I didn't realize that asking about tracking other distributions would 
cause such skepticism and hostility.


Juan RP wrote:
> 
> I just read your PR and I was searching your patch, but I can't find anything.
> 
Now, that's just silly!  It says: [RFE].  (That means "request for 
enhancement".)  I waited (a long time) for a response from those 
responsible.  

When I'm done finding out who's writing the code, and the code is 
written and thoroughly tested, then it will have a patch. 

I've always found it best to discuss first, write code when the target 
specification is well-understood, and document in tandem with coding. 


> BTW have you tried:
> 
> $ export
> PKG_PATH=ftp://ftp.netbsd.org/pub/NetBSD/packages/<your_version>/<your_arch>/
> 
> And later:
> 
> $ pkg_add <your_package>
> 
Gosh, exactly where do you find that in the documentation?!?!  Not in:
  http://netbsd.org/Documentation/software/packages.html


> Yeah, FreeBSD has the '-r' option ... but we have the same using PKG_PATH more
> or less.
> 
I'm not big on "more or less" nee "quick and dirty". 


"Jeremy C. Reed" wrote:
> 
> I um unclear how "pkg_add <package>" does not work for you. Your PR didn't
> show how to repeat it.
> 
Install a fresh -current, then:  
  dreamer: {2} su
  Password:
  dreamer: {1} pkg_add screen
  pkg_add: no pkg found for 'screen', sorry.
  dreamer: {2} pkg_add misc/screen
  pkg_add: no pkg found for 'misc/screen', sorry.


> I have used that hundreds (thousands?) of times to quickly install
> packages from NetBSD's (and others') FTP servers.
> 
Hmmm, doesn't work today -- didn't in June, either.


> Did you set the PKG_PATH in your environment?
> 
> I do agree that it would be nice to do the -r switch that FreeBSD has (to
> automatically do that part). This would be very easy to code. Any takers?
> 
Well, that's why I asked whether somebody else was tracking freebsd or 
openbsd.  I'll start work on it for pkg_add tonight.


> Also, the fix mentioned in your PR is a little difficult. pkgsrc is made
> to work together. You can't update one pkgsrc category's package and
> expect it to work. Because it may depend on code from other packages.
>...
That's why the dependencies are (should be) specified.


> > I know that others have this capability, so I thought I'd take a look,
> > assuming I'm not tromping in somebody here's territory.  So, I asked.
> 
> Do you have any specific examples?
> 
Oh, freebsd, openbsd, debian, redhat, yellowdog.  Just folks with bigger 
mind-share and better ease of use....
-- 
William Allen Simpson
    Key fingerprint =  17 40 5E 67 15 6F 31 26  DD 0D B9 9B 6A 15 2C 32