portmanager/portmaster like application for packages?

[Mel]

On Sunday 01 March 2009 14:02:19 perryh at pluto.rain.com wrote:
> Mel <fbsd.questions at rachie.is-a-geek.net> wrote:
> > On Saturday 28 February 2009 23:06:10 Fbsd1 wrote:
> > > I am looking for software like portmanager/portmaster but works
> > > on the package system instead of the port system. Is there such
> > > am application available?
> >
> > Not (yet). Without /usr/ports it's impossible to find out what
> > software needs updating, or you'd have to download and trust the
> > INDEX-7 on the FreeBSD package servers.
>
> ... which may not be much of a stretch for those who are prepared
> to download and trust the packages themselves, from the same place.

It is a stretch in practice. The INDEX is based on /usr/ports, which is ahead 
of the packages that are actually compiled on the buildservers.

> portupgrade -PP manages somehow.

Not somehow, but because it works with /usr/ports. Try renaming your ports 
directory and see how that goes. Also, -PP wastes a lot of bandwidth. Just 
look at the ammount of packages that are downloaded which aren't actually 
installed, because the version is older or equal then installed.

> BTW, the OP may not realize that 
> "the package system" is a subset of "the port system", rather than
> an alternative.  Packages are generated using the port system.

It's an alternative way to install the same software. One can in fact use 
packages without having /usr/ports present at all. I'm using my own tools, 
using a custom INDEX format on the build server. But there's still too many 
raw edges that I'd like the tools released into the wild.
-- 
Mel

Problem with today's modular software: they start with the modules
    and never get to the software part.