Managing bsdpan

[David Southwell]

The following  portsupgrade reports for bsdpan lead me to ask a few trivial 
questions  and suggestions (see below)
[Updating the pkgdb <format:bdb_btree> in /var/db/pkg ... - 1012 packages 
found (-0 +1) . done]
--->  Skipping 'bsdpan-libnet-1.21' because it is held by user (specify -f to 
force)
--->  Skipping 'devel/p5-Devel-Symdump' because it is held by user (specify -f 
to force)
--->  Skipping 'bsdpan-DB_File-1.817' because it is held by user (specify -f 
to force)
--->  Skipping 'bsdpan-ANSIColor-1.12' because it is held by user (specify -f 
to force)
--->  Skipping 'textproc/p5-Text-Balanced' because it is held by user 
(specify -f to force)
--->  Skipping 'bsdpan-File-Path-2.04' because it is held by user (specify -f 
to force)
--->  Skipping 'bsdpan-CPAN-1.9205' because it is held by user (specify -f to 
force)
--->  Skipping 'www/p5-CGI.pm' because it is held by user (specify -f to 
force)
--->  Skipping 'bsdpan-Safe-2.16' because it is held by user (specify -f to 
force)
--->  Skipping 'bsdpan-B-Lint-1.11' because it is held by user (specify -f to 
force)
--->  Skipping 'bsdpan-Shell-0.72' because it is held by user (specify -f to 
force)
--->  Skipping 'bsdpan-Thread-Semaphore-2.09' because it is held by user 
(specify -f to force)
--->  Skipping 'bsdpan-Text-Soundex-3.03' because it is held by user 
(specify -f to force)
--->  Skipping 'bsdpan-IPC-SysV-2.00' because it is held by user (specify -f 
to force)
--->  Skipping 'bsdpan-SelfLoader-1.15' because it is held by user (specify -f 
to force)
--->  Skipping 'bsdpan-Term-ReadLine-Perl-1.0302' because it is held by user 
(specify -f to force)
--->  Skipping 'bsdpan-libwww-perl-5.813' because it is held by user 
(specify -f to force)
--->  Skipping 'misc/p5-Array-Compare' because it is held by user (specify -f 
to force)
--->  Skipping 'bsdpan-B-Debug-1.10' because it is held by user (specify -f to 
force)
** Listing the failed packages (-:ignored / *:skipped / !:failed)
        -  (bsdpan-constant-1.15)
        -  (bsdpan-MailTools-2.03)
        -  (bsdpan-CPAN-1.9102)
        -  (bsdpan-Term-Cap-1.12)
        -  (bsdpan-Exporter-5.62)
        -  (bsdpan-Thread-Queue-2.11)
        - devel/p5-IO (bsdpan-IO-1.23)
        -  (bsdpan-CPAN-1.9203)
        -  (bsdpan-libnet-1.21)
        - devel/p5-Devel-Symdump (bsdpan-Devel-Symdump-2.08)
        -  (bsdpan-DB_File-1.817)
        -  (bsdpan-ANSIColor-1.12)
        - textproc/p5-Text-Balanced (bsdpan-Text-Balanced-undef)
        -  (bsdpan-File-Path-2.04)
        -  (bsdpan-CPAN-1.9205)
        - www/p5-CGI.pm (bsdpan-CGI.pm-3.38)
        -  (bsdpan-Safe-2.16)
        -  (bsdpan-B-Lint-1.11)
        -  (bsdpan-Shell-0.72)
        -  (bsdpan-Thread-Semaphore-2.09)
        -  (bsdpan-Text-Soundex-3.03)
        -  (bsdpan-IPC-SysV-2.00)
        -  (bsdpan-SelfLoader-1.15)
        -  (bsdpan-Term-ReadLine-Perl-1.0302)
        -  (bsdpan-libwww-perl-5.813)
        - misc/p5-Array-Compare (bsdpan-Array-Compare-1.15)
        -  (bsdpan-B-Debug-1.10)
# /usr/ports/ 

1. why are some packages listed in the format:
- isc/p5-Array-Compare (bsdpan-Array-Compare-1.15)
rather than:
-  (bsdpan-libwww-perl-5.813)

Is this indicative of an inconsistency in my system administration or  
inconsistencies between package make files?

2. There is another question on similar lines because some packages helpfully 
show the hierarchy in the ports tree etc:
 devel/***  
rather than simply 
***

3. In regard to bsdpan apropos generates:
# apropos bsdpan
bsdpan: nothing appropriate
# 

4. A search on freebsd website under bsdpan brings reference to the inclusion 
of bsdpan in the ports distribution but not to any documentation on its use.

5. # locate bsdpan brings a list of bsdpan packages in /var/db/pkg but no 
other files documentation etc.

6. My guess is that there are some guidelines for constructing  bsdpan pkgs 
and for using the bsdpan?  If it does exist could anyone tell me where it is? 

7 If something does exist could it be incorporated into the ports tree e.g 
ports/BSDPAN_README for holding general guidelines about using the BSDPAN and 
covering such issues as advice about holding packages etc.

8. Might the ports tree also provide a central point of information about  
BSDPAN ports updates  e.g ports/BSDPAN_UPDATING. This  would be particluarly 
valuable as the ports themselves are distributed around the ports tree. 

9. Would not a current index of BSDPAN ports  e.g ports/BSDPAN_INDEX including 
a short description also be useful?

David