updated ports tree

[Joe Altman]

On Fri, Apr 23, 2004 at 11:41:36PM +0000, Killermink ! wrote:
> I see what your saying and i suppose I have two points:
> 
> 1) Can you install a port without installing the ports tree?

I see that you and I are using terms that aren't really at odds, in
what we mean; but are at odds in what they are normally used for.

Let me explain: you are, in your query, and in your previous email,
talking about packages. What you want to do is download a pre-compiled
binary of each application you wish to use, and install each one.

So no, you cannot install *from* the ports tree without installing the
ports tree. But you *can* install a pre-compiled binary, entirely
bypassing the ports tree.

> 2) If you must install the ports tree, what is the best way to keep it up 
> to date?

AFAIK, the best way is the only way: via a make update/kernel/world
process run out of /usr/src/ and employing cvs. I suggest cd'ing to
/usr/src/ and reading the Makefile there; it is well-commented.

> I am still new at this, and can't seem to find packages for all the
> ports in the tree...

You will not find packages for any port in the ports tree. Have you
looked at the various mirrors for the binary you wish to install?
That's where you will find the packages you seek. There, or perhaps on
one of your 5.x CDs?

However, it occurs to me that the pre-compiled binaries might take up
as much room as the ports tree and the distiles they fetch, if the
packages are large enough. I'd bet that this is an FAQ, of sorts; and
that someone might actually take a stab at answering it.

They probably do not: my /usr/ports/ tree, without distfiles, comes to
about 300 and some few meg out of a gigabyte...sheesh:

61M    /usr/ports/distfiles/teTeX
87M    /usr/ports/distfiles/gnome2

I'm almost sorry I looked.

HTH, Killermink; let me know if I've made things clearer or foggier,
please.

> ----Original Message Follows----
> From: Joe Altman <fj at panix.com>
> Reply-To: freebsd-questions at freebsd.org
> To: Killermink! <killermink at hotmail.com>
> CC: freebsd-questions at freebsd.org
> Subject: Re: updated ports tree
> Date: Fri, 23 Apr 2004 14:23:37 -0400
> 
> On Wed, Apr 21, 2004 at 10:04:06PM +0000, Killermink ! wrote:
> > Hello all,
> >
> > I am about to (re)install FreeBSD 5.2.1, and wish to make sure I have the
> > latest ports afterwards.  I do not really wish to install the whole ports
> > tree from sysinstall as disk space is at a premium, and i will (soon) 
> have
> > a fast internet connection so seems pointless when i am only going to
> > install like 10 ports. Also, the ports tree on the 5.2.1 ISO is out of 
> date
> > now.
> >
> > I have read the manual over and over, but cannot fathom how I can make a
> > port without the whole ports tree being installed...
> >
> > Is it possible to make a port in this way, and how is it done?
> 
> If disk space is at a premium with an out of date ports tree, and
> ports were likely added in the interim, then disk space will still be
> an issue with a current ports tree, no?
> 
> So you may want to:
> 
> 1) use packages, and skip ports entirely
> 
> or
> 
> 2) install the ports tree, and update it as a part of a make world
>    process.