Re: FreeBSD15.0 stable pkgbase

On 10/26/25 17:07, Manfred Koch wrote:
> Hi Mark,
>
> in my test-installation I messed up a lot.
> Thanks for your detailed answers. It helps
> to understand more about the pkgbase
> and his future planning.
>
> So I think don't panic for now. So I will try
> a fresh install after a while in order to
> better oneself.
>
> Thank you very much indeed
> Manfred
>
> On 10/26/25 02:55, Mark Millard wrote:
>> Manfred Koch <md-koch_at_t-online.de> wrote on
>> Date: Sat, 25 Oct 2025 21:35:36 UTC :
>>
>>> thank you for your advices. I have only tried
>>> the FreeBSD-base, because the freebsd-update
>>> will be going in the future.
>> 2yrs to 4yrs in the future, depending on when
>> you switch from a FreeBD 15.* to a FreeBSD 16.* .
>>
>> Details . . .
>>
>> freebsd-update will be in place for all the 15-*
>> releases and for stable/15 for as long as it is
>> supported. The plan is now for FreeBSD 16 to make
>> the switch to a then-updated pkgbase (not just
>> what now exists) for the primary/support way to
>> install and upgrade FreeBSD.
>>
>> https://freebsdfoundation.org/blog/navigating-freebsds-new-quarterly-and-biennial-release-schedule/ 
>>
>>
>> shows FreeBSD 16 starting in 2027-Dec, about mid-way during
>> FreeBSD 15.3's time frame.
>>
>> But 15.6 is shown as ending in 2029-Dec or so,
>> about mid 16.3's time frame.
>>
>> So it is 2yrs to 4yrs before needing to use pkgbase,
>> depending on when you switch form a FreeBSD 15.* to
>> a FreeBSD 16.* . (I assume non-use of main here.)
>>
>>> When I set up the FreeBSD15.0
>> At this point had FreeBSD 15.0 been installed via
>> base-packages? Some other way? I'm unclear on the
>> relative order of the various upgrades of various
>> types.
>>
>> The below few lines part seems to be only about
>> port-packages, not about how FreeBSD 15.0 was
>> installed.
>>
>>> with repo in:
>>>
>>> /usr/local/etc/pkg/repos/FreeBSD.conf
>>>
>>> I installed the packages with pkg install `cat ./installed_packages`
>>> in order to get the programmes, which I have in RELEASE 14.0.
>> As I understand, all of those packages were port-packages,
>> not base-packages. Nothing about the above required any
>> involvement of any base-packages before, during, or after
>> --as far as I can tell.
>>
>>> Or is it
>>> not the right way to get a System with the same installed packages 
>>> as before
>>> for "pkgbase" repo?
>> looks good for installing port-packages to me, no
>> base packages being involved.
>>
>> The pkgbase repositories do not include any port-packages.
>> The port-package repositories (latest and quarterly types)
>> do not include any base packages.
>>
>> Before base-packages have been installed, only port-packages
>> might be involved (or no packages of any kind for a time).
>>
>>> I only did the command : pkg install -r FreeBSD-base -g 'FreeBSD-*'
>>> get to know what happened.
>> In my view, that kind of experimentation on your primary
>> environment instead of on a throwaway/temporary one turned
>> out to be a messy mistake. Transitions from version V.*
>> to (V+1).0 need not go well for such experiments, being
>> more likely to be messy than updates from V.M to V.(M+1)
>> are typicially.
>>
>> Was this before installing the port-packages? After?
>>
>> If after, you would have been okay just not doing the
>> base-package experiment at all --or having a backup that
>> you know you could restore (or it being a bootable copy).
>>
>>> I observed, that some FreeBSD-* snap files need a lot time
>>> to be installed!!!
>> One thing about your choice of use of: -g 'FreeBSD-*'
>> is that you got copies of everything. That is not
>> expected to be the typical type of installation. But
>> if you do some development type of activities on
>> FreeBSD it might well be reasonable. (I actually
>> install everything, though just for informal/personal
>> activity.)
>>
>> Using selections from the bsdinstall utility for
>> terminology (mostly). . .
>>
>> First off there are two types of overall context:
>> bootable contexts and jail contexts. Here we are
>> talking bootable contexts. (Note: "bootable" is
>> my additional descriptive term in order to have
>> a word to contrast with "jail".)
>>
>> There is a minimal set always installed by
>> BSD install, intended for multi-user system.
>>
>> Options:
>>
>> base (includes devel and optional from below)
>> debug (debug symbols)
>> devel (C/C++ compilers and related utilities)
>> lib32 (32-bit compatibility libraries)
>> optional (optional software other than what devel includes)
>> src (the FreeBSD source code)
>> tests (test suite)
>>
>> What of that do you want to have installed? All
>> of it?
>>
>> (Note base and optional have jail variants
>> base-jail and optional-jail.)
>>
>>> Is it that what us awaiting with pkgbase?
>> I would not conclude much about pkgbase details
>> as they will be 2yrs+ into the future when you
>> transition to some 16.* version (if you stick
>> with FreeBSD). There is a reason that using base
>> packages has been labeled a Technology Preview
>> by bsdinstall .
>>
>>> It could be a cause to
>>> change to another OS.
>> I've no clue how much lead time you need. But, as
>> stands, it appears to be 2yrs to 4 yrs before you
>> would need to move to some FreeBSD 16.* in order
>> to maintain a supported status (and so must start
>> to use pkgbase as it then is).
>>
>>
>> ===
>> Mark Millard
>> marklmi at yahoo.com
>>
>>