Re: Updating pkg_install on NetBSD 4

["Steven M. Bellovin" <smb%cs.columbia.edu@localhost>]

On Sun, 23 Sep 2007 16:33:49 -0700
jnemeth%victoria.tc.ca@localhost (John Nemeth) wrote:

> On Feb 13,  5:34pm, "Steven M. Bellovin" wrote:
> } On Sun, 23 Sep 2007 17:08:14 +0200
> } > On Sat, Sep 22, 2007 at 09:43:57PM +0200, Christian Hattemer
> wrote: } > > I went to /usr/pkgsrc/pkgtools/pkg_install and did a
> "make update". } > > This used to update the pkgtools in /usr/sbin
> with the new ones. } > >
> } > > However it installed the new files into /usr/pkg/sbin now,
> leaving } > > those in /usr/sbin untouched.
> } > >
> } > > Did I miss something?
> } > 
> } > No. This behaviour was changed as it created more problems than it
> } > fixed.
> } > 
> } > > Due to the default settings for $PATH the old versions
> in /usr/sbin } > > are still the ones that are picked up.
> } > 
> } > On the command line or by pkgsrc? pkgsrc itself should pick up
> the new } > version, otherwise you can set PKG_TOOLS_BIN
> to /usr/pkg/sbin. } > 
> } > I will not support the old replacement installation.
> } 
> } So -- what is the proper behavior for a NetBSD user when he or she
> is } told that pkg_install is out of date?  Last I checked, it
> couldn't be
> 
>      "make update" in pkgsrc/pkgtools/pkg_install generally works for
> this.  If it doesn't, then file a PR.

The problem is that I almost never use 'make update'.  First, if
something in the middle breaks I don't know what state the system is in.
Second, I generally do bulk rebuilds using pkg_comp, under which
pkg_install won't build.

What it boils down to is that we've never documented how to maintain
pkg_install on NetBSD.  (I just check the pkgsrc guide from the web
page and did not see anything.)
> 
> } what should happen for folks who track -current, which -- at least
> last } time I looked -- would put its versions into /usr/sbin.  Is
> that } version going to be the latest one?
> 
>      It may or may not be.  It all depends on when it was updated as
> opposed to when the version in pkgsrc was updated along with when you
> last did an update of your system.  Note that pkg_install is now
> maintained in pkgsrc and imported into base (it used to be the
> reverse).

Hmm...
> 
> } I'm not going to argue with you about the older behavior creating
> more } problems than it fixed; you know pkgsrc far better than I do.
> I would } like consistent behavior that doesn't surprise system
> administrators.
> 
>      The problem is that this change creates inconsistent behaviour
> and surprises.
> 
I can deal with start-up transients.  I'm not convinced we're in a
steady state.  To give one example, should build.sh put pkg_add and
friends in /usr/pkg/sbin instead of /usr/sbin?


                --Steve Bellovin, http://www.cs.columbia.edu/~smb