# Graphical Ports/Package Manager?



## rokpa92 (Sep 8, 2009)

Hi again, i configure muy freebsd to Auto-Start Xfce4 when start FreeBSD.
I search in the forum for a "graphic (in a windows) manager ports" for install/uninstall like "linux" or same (whats is the name? Meta.ports? In OpenSolaris 10 is "install and software update") but have some for gnome2 or kde4 but i canÂ´t found one for xfce4.
Can you help me please?


P.S.: when I install FreeBSD on the installation options I agree to install "portaudit-0.5.12" And "portupgrade-2.4.6.2.2"


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## tobe (Sep 8, 2009)

You can run gnome apps under xfce without any problems (as well as kde apps).


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## rainman82 (Sep 8, 2009)

*Graphical package manager*

I want to use FreeBSD instead of Ubuntu from now on but want to use a graphical package manager to install and remove binary packages (I will never want to install programs from source). Is there such tool in FreeBSD or is it all command-line? I want something like Synaptic in Ubuntu. Thanks.


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## Beastie (Sep 8, 2009)

Have you browsed the ports/packages management section of the ports collection page? There must be something like that.

But if I were you, I'd learn how to use the tools provided in the base system.


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## DutchDaemon (Sep 8, 2009)

Maybe you'd be better off with PC-BSD, which has a graphical package manager for .pbi packages.


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## DutchDaemon (Sep 8, 2009)

I think only ports-mgmt/bpm is graphical. As it integrates with portupgrade, and portupgrade can do package-only installations (-PP flag), maybe bpm can handle package-only installations as well. Dunno.


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## wonslung (Sep 9, 2009)

rokpa92 said:
			
		

> Hi again, i configure muy freebsd to Auto-Start Xfce4 when start FreeBSD.
> I search in the forum for a "graphic (in a windows) manager ports" for install/uninstall like "linux" or same (whats is the name? Meta.ports? In OpenSolaris 10 is "install and software update") but have some for gnome2 or kde4 but i canÂ´t found one for xfce4.
> Can you help me please?
> 
> ...



one of the most beautiful things about the ports system is that it compiles from source for each program.  it used a really simple curses style menu for config options which makes easy port much more "configurable" than packages.  It's really trival to learn the system, honestly you only need to know a couple things.

Use the web page at http://www.freebsd.org/ports/master-index.html to search for stuff, then when you see it. check it's category, then all you have to do is launch a single command to install it.  so for something like apache 2.2 you'd only have to do this:

```
cd /usr/ports/www/apache22 && make install clean
```

it will pop up an easy to use menu asking you to pick your configure options, the defaults work fine but you can add stuff not compiled by default or BETTER YET remove stuff you KNOW you don't need.

It's WELL worth learning.  I will never miss graphical package management.


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## phoenix (Sep 9, 2009)

http://www.freshports.org offers a much nicer search feature, along with links to the history of the port, UPDATING entries, etc.  You can even create an account and have it e-mail you when updates for your installed ports are available.


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## wonslung (Sep 9, 2009)

phoenix said:
			
		

> http://www.freshports.org offers a much nicer search feature, along with links to the history of the port, UPDATING entries, etc.  You can even create an account and have it e-mail you when updates for your installed ports are available.



thanks for that, i've been using the one i linked, that's much nicer.


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## gnemmi (Sep 9, 2009)

I was thinking about this and I remembered that the guys from DesktopBSD submitted their tools to the ports tree ... sysutils/desktopbsd-tools



> The DesktopBSD Tools are a collection of applications designed to make life easier and increase productivity. Even inexperienced users can easily perform administrative tasks efficiently, such as configuring wireless networks, accessing USB storage devices or installing and upgrading software.



Maybe you can make good use of some of those tools.

Regards
Gonzalo


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## tangram (Sep 9, 2009)

wonslung said:
			
		

> thanks for that, i've been using the one i linked, that's much nicer.



Freshports is very nice and if you are using Firefox you can use a search engine. Have a look at Tip: FreshPorts search plugin for Firefox


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## DutchDaemon (Sep 9, 2009)

http://mycroft.mozdev.org/search-engines.html?name=freshport seems to work better


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## rokpa92 (Sep 9, 2009)

lot of thanks for all! thanks thanks and thanks!!!!


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## calande (Mar 28, 2010)

I have issues with BPM that freezes during software installation. Still, it's the only GTK frontend to ports 

I don't want to use a Qt application or a FreeBSD distro. I want plain FreeBSD, Gnome and a GTK frontend to ports. Apparently, BPM is the only solution besides the old-school command line to install applications


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## harishankar (May 10, 2010)

I also feel that PC BSD is the OS if you want a graphical package manager.

On the other hand, if you need that level of GUIness, Linux has much better graphical package management tools available. Synaptic for Debian/Ubuntu comes to mind.


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## calande (Jan 21, 2012)

bpm hasn't been updated for 5 years and freezes at some point.
desktopbsd-tools hasn't been updated either for 4 years.


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## piggy (Jan 22, 2012)

wonslung said:
			
		

> one of the most beautiful things about the ports system is that it compiles from source for each program.  it used a really simple curses style menu for config options which makes easy port much more "configurable" than packages.  It's really trival to learn the system, honestly you only need to know a couple things.
> 
> Use the web page at http://www.freebsd.org/ports/master-index.html to search for stuff, then when you see it. check it's category, then all you have to do is launch a single command to install it.  so for something like apache 2.2 you'd only have to do this:
> 
> ...


All true. Then  it sux your life waiting for packages to compile and make your experience horrible. My conclusion is: FreeBSD have to be updated only for security reasons and let the packages base like it is at last DVD level.


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