Re: Binary packages on NetBSD: Importing pkg(8) from FreeBSD?

[Aleksej Saushev <asau%inbox.ru@localhost>]

Marc Balmer <marc%msys.ch@localhost> writes:

> pkg(8) has been designed to be a modern binary
> package manager that can among other things properly deal with
> update situations, properly resolve dependencies and in general
> allows systems to be managed with binary packages easily.

Based on our practice, both are lies. Its handling of binary updates
isn't any improvement over our pkg_install in resolving dependencies
and isn't an improvement over pkg_chk in updates.

What is true about pkgng is that it is modern.
Yes, it is modern binary package manager in FreeBSD. Sadly.

> pkg(8) is not part of the base system, the base system only
> contains a way to bootstrap pkg(8). pkg(8) itself resides in the
> FreeBSD ports tree.

The way this bootstrap is implemented in FreeBSD is conceptually broken.
It is a step back when compared to pkgsrc.

> afaict, the following steps would be needed:
>
> - Tell the upstream developers about our plans (the pkgsrc backend should become part of the upstream code, if possible)
> - Import the pkg(8) bootstrap mechanism into NetBSD base (src/external).

It is pkg_install that should be kicked off the base system rather.

> - Extend pkg(8) to deal with pkgsrc-produced binary packages.
> - Import pkg(8) into pkgsrc.

What does pkgng do different to pkgin?
(With exception of weird bootstrapping stage and some issues in
dependency handling.)


-- 
HE CE3OH...