Re: FreeBSD15.0 stable pkgbase

On 10/26/25 17:13, Manfred Koch wrote:
>
> 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
>>>
>>>