# What is FreeBSD's patching policy for the Ports collection?



## Bapabooiee (Mar 31, 2011)

In Linux-land, the various distros define very clear-cut patching policies. For example, some distros (Arch Linux, Slackware) like to keep their packages as vanilla as possible, only patching when there's critical breakage or security issues. And other distros like to patch packages extensively (Debian, RHEL) so that they integrate well, and operate consistently.

Does FreeBSD have any such patching policies, or patching guidelines that contributors are recommended to follow? Googling and searching the forum has turned up dry.

Thanks.


----------



## wblock@ (Mar 31, 2011)

An official policy would be in the Porter's Handbook.  I don't see one in there, but would expect it to be more like the second, patching for conformation to hier(7) and being consistent with FreeBSD operation.


----------



## phoenix (Mar 31, 2011)

There's no official policy, it's up to the individual port maintainer.  Most of the time, ports are vanilla upstream sources, the only patches applied being to make it compile/work on FreeBSD.


----------

