# Unable to install Ports in FreeBSD 8.2 PPC



## aurora (Aug 22, 2011)

Hello

Using the directions posted in this forum, I have managed to successfully install FreeBSD on a Mac mini computer with PowerPC architecture 

Now I found out that I have difficulty in installing the Ports Collection to this system.

cvsup? It's not even a command known. 
`# pkg_add -r cvsup`? returns


```
Error: Unable to get [url]ftp://ftp.freebsd.org/pub//FreeBSD/ports/powerpc/packages-9-current/Latest/cvsup.tbz:[/url] File unavailable (e.g., file not found, no access) 
pkg_add: unable to fetch .... bu URL
```

What to do in this case? Thanks.


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## DutchDaemon (Aug 22, 2011)

Why cvsup, and not portsnap(8)?


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## aurora (Aug 22, 2011)

cvsup was the first one I got my hands on in the FreeBSD manual. I 've fortgotten about portsnap but that command works.
`# portsnap fetch`

is fetching the snaphot (63MB) now. 

```
Extracting snapshot... done.
Verifying snapshot integrity... (this has been taking almost 5 minutes and it's still waiting)
```

The verification step is still waiting and it took more than 10 minutes which shows there's something wrong in the system. Could it be an incompatibility issue between fetched data and the PPC architecture?


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## wblock@ (Aug 22, 2011)

csup(1) is in the base system.  So is portsnap(8), but csup doesn't wipe out local patches and custom ports in /usr/ports.


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## aurora (Aug 22, 2011)

ops! after 15 minutes or so, it finally returned back with this:


```
Fetching snapshot tag from portsnap5.FreeBSD.org.. done.
<truncated>
Fetching 55 patches....10....20....30.....40.....50.. done.
Applying patches.. done.
fetching 6 new ports or files... done.
```


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## aurora (Aug 22, 2011)

Hello again,

After the 

`# portsnap fetch` 

step is finished,

`# portsnap extract`

gives


```
ad0: WARNING - SETFEATURES SET TRANSFER MODE taskqueue timeout - completing request directly

ad0: WARNING - SETFEATURES ENABLE RCACHE taskqueue timeout - completing request directly


ad0: WARNING - SETFEATURES ENABLE WCACHE taskqueue timeout - completing request directly


ad0: WARNING - SET_MULTI taskqueue timeout - completing request directly

aCd0: WARNING - SETFEATURES SET TRANSFER MODE taskqueue timeout - completing request directly

ad0: TIMEOUT - READ_DMA retrying (1 retry left) LBA=9052594
```

It looks like there's a problem either with the fetched file or harddisk itself. Also, the keyboard and mouse stop working after that last message.


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## sossego (Aug 24, 2011)

How did that happen?
Remember that Power(PC) architecture has load store and the instructions could be using the entire CPU.


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## aurora (Aug 24, 2011)

That error seems to be more related to Harddisk read/write than CPU, as far as I think because a googling returned that kind of error was quite common in many other FreeBSD systems,  most of them x86. 

Anyway, I had to reinstall FreeBSD to get rid of that error, because it was happening whatever I did. After reinstall that error is gone but "Lock Reversal Error"  ("LOR") pops up sometimes but it's more benign compared _TIMEOUT - READ_DMA retrying (1 retry left)_ error. On a google search, I noticed that FreeBSD throws LOR's as false positives quite often, and so must my FreeBSD's. LOR error message is displayed when I download a file from Internet (i.e. during a busy HD activity). My Mac mini's HD is Parallel ATA. I guessed it was because of PATA HD, but LOR's are also quite common in SATAs. The HD I use is Hitachi and it's in a mint condition, SMART status is verified, etc. So it's not a Hardware error, anyway most LOR and TIMEOUT - READ_DMA errors are said to be software errors.

For the time being, and after a reinstall it seems to be okay. However I plan to use this PowerPC Mac mini as a network-attached-storage device and it will constantly download many files and I wonder if those activities will cause LOR or similar HD errors again.


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## Crivens (Aug 24, 2011)

```
...
ad0: WARNING - SET_MULTI taskqueue timeout - completing request directly

ad0: WARNING - SETFEATURES SET TRANSFER MODE taskqueue timeout - completing request directly

ad0: TIMEOUT - READ_DMA retrying (1 retry left) LBA=9052594
```

Try to replace the cables for the HD.

Last time I got this error I replaced the sata cables and have not seen this error since.


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## aurora (Aug 24, 2011)

Good advice, however the HD fits directly to the mainboard through a special printed circuit board which also connects the DVD-ROM. Both are Parallel ATA devices, too so it's impossible to replace any part.

However, I had noticed that advice while I was googling last night and I have removed and reconnected that PCB connector blowing the dusts meanwhile. MAybe because of that action or because I have reinstalled FreeBSD, it doesn't throw the _TIMEOUT - READ_DMA_ error anymore, but it occasionally throws Lock Order reversal error but I think they are benign.


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## sossego (Aug 25, 2011)

Lock Order Reversal usually shows up- for me- with a kernel that has been built for testing.
Rebuild the kernel and world. Follow with 
	
	



```
csup ports-supfile
```
 with the cvs server being set. There are no pre-built packages for PowerPC unless someone has setup a repository.


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## aurora (Aug 26, 2011)

Good advice that gives clue about the LOR messages. 

I might try rebuilding the kernel and world but I wonder if that would take too much time (the processor time) because I 've never done that before.  And by "csv server", have you meant "cvs server" there?


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## sossego (Aug 26, 2011)

http://www.freebsd.org/doc/handbook/makeworld.html

http://www.freebsd.org/doc/handbook/kernelconfig.html

Do everything in tty's because X will take up too much CPU space. The entire process may take a day or so; however, it is better to have a stable kernel.


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