# Which Tool Should I Use?



## Majorix (Apr 23, 2012)

Which tool (portupgrade, portmanager, portmaster) would you suggest for use with -STABLE? Will use the tool just to upgrade installed ports. Like
`# portupgrade -a`


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## wblock@ (Apr 23, 2012)

ports-mgmt/portmaster.  I switched to it a while back after using portupgrade for years, mainly because it is actively developed and supported.  Second choice would be ports-mgmt/portupgrade-devel.  No experience with portmanager.

Watch out for -a.  Some upgrades require something manual.  That's one reason to check /usr/ports/UPDATING first.  Upgrading FreeBSD Ports has some notes.


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## SirDice (Apr 24, 2012)

Majorix said:
			
		

> Will use the tool just to upgrade installed ports.


You can't use them for anything else 



			
				wblock@ said:
			
		

> ports-mgmt/portmaster.  I switched to it a while back after using portupgrade for years, mainly because it is actively developed and supported.


+1. I changed too after years of using portupgrade. Mainly because portmaster has no dependencies and doesn't use a database that can get corrupted.


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## Majorix (Apr 24, 2012)

Thanks for the replies guys.

I have installed ports-mgmt/portmaster.

I have a question: I have seen portmaster being used to install ports too. Does anybody here use portmaster for this purpose or do you prefer the casual way?


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## SirDice (Apr 24, 2012)

Majorix said:
			
		

> Does anybody here use portmaster for this purpose or do you prefer the casual way?


I also use it on my "build-server". 

For example:
`# portmaster -dg x11/xorg-minimal`

The -d will clean "old" distfiles if they're there and -g will create a package once the build is done.


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## Majorix (Apr 24, 2012)

I have been doing it the usual way:
`# make install clean`
Should I continue doing so or switch to portmaster for installing ports as well?


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## SirDice (Apr 24, 2012)

I prefer portmaster as it traverses all option menus before starting the actual build.


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## Majorix (Apr 24, 2012)

OK seems like I will go with portmaster. The only problem is that I don't know much of the command line arguments, except for those that appear in portmaster.rc. My searches for a manpage also failed. Where can I get a complete guide/manual for portmaster?


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## SirDice (Apr 24, 2012)

portmaster(8) should exist.


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## Majorix (Apr 24, 2012)

Thanks mate. I got it!

Now on how to mark this solved...

EDIT: Ok, marked as solved


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## jb_fvwm2 (Apr 25, 2012)

I've been using consistently three variations of portmaster:

```
portmaster -PP www/lynx
portmaster -P -B -d -i -g /var/db/pkg/lynx-... #(package upstream?)
portmaster -B -d -i -g /var/db/pkg/lynx-... www/elinks x11/xterm # multiple
```
 ... sometimes with that as the tail of an xargs pipe

```
... | xargs -J % portmaster -d -B -P -i -g %
```


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