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Date:      Mon, 18 Dec 2000 14:52:18 -0600 (CST)
From:      Mike Meyer <mwm@mired.org>
To:        "Victor R. Cardona" <vcardona@home.com>
Cc:        questions@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: Ports vs. RPM was:This will replace Linux?
Message-ID:  <14910.30978.780929.304694@guru.mired.org>
In-Reply-To: <41621507@toto.iv>

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Victor R. Cardona <vcardona@home.com> types:
> Christian Fl=FCgel wrote:
> > From: "Chris Dillon" <cdillon@wolves.k12.mo.us>
> >> RPM isn't used because the RPM system sucks.  FreeBSD has a superi=
or
> >> packaging and ports system, and it uses it.
> > I have always wondered why FreeBSD claims that the Ports System is =
superior
> > to the RPM packaging system used in most of the Linux flavors. Basi=
cally,
> > from my point of view, both should provide similar features with re=
gards to
> > Dependancy checking etc. .
> > Could anyone point out what makes the Ports collection better than =
Linux RPM
> I actually like both systems, and they both have their advantages. Po=
rts=20
> are better at handling dependencies. They will go out and get anythin=
g=20
> that is required. RPM will only tell you that a file is missing, but =
it=20
> will not tell you where that file can be obtained.
>=20
> I find upgrading RPMs to be a little easier then ports, but that may=20=

> just be personal bias because I have used them longer.

No, it's not a bias - it's real. RPMs have a mechanism for upgrading
an installed package; packages don't.

For me, the real advantage of the ports/package system is the *ports*
part of it. That it's not noticably harder to build a port from
sources - only set to install where I want it - than to install a
package is a major benefit that RPMs don't have. I'm sure that
everyone who builds RPMs has ported the software to Linux, but there
isn't a standardized way to package that, or a repository of them you
can access (at least, not that I'm aware of).

=09<mike
--
Mike Meyer <mwm@mired.org>=09=09=09http://www.mired.org/home/mwm/
Independent WWW/Unix/FreeBSD consultant,=09email for more information.


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