>> > Do we have an index which lists all applications/utilities known to
>> > work on NetBSD? I would be willing to compile and maintain such a list 
>> > if there is a need for it - any comments?

>> ftp.netbsd.org. What do people think about the FreeBSD ports-collection,
>> which only keeps the diffs? Maybe we can keep both, the diffs in one
>> directory and the unchanged src in the other. Or create a CD with the unchanged
>> src?

>This is what I'd prefer (just diffs).  I _never_ run precompiled binaries,
>and generally the stuff in ported is out of date, or compiled with
>funky options anyway.  With diffs, you can often apply them over newer
>versions, or at least see what changes were made to an older version
>of the package.

Well, I never _used_ to run pre-compiled binaries.  I always prided
myself on getting the source, tweaking its custom configuration just
the way I wanted it, and building my own custom copy.

That was when I did Unix adminish stuff for a living.

Now, I just don't have time for all of that.  Sure, I still get the
source and tweak it for my favorite stuff.  But I have long since
given up on building everything.  I just don't have the time.
Especially for stuff that comes out somewhat frequently.  I'm still
running an ancient version of mh, just because I haven't found the
time to build a recent one with some bug fixes I need.

I mean, it's just a pain in the ass to reconfigure and build emacs
(for example) each time a new version comes out, just long enough
after the last one I built that I don't have all the right source to
do an in-place upgrade.  Basically, it just isn't *worth* it to me --
my valuable time is better spent somewhere else, according to my
priorities.

I installed a FreeBSD system not too long ago.  And let me tell you
what a sweet pleasure it was to just run a command and have it suck a
fully built and configured copy of emacs, mh, etc. off some official
site, than to have to spend several more hours of my time rebuilding
everything, one more time (especially since this was a slooow 386 we
were setting up -- builds of some of these packages would have taken
days to complete).

>Diffs are smaller, and it's really no big deal to build any package you
>need yourself...cpu's are fast enough that it's not a real time consuming
>process.

Yes, but my time is more valuable than having to re-read the install
docs, reconfigure, patch a broken makefile, etc., for each new major
version of each new package.

So, yes, please make it easy for source distributions to be fetched.
But, if you emphasis that direction, please include a pre-configured
version that is ready to go for a good default setup.  I don't mind
running a make if everything is all ready to go, and I don't have to
read a lengthy configuration how-to document, or fix build failures.

And, if possible (I know this is difficult for all the ports NetBSD
supports), allocate some binary package space for really popular
stuff.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Michael L. VanLoon                           michaelv@MindBender.serv.net
        --<  Free your mind and your machine -- NetBSD free un*x  >--
    NetBSD working ports: 386+PC, Mac 68k, Amiga, Atari 68k, HP300, Sun3,
        Sun4/4c/4m, DEC MIPS, DEC Alpha, PC532, VAX, MVME68k, arm32...
    NetBSD ports in progress: PICA, others...
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