[HEADSUP] pkg(8) is now the only package management tool

[Melissa Jenkins]

On 2 Sep 2014, at 13:00, freebsd-stable-request at freebsd.org wrote:
> It gets more interesting if you have to deal with manufacturing
> processes (something we're looking to use FreeBSD for to replace our
> current OpenVMS systems before they go out of support), as often
> automatons write data to external databases and such software resides
> in PLC's. Manufacturing equipment tends to age and the kind of
> external databases they support is limited to what was available when
> they were new and the capabilities of the PLC involved.

This caused us some problems, for example ports/packages that were not backwards compatible with externally integrated clients.  Or which don’t work without IPv6 or that have changed so much you can’t patch them with your local changes.

I resolved the problem by installing a blank 8.3, installing the pkg_* version, then upgrading to pkgng and producing .xz file that I could install on the live boxes.  Bit of a pain but it does work.

Like others here I was expecting a FreeBSD EOL - which is generally harmful only from a security point of view (and can normally be managed with patches).  The whole pkg/ports changeover has been rather final and abrupt and has resulted in quite a lot of unexpected expense to some of my clients.  Perhaps I just did “it" wrong?!

Mel