Newbie questions (updating, ports, etc.)

[Colin Albert]

S4mmael wrote:
> 2009/12/3 Richard Mace <macerl at telkomsa.net>:
>   
>> 1.) Keeping installed ports/packages up to date.
>>
>> As far as I can tell from the docs, perhaps the most convenient method is to
>> use something like:
>>
>> # portsnap fetch update
>> # pkgdb -F
>> # portupgrade --batch -aP     (do I need an "R" here?)
>>
>>     
>
> I don't see any reason to upgrade all installed ports on daily or
> weekly basis. In most cases you'll get nothing as the result of
> updating some port version 2.16.134 to new version 2.16.135 but lost
> time.
>   
There are probably as many approaches to this as there are users.  I 
update very regularly.  I find it worse to have a long list of updates 
required that to dedicate a little time every day or so to updating. And 
I use...
cd /usr/ports
make update
portmaster -aD
portmaster --clean-distfiles
>
>   
>> which should first try to find a package from the repositories and failing that
>> will fall back to a port. What is the current wisdom here?
>>     
> Yes, it's right.
>   

Given the machine you are targeting initially packages will probably be 
fine.  I use ports because I have a non-typical processor.
>   
>> Is it safe to use the --batch switch? As far as I understand, this will use
>> the configuration defaults and not prompt the user whenever a port requires
>> some user (options) configuration. Is this interpretation correct?
>>     
> If the package is in use, there will no prompt. While building a port,
> configuration in which this port was built last time is used. If there
> is no such configuration, then port builds with default options.
>   
I don't use --batch.  I want to use the last configuration unless there 
are new options, then I want to be asked. I do use the -D option so that 
it does not ask me what to do with the dist files after each new 
update.  Then I clean the distfiles at the end.
>   
>> Related to the above, are the default options that appear in the ncurses
>> dialogues the same as those used in the building of packages?
>>     
> It's really intresting.
>
>   
>> 3.) Upgrading ports seems to take considerable time (at least with my
>> experiments on a 5 year old Pentium IV). I am keen to adopt FreeBSD as my
>> desktop for work  (Physics Professor, Research and teaching). Is it feasible
>> in a work environment to upgrade ports without getting bogged down in a
>> compile-a-thon, leaving one with a useless workstation. (My target machine
>> will be an 8-core HP z600 (Xeon) which leads me to believe that I could do the
>> upgrading in the background while I continue to work uninterrupted. I'd like
>> to hear others experiences here.)
>>     
> Try to use something like "nice portupgrade -a". Read "man nice".
>   
nice is probably the right answer here. Although given what you have 
said about your current machine I am not sure you will want/need to be 
bleeding edge.  It may be best in that case to get it configured and 
leave it unless there is a security concern.  When you get your new 
machine it will not be a factor so I would go with checking for fresh 
ports everyday or week. Also you will probably be able to take full 
advantage of the new target hardware by compiling from source.

Colin