New FreeBSD package system (a.k.a. Daemon Package System (dps))

[Freddie Cash]

On Friday 11 May 2007 07:35 am, Mike Meyer wrote:
> I still think we ought to quit pretending that ports/packages aren't
> part of BSD, and default LOCALBASE to /usr. But if changing it is
> being tested, that's a big help.

Personally, this is the one thing I like *most* about BSD.  There is a 
clear separation between what ships as part of the OS, and what apps I 
install on it later.  There's a consistency to things, that you just 
can't find anywhere else.

/ and /usr are the OS.

/usr/local is what the ports tree installs.

/whatever/i/want/ is where I install things from source to keep them 
separate.

One could make the case for /usr to be the OS, /usr/pkg (or whatever) for 
port installs, and /usr/local for local source installs.  So long as the 
OS is separate from the apps.

With the OS and apps separate, you can upgrade them asynchronously.  
There's a nice feeling to running the latest version of appX on FreeBSD 
5.3.  Or an older version of appY on FreeBSD 6-STABLE.

Try getting something similar on a Linux system.
-- 
Freddie Cash
fcash at ocis.net