From: jared r r spiegel (jrrsice-nine.org)
Date: Wed Aug 27 2008 - 21:04:08 CDT

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On Mon, Aug 04, 2008 at 01:43:31PM -0400, aeonsystems.com wrote:
>
> when one follows -current aggressively (ie. one rebuilds everything at
> least monthly) should one opt to compile all software from ports, or is
> the package system still useful and reliable?
> My guess is that installing all software from Ports is really the best
> and safest real option.

  i have personally seen three types of scenarios with current and packages
  that have incurred to me an inconvenience:

1) i up -current and the -current packages haven't caught up to -current base

  (which USUALLY creates absolutely no issue at all, but in which case i
   just wait a few days and the pkgs usually catch up)

2) -current packages eclipse the old -current i happen to be running

  (in which case i have to choose between compiling ports and upping -current)

3) i move from a pretty old -current to a recent one, the packages are still
  a bit behind (as in #1 above), but the older -current pkgs on the mirrors
  want a -current that is newer than the old one i moved from.
  for instance, say that i move from a -current with libc.so.42 to one with
  libc.so.46, but the pkgs on the mirrors all want libc.so.45.

  of all of them, i find #1, on its own, to be the least inconvenient. i just
  wait a few days and try to remember to check for if the pkgs caught up.

  #2 is next in line; but if it happens i just find the time to go up -current
  again, which generally takes about the same time as compiling a medium-large port.
 
  #3 is the most inconvenient, but the pkg_* system safely guards me against
  getting something installed that wants a lib i don't have, and as such i just
  end up waiting it out for a few days and then checking the mirrors again.
  
  if one wanted to be super cautious and paranoid, one also has the following
  option:

- decide to up -current
- sit around and watch the mirrors until base and pkgs have identical or
  damn close file timestamps
- leech the piss out of them and suck them all down locally
- go from there

  at that point one can just refer to one's local copy of the packages
  for upgrades and be insulated against the above scenarios provided
  one adheres to this method.

  it's quite a bit of bandwidth and time to spend tho, when the alternative,
  as far as i've found, is just to have to sometimes wait a few days.

  all told however, spending patience on these scenarios has been way nicer
  than fricking around with compiling things so i can get them Right Now

--

  jared

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