# Sysinstall/Openoffice package fails to install via ftp



## donallen (Jan 26, 2009)

I'm a very experienced Gentoo Linux user, but new to FreeBSD. I know there's been a lot of discussion about the openoffice package and that there's an ftp site at ooopackages.good-day.net where I can manually download a tar file and install it with pkg_add. 

But sysinstall is suggested as the easy way to install a package and so I thought I'd try it, using the Configure->Packages->FTP option. When I choose an ftp site (e.g., ftp7.us.freebsd.org), I find that there are four openoffice packages listed under 'Editors'. Attempting to install any one of the version 3 series results in a series of error messages regarding failure to install dependent packages, such as pcre-7.7_1, glib-2.16.5, gamin-0.1.9_2, etc. Trying to install abiword the same results in similar errors. I've tried this both on an amd64 and i386 system with the same problems. Perhaps I'm doing something wrong here, but I'm at a loss at this point. Yes, I have other options (building OO via the port or downloading from the above-mentioned ftp site), but I'd like to solve my inability to install packages with sysinstall/ftp.

/Don Allen


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## karunko (Jan 26, 2009)

Don't know about sysinstall/ftp, but maybe you could try:

# pkg_add -r package_name

That would also take care of depencies, dowloading and installing them for you.  However, be aware that not all the packages seem to be available in binary form.  


Good luck!

K.


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## tangram (Jan 28, 2009)

Probably you've used ports which installed newer version of software than the versions available in packages.

When a release CD comes out the packages on it are a snapshot of what is available at that time. The ports tree on the other hand is a moving target with constant updates.

Btw use


```
# pkg_add -Kr package_name
```

the -K switch lets you keep the downloaded package in /usr/ports/packages/

Also you can set pkg_add to fetch more up to date packages with the an environment variable:

# setenv PACKAGESITE ftp://ftp.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/i386/packages-7-stable/Latest/

Imho either stick with packages or ports. Don't mix both unless you really need to (OOo is fat...).


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## donallen (Jan 29, 2009)

I had cvs-updated /usr/ports and used portmanager to rebuild those that were out-of-date, all this prior to trying to install the openoffice package. So I think your diagnosis is correct -- version skew.

I did get openoffice installed and working by downloading the package myself and installing with pkg_add. But you've helped me understand the rules of the game a bit better. Thank you.

/Don Allen


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## tangram (Jan 29, 2009)

Glad it helped.

Take a look here: http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en/books/handbook/packages-using.html. It addresses some interesting things about pkg_add. Very useful.


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