Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2001 06:20:27 -0700 (PDT) From: Hans Zaunere <zaunere@yahoo.com> To: freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.org Subject: Re: Patches Question Message-ID: <20010725132027.46048.qmail@web12808.mail.yahoo.com> In-Reply-To: <20010725085538.B13342@acadia.ne.mediaone.net>
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Well specifically I am referring to the ports collection. Whenever I do a make install for a port, there is always a section saying something along the lines of "Getting FreeBSD Patches." I am wondering what these consist of, since I seldom see neseccary patches for other systems, except for those that the vendor/developer specifically says should be installed. When I make install a port and it does its magic, where do these patches come from? Vendor? FreeBSD project? Third-party? These patches do seem to be FreeBSD specific, and I am wondering what kinds of technical issues they are patching. Memory? Networking? Differences between FreeBSD's architecture and a SysV based system? etc.. Thank you, Hans --- Louis LeBlanc <leblanc+freebsd@acadia.ne.mediaone.net> wrote: > I doubt those patches are strictly intended to make > the app run on > FreeBSD, or that the app otherwise wouldn't run on > FreeBSD. Many > applications have patches associated with them, on > all OSs. If you > download a source rpm for Linux, you will often find > patch files > included therein. > > Usually these patches are intended as minor tweaks > to the apps > stability, or as a fix for an obscure bug that > sneaked into the > release tarball. > > As for the rare occasion that a patch is directed at > a particular OS, > this is often because the app was originally > designed and implemented > on another platform, and someone else wrote the > patch to make it work > on theirs. Other times, an inherent instability in > the original code > only becomes apparent when it is ported to a new OS. > > From time to time, a patch may be written by another > person to add > functionality to an application - like the nntp > patches for mutt. > This is often done when an original developer sticks > to the Unix > mindset (a tool should do ONE thing and do it well), > but some users > want to make an exception for a favorite tool or in > a unique > application of that tool. > > In the end, though, it isn't the os that makes the > patches necessary, > it is the app, and the inevitable imperfections in > the design, > implementation, etc. (We're only human after all :) > > HTH > > Lou > > On 07/25/01 05:33 AM, Hans Zaunere sat at the `puter > and typed: > > I notice that a lot of applications need to be > patched > > to work on FreeBSD correctly. I am wondering, > from a > > strictly technical standpoint, what these patches > are > > for. How are they common? What is it about > FreeBSD > > that makes these patches neseccary? > > > > Thank you, > > > > Hans Z > > zaunere@yahoo.com > > > > __________________________________________________ > > Do You Yahoo!? > > Make international calls for as low as $.04/minute > with Yahoo! Messenger > > http://phonecard.yahoo.com/ > > > > To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org > > with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body > of the message > > > > -- > Louis LeBlanc leblanc@acadia.ne.mediaone.net > Fully Funded Hobbyist, KeySlapper Extrordinaire :) > http://acadia.ne.mediaone.net ԿԬ > > revolutionary, adj.: > Repackaged. > > > To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org > with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of > the message __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Make international calls for as low as $.04/minute with Yahoo! Messenger http://phonecard.yahoo.com/ To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message
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