updating multiple freebsd desktops

[Andrew Gould]

> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Bram Van Steenlandt <bulkmail at diomedia.be>
> To: Liste FreeBSD <freebsd-questions at freebsd.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, July 31, 2007 6:59:22 AM
> Subject: updating multiple freebsd desktops
> 
> Hi list,
> 
> The company I work for is linux based, we work with our own app written 
> in wxPython.
> I am having a lot of trouble finding a suitable desktop OS, I've just 
> went with redhat but I think I am having second thoughts about it .
> Freebsd (wich we use for some servers) would be an option but:
> 
> I find it really difficult to keep freebsd up to date in a desktop 
> situation, recompiling things like gnome can take a lot of time.
> 
> So what I would really like is to make one machine the build/test 
> machine and keep this machine up to date with the ports and portmanager 
> or so.
> Can I then set up some kind of repo with the packages from this machine 
> and run something like "yum upgrade" on every desktop we have ?
> I know something like sharing (thus building it only once and installing 
> it on multiple pc's) /usr/ports could be done but it is still to much 
> work and I would like something that also works  over the internet.
> 
> Ideas anyone ?
> 
> kind regards
> _______________________________________________


Here are some ideas to get you started:

1.  Maintain one server and access it remotely using X Window or vnc.

2.  Use portupgrade on each with the options to upgrade ports using
     binaries from the internet.

3.  Maintain one server and use pkg_create to create binary packages of
     all installed ports.

4.  Take a look at PCBSD, which is FreeBSD preconfigured as a desktop
     and with additional, user-friendly features.
     http://www.pcbsd.org.

Good luck,

Andrew