Error running cvsup and portsdb

[Chris Hodgins]

Kjell B. wrote:
> I have tried to run 'cvsup -h cvsup2.se.freebsd.org ports-supfile' 
> followed by 'portsdb -uU' a number of times today. They've all failed with:
> 
> <quote>
> -------
> Updating the ports index ... Generating INDEX.tmp - please wait..make: 
> don't know how to make describe. Stop
> ===> multimedia/nautilus-media failed
> *** Error code 1
> 1 error
> 
> ********************************************************************
> Before reporting this error, verify that you are running a supported
> version of FreeBSD (see http://www.FreeBSD.org/ports/) and that you
> have a complete and up-to-date ports collection.  (INDEX builds are
> not supported with partial or out-of-date ports collections -- in
> particular, if you are using cvsup, you must cvsup the "ports-all"
> collection, and have no "refuse" files.)  If that is the case, then
> report the failure to ports at FreeBSD.org together with relevant
> details of your ports configuration (including FreeBSD version,
> your architecture, your environment, and your /etc/make.conf
> settings, especially compiler flags and WITH/WITHOUT settings).
> 
> Note: the latest pre-generated version of INDEX may be fetched
> automatically with "make fetchindex".
> ********************************************************************
> 
> *** Error code 1
> 
> Stop in /usr/ports.
> *** Error code 1
> 
> Stop in /usr/ports.
> failed to generate INDEX!
> portsdb: index generation error
> --------
> </quote>
> 
> uname -a:
> -----------
> FreeBSD homebell.dyndns.org 4.10-RELEASE-p2 FreeBSD 4.10-RELEASE-p2 #0: 
> Mon Oct 18 21:48:34 CEST 2004 
> homebell at homebell.dyndns.org:/usr/obj/usr/src/sys/HOMEBELLapmipfw  i386
> 
> /etc/make.conf:
> ---------------
> CPUTYPE=i686
> CFLAGS= -O -pipe
> COPTFLAGS= -O -pipe
> NOPROFILE= true
> # added by use.perl 2005-02-02 22:33:28
> PERL_VER=5.6.2
> PERL_VERSION=5.6.2
> NOPERL=yes
> 
> I have ports-all set in my ports-supfile. No refuse file. In fact, no 
> changes at all since the previous successful cvsup. It was successful 
> just a couple of days ago.
> 

I think most people use "make fetchindex" to update the index now.  It 
is a lot faster and you are much more likely to have a correct index 
file.  To use it, remove the old index and do this:

# cd /usr/ports
# cvsup -h cvsup2.se.freebsd.org ports-supfile
# make fetchindex
# portsdb -u

Now you have a reasonably up-tp-date (worst case 2 hours out) index 
file.  This should be a lot faster than building it yourself.  I believe 
  you can also use portmanager which does all upgrading without the 
index file.

HTH
Chris