Why Are You NOT Using FreeBSD?

[Paul Mather]

On Jun 2, 2012, at 1:31 PM, Chris Rees wrote:

> On Jun 2, 2012 3:19 PM, "O. Hartmann" <ohartman at zedat.fu-berlin.de> wrote:
>> 
>> On 06/02/12 14:47, Daniel Kalchev wrote:
>>> 
>>> 
>>> On 02.06.12 15:32, Erich wrote:
>>>> I know that the ports tree is a moving target. But it stops moving
>>>> during the release period. This could be used to give a fall back
>>>> solution.
>>>> 
>>>> Or do I see this really too simple?
>>> 
>>> The ports tree is a moving target during release periods still, although
>>> there are efforts to make movements smaller. This is why, after a
>>> release it suddenly moves more :)
>>> 
>>> Daniel
>> 
>> Even IF the ports tree IS a moving target, updating of UPDATING, for
>> instance, follows most times AFTER the critical ports has been
>> changed/updated and folks started updating their ports without realizing
>> that they have shot themselfs into the foot!
>> 
> 
> Not reading UPDATING until there are problems is not the fault of the ports
> tree; it should be checked every time you update.
> 
> Of course, many of us forget, but that still doesn't make it anyone else's
> problem when we do!


The point he made was actually not a matter of people not reading UPDATING but that UPDATING is oftentimes not updated until after the disruptive/potentially dangerous change has already hit the ports tree.  So, even though people check UPDATING, it won't help them because there will be nothing apropos there until maybe days later when someone has decided an UPDATING entry was merited in retrospect.

I'm not sure what the solution is for the end user.  I know I get somewhat leery of updating my ports if I see a large number of changes coming via portsnap (like the 4000+ that accompanied the recent libpng upgrade) and there is nothing new in UPDATING (which, happily wasn't the case with the libpng upgrade).  Usually, I wait a while for the dust to clear and an UPDATING entry potentially to appear.

Maybe the solution is to track the freebsd-ports mailing list get get advanced warning of large changes, but that would mean following another high-volume list. :-(

Cheers,

Paul.