Why there are so many binary packages missing?

[Matthew Seaman]

Yuri wrote:
> I am seeing this for a long time. If I use 'portupgrade -aPP' (packages 
> only) there is a very large percentage of packages missing.
> Upgrading becomes many times faster when binary packages available are 
> available.

Missing binary packages are due in the main to three reasons:

   * Restrictive licensing terms

   * Ports that through bugs, or otherwise, fail to successfully generate
     a binary package.  Some ports (eg. sysutils/screen up until about 2
     months ago (http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/cvsweb.cgi/ports/sysutils/screen/Makefile.diff?r1=1.77;r2=1.78))
     just won't package successfully, even if they build, install and run
     perfectly well.

   * The port has a dependency on another port that failed for reason (2).  
     Because the ports build cluster installs the dependencies of the port it
     is currently trying to build from binary packages, any lower level port
     that fails will prevent packages being built for anything that depends on
     it.

Packages may still be built internal to the build cluster and used to fulfil
dependencies although their licensing terms forbid /release/ in compiled form,
so (1) doesn't contribute all that much to (3).

An awful lot of work by a great many people goes towards minimizing the effects
of (2) and that automatically ameliorates (3).  There's always more to do though,
and anyone volunteering their help will be gratefully received.  See
http://portsmon.freebsd.org/ for a database of the current statuses.

(1) depends on the authors of the package changing their licensing policies; 
frequently persuading people to do that is an uphill struggle and often requires 
lobbying by a whole mass of people.

Then there are a few oddball packages not built for various other reasons.  Eg.
building OpenOffice basically ties up too many system resources from the build
cluster for too long, so I believe that it is still the case that it is left to
3rd parties to generate and publish packages.  

Hmmm.. also, just an afterthought and probably insultingly obvious, but where are
you fetching the pkgs from?  Be aware that the installation media only contain a 
selection of the most popular packages because there simply isn't space to include 
everything.  Go to the FTP sites for a comprehensive service.

	Cheers,

	Matthew

-- 
Dr Matthew J Seaman MA, D.Phil.                   7 Priory Courtyard
                                                  Flat 3
PGP: http://www.infracaninophile.co.uk/pgpkey     Ramsgate
                                                  Kent, CT11 9PW

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