Re: FreeBSD-set-src package is marked as vital?

On Friday, October 17th, 2025 at 12:52 PM, Lexi Winter ivy@freebsd.org wrote:

> polyduekes@proton.me wrote in eReF1RJQrzi3aUqlXyr4rF3hFr32l2FlccEUOMfp9_Adpl7eQSPpfqTSUzdxzMGSs793h4IYqBSk5LdqVlr6t3_GNiBYlWZMwsmd-oTMD0Q=@proton.me:
>
> > pkg would autoremove the FreeBSD-set-src package or it's dependencies
> > if it isn't marked as vital?
>
> the issue is that if you remove "src", intending to keep "src-sys", pkg
> will also remove "set-src", then since src-sys was autoinstalled as a
> dependency of set-src, a later "pkg autoremove" will remove src-sys,
> something the user probably didn't expect.

if a user wants to keep just the src-sys package they can simply remove the set and just pkg install the src-sys package, i am aware this isn't applicable to other sets but it quite fits for the src set

>
> the vital flag is intended as a safeguard to make people aware they
> might not want to do this.
>
> (i am not entirely convinced this actually fixes the problem, but the
> consensus was fairly strongly in favour of this.)
>
> > i can think of two reasons as to why it shouldn't be marked as vital,
> > first is that anyone who has deliberately git cloned the base src tree
> > and deliberately modified it wouldn't want their modifications to get
> > overwritten anytime and the FreeBSD-src and related packages obviously
> > overwrite any change anytime they(the packages of FreeBSD-set-src) get
> > upgraded
>
> this is a reason to remove the src packages, not a reason to stop
> marking them as vital.

the src package seems to be a nice addition for an user that installs freebsd with pkgbase and chooses to install the src tree as well, so it would be nice if it is possible to keep it only when the user chooses to :)

>
> > second is that not everyone needs or wants a copy of src tree on their
> > system by default which i assume they will get when they use pkgbase
> > to install freebsd since it's marked as vital
>
> no, they won't: vital doesn't cause it to be automatically installed.
> if you have it installed, it's because you (or some tool, perhaps)
> opted to install it.

you are right, sorry for the false assumption, guess the two issues i mentioned are on me then