: Re: pkgsrc install
>=20
> On 08/09 01:36 , Tim Underwood wrote:
> > Regarding pkgsrc compilation/installation:
> >=20
> > I don't know who came up with this idea (seems similar to what I've=20
> > heard for apt-get),
>=20
> no, apt downloads binary packages. much more efficient than=20
> compiling code everywhere. (and doesn't introduce the=20
> security risk of having a compiler on every box).
>=20
> > but HOT DAMN!  This is really a slick way to compile/install source.
>=20
> the *BSD ports tree *is* pretty nifty. :) if you're looking=20
> for something similar under Linux, try Gentoo Linux. IMHO,=20
> the whole 'compile from source and optimize' is rather=20
> overrated tho. often the benefits are negligible (tho=20
> sometimes they might be significant); and mostly in the head=20
> of those who do propound it. :)
>=20
> I stick with Debian packages. they tend to have all the nifty=20
> features enabled, they're trivial to upgrade, and they're=20
> absolutely the fastest and easiest way to install software. I=20
> heartily suggest you try a Debian installation at some point.=20
>=20
> to me, compiling from source isn't worth the time & effort=20
> (even as effortless as the ports trees sometimes make it). YMMV. :)

All too true.  However, I've had to go to source much more often the
last couple of years, since I'm still running RH 7.2/7.3 systems.  Hard
to find ready-to-roll RPMs for several packages for those older RH
releases.  I have to say that what is provided by pkgsrc makes it MUCH
easier to do this than getting source RPMs.

>=20
> > Beats the heck out of RPM!
>=20
> you're actually comparing apples & oranges to an extent. RPM=20
> is a packaging tool and package format. the *BSD equivalent=20
> is 'pkg'. 'apt' (which works for both RPM and Debian=20
> packages) is more like pkgsrc/ports, in that it manages=20
> packages of software. :)

Again - very true.  However, there simply hasn't been an alternative for
RH and anything pre-packaged for RH Linux.  You get the RPM, find out
how many more RPMs you need, use rpmfind.net, get more RPMs, go back to
rpmfind.net........ =20

One significant thing about pkg over RPM though - as long as you have
the packages in the same directory, pkg WILL install dependencies - RPM
won't.  It'll just complain about what you don't have.