Re: NetBSD vs FreeBSD

[Alistair Crooks <agc%pkgsrc.org@localhost>]

On Thu, Aug 04, 2011 at 10:16:39AM -0400, Alex Goncharov wrote:
> | But overall both do basically the same thing and FreeBSD does have more 
> | packages (and Debian has more too :)
> 
> At last: "overall both do basically the same thing"!..  Thank you!
> (I've felt similarly.)

Beware of playing the numbers game, since a "package" or a
"ports/pkgsrc entry" may not mean the same thing.  Debian packages
tend to split things up into the smallest component - Debian's boost
had 27 packages - one for headers, one for docs, etc, and this was
back in 2006.  pkgsrc counts 2 "packages" for py25 and py26 packages,
although 1 pkgsrc entry (the packages are derived from the same pkgsrc
entry).  Same for php packages.  pkgsrc doesn't tend to do mass CPAN
or CTAN entries as much as ports did.

However, as I've said many times before, size doesn't matter.

It's breadth that matters, and pkgsrc has 16 times the breadth of ports.^U^U^U
(sorry, that useless innuendo was uncalled for).

FreeBSD undoubtedly has more ports than pkgsrc, even including wip,
and no-one is doubting that. Neither am I trying to play a "my packaging
system is better than yours" game. But I usually find that if a package
isn't known about on pkgsrc.se (another valuable resource, btw), then
I or someone else will add it fairly quickly.

Regards,
Alistair