# how to list system base package?



## hrbeu06ws (Nov 9, 2013)

I'm not familiar with FreeBSD. When using ports, the packages install prefix is /usr/local. How to list system base packages located in /bin and /usr/bin like OpenSSH or GCC?  `pkg_info` is no use.


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## wblock@ (Nov 9, 2013)

There are no base packages.  The base operating system is a unit.  Almost all ports are installed in /usr/local, and everything else is part of the base operating system itself.  (There are rare exceptions.)


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## hrbeu06ws (Nov 9, 2013)

wblock@ said:
			
		

> There are no base packages.  The base operating system is a unit.  Almost all ports are installed in /usr/local, and everything else is part of the base operating system itself.  (There are rare exceptions.)


Thank you for your help. How to find out how many applications or maybe tools in FreeBSD userland?:e


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## xtaz (Nov 9, 2013)

You can find out versions though with commands like `gcc --version` or `ssh -V` for the two you mentioned. Base system software gets updated if there is a necessity rather than always to the latest versions, and as @wblock@ said, it's treated as a unit. If you upgrade to the next version of FreeBSD then all the base software will be updated as part of this. Generally if you need later versions of anything you install the version from the ports and use that instead.

Something else to note is that with gcc you'll notice it's a really old version. Starting with FreeBSD 10 gcc has been removed from the base system and it's intended that if you need it for any reason you can install a much later version from the ports. It has been replaced with clang.


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