Subject: Re: Solaris becoming free a good thing for *BSD?
To: Hubert Feyrer <hubert@feyrer.de>
From: MLH <mlh@goathill.org>
List: netbsd-advocacy
Date: 11/23/2004 10:05:03
> 
> On Tue, 23 Nov 2004, MLH wrote:
> > I think it would be better to say that *conceptually* pkgsrc runs
> > on both solaris/x86 and solaris/sparc. Certain types of packages
> > build and run, but in my current/recent experience, only a small
> > number of the packages we would like to maintain under solaris
> > actually build under solaris8, solaris9 and solarisx86.
> 
> Of course the software itself needs to run on solaris - many a linux apps 
> won't, due to too many linuxisms.

Our main problem is that they don't build under pkgsrc on solaris.
So far, if they built, they ran.

> Well, what do you think is missing? IMHO it's working quite well.

More technically useful packages that actually build. Most of the
packages we need that don't currently build are to support scientific
research activities.

> > pkgsrc could easily be the glue that binds a lot of issues together
> > and possibly attract enough attention to it to be useful. Pkgsrc
> > has already began to do so here and that's just with the expectation
> > of what pkgsrc could do.
> 
> Yep. As I said, it just needs enough marketing.
> Dunno if the pkgsrc crew will manage this, but help is definitely welcome 
> & appreciated! :)

We are working to improve the situation for solaris and os/x right
now.