# PC-BSD/FreeBSD 9.1 PKGNG package repository



## Beastie (Apr 7, 2013)

shep posted this on the Daemon Forums. So here it is:


> The PC-BSD Project is pleased to announce the details on how to access their new PKGNG repository, for PC-BSD and FreeBSD 9.1-Release systems.
> 
> This package repository is frequently updated, usually bi-weekly, with the latest and greatest from the FreeBSD ports tree. We will be using this repository for the PC-BSD rolling release edition, but it can also be used anywhere else you need packages on a PC-BSD or FreeBSD 9.1-RELEASE system. This can include FreeBSD, TrueOS, PC-BSD, Jails and more. Getting setup to use this new repository is easy, and only requires minimal configuration. For detailed instructions, take a look at the step-by-step directions on the PC-BSD wiki.


The repository seems to have packages for all the applications I use. The package versions match what can be seen on Fresh Ports or the ports tree.


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## h3z (Apr 8, 2013)

Very nice.


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## srobert (Apr 9, 2013)

This gave me the incentive to finally install PKGNG, which I'd been avoiding. I've installed everything from ports, but it's good to have a working repository of compatible binaries as a backup.


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## caesius (Apr 9, 2013)

Every time someone asks about FreeBSD's packages on Freenode's #freebsd channel, I mention that page. Usually some angry person tells me that FreeBSD is not PCBSD, and noone cares about packages anyway. The was-to-be FreeBSD user normally then leaves in dismay.

Good move publicising the availability of this repository


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## nickednamed (Apr 10, 2013)

I'm having trouble understanding what the difference is between using pkg_add or  "regular" PKGNG versus PKGNG + PC-BSD repository:

Is it PC-BSD repository simply updated more frequently? Does it install self-contained applications like "pbi_manager"?


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## wblock@ (Apr 10, 2013)

pkg_add(1) is the old package format.  PKGNG is the new package format, incompatible with the old.  There are separate repositories for both, although the security problem has delayed new packages being built in either format.

Anyone can build a bunch of packages in either format and make them available.  The PCBSD packages are just that, a set of updated pkgng packages.

PBI is PC-BSD's "fat" package format, where a package includes some or all of the dependencies.  So it avoids dependency problems by stuffing the dependencies in with the application, at the cost of using up more disk space.


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## nickednamed (Apr 10, 2013)

So will there be any advantage of using the PC-BSD repo after the new PKGNG repo has been brought up to date? Is the PC-BSD repo simply going to be updated more frequently?


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## kpa (Apr 10, 2013)

Be aware that the PKGNG repos may not be updated that often because they will be on beta status for FreeBSD 9 and that won't change probably ever. PKGNG will be the default package manager for FreeBSD 10 and the official packages for that release will be PKGNG but for FreeBSD 9 it won't be made the default.


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## nickednamed (Apr 11, 2013)

Thank you all for your answers. It is much clearer now.

Any one else who is interested, I also asked more or less the same question on the PCBSD forums and gotthese answers.


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## srobert (Apr 18, 2013)

*Relocate Thread?*

Since the repository can be used by all FreeBSD users, should this discussion be relocated to Page Installation and Maintenance of FreeBSD Ports or Packages?


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## pkubaj (Apr 18, 2013)

kpa said:
			
		

> Be aware that the PKGNG repos may not be updated that often because they will be on beta status for FreeBSD 9 and that won't change probably ever. PKGNG will be the default package manager for FreeBSD 10 and the official packages for that release will be PKGNG but for FreeBSD 9 it won't be made the default.



9.1-RELEASE was supposed to be the last RELEASE with pkg_* tools as default. 8.4-RELEASE was already supposed to have pkgng as default, although it didn't seem to happen. We'll see about 9.2-RELEASE.
See https://wiki.freebsd.org/pkgng/CharterAndRoadMap#Road_Map although it's outdated.


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## DutchDaemon (Apr 18, 2013)

srobert said:
			
		

> Since the repository can be used by all FreeBSD users, should this discussion be relocated to Page Installation and Maintenance of FreeBSD Ports or Packages?



Done.


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## kpa (Apr 19, 2013)

pkubaj said:
			
		

> 9.1-RELEASE was supposed to be the last RELEASE with pkg_* tools as default. 8.4-RELEASE was already supposed to have pkgng as default, although it didn't seem to happen. We'll see about 9.2-RELEASE.
> See https://wiki.freebsd.org/pkgng/CharterAndRoadMap#Road_Map although it's outdated.



The road map has changed somewhat then, originally the intent was to keep the old pkg_* tools as the default in 8.X and 9.X lines. I'm not complaining, however the migration might not be a painless one for everyone using 8.X and 9.X.


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## achix (Jun 13, 2013)

*Anything more complete than that?*

Just checked and some of the heavy-weight packages firefox, openoffice, kde* seem missing from the PC-BSD repo. Any other option than that? It just sucks having to do a full upgrade and having your boss over your shoulder with unbelievable demands.


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## phoenix (Jun 13, 2013)

Where are you looking?

I've installed KDE4, Firefox, and OpenOffice from the PC-BSD pkgng repository.  It's what my desktop/server is running at home.

In fact, if you look here, you'll find two versions of Firefox listed, Apache OpenOffice 3.4, and KDE 4.10.3.


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## Beastie (Jun 13, 2013)

achix said:
			
		

> Just checked and some of the heavy-weight packages firefox, openoffice, kde* seem missing from the PC-BSD repo.


As @phoenix said, KDE and Firefox (multiple versions) are available.

I couldn't find OpenOffice though. But there's always LibreOffice (version 4.0.3).


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## achix (Jun 14, 2013)

phoenix said:
			
		

> Where are you looking?
> 
> I've installed KDE4, Firefox, and OpenOffice from the PC-BSD pkgng repository.  It's what my desktop/server is running at home.
> 
> In fact, if you look here, you'll find two versions of Firefox listed, Apache OpenOffice 3.4, and KDE 4.10.3.



Thanks, it seems I got it set up and running. However I was looking at the obvious directories (www, editors, x11, etc...), where the amount of packages is small. If we sum the numbers of packages in the individual categories (directories) I doubt it will match a tiny fraction of what*'*s available in "All". Any clues to why this is so?


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## achix (Jun 14, 2013)

Beastie said:
			
		

> As @phoenix said, KDE and Firefox (multiple versions) are available.
> 
> I couldn't find OpenOffice though. But there's always LibreOffice (version 4.0.3).



Thanks, by the way the original OpenOffice now is called apache-openoffice: ftp://ftp.pcbsd.org/pub/mirror/packages/9.1-RELEASE/amd64/All/apache-openoffice-3.4.1.txz


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## achix (Jun 14, 2013)

Just an update, just finished building my workstation: have to say, this has been the most impressive moment I had with FreeBSD. I am almost speechless. Now an additional question. Does anyone knows of a pkg repo continuously built from the ports, _a la_ old -STABLE packages?


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## phoenix (Jun 14, 2013)

The PC-BSD repo is rebuilt weekly.


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## achix (Jun 15, 2013)

That is just great. It worked so good, the Ubuntu guy next desk was giving me stares.


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## marwis (Sep 22, 2013)

phoenix said:
			
		

> The PC-BSD repo is rebuilt weekly.



Unfortunately, this no longer seems to be true, at least not for 9.1-RELEASE.  I have www/chromium built from ports

```
# pkg info | grep chromium
chromium-29.0.1547.65          Mostly BSD-licensed web browser based on WebKit and Gtk+
```
When trying to switch to PC-BSD pkgng repository on 9.1-RELEASE, the version would be downgraded to 28.0.1500.95 which is at least five weeks old:

```
# pkg install -f chromium
[...]
	Downgrading chromium: 29.0.1547.65 -> 28.0.1500.95
```


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## Beastie (Sep 22, 2013)

I wonder why they dropped support for the i386 architecture. To this day, there are still many people using it. Too bad 




			
				marwis said:
			
		

> Unfortunately, this no longer seems to be true


I've noticed the same with FreeBSD. For the past few weeks I've been checking the STABLE package repository and it seems most packages are at least a month old.

Perhaps it's because of the impending release of FreeBSD/PC-BSD 9.2. Just a guess.


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## TroN-0074 (Sep 22, 2013)

I was using the PC-BSD repo to keep all my installed applications up to date it was working fine. But they no longer support 32bit and I haven't been able to upgrade.

Can somebody please suggest what can I do to upgrade all my applications? I will appreciate it. I have been using `# portsnap fetch` and `# portsnap update` but that does nothing to the installed application only update the list of ports from the tree.

I know there are newer versions of Firefox, Thunderbird and VLC than those I am using

Thank you I will appreciate it.


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## wblock@ (Sep 22, 2013)

TroN-0074 said:
			
		

> Can somebody please suggest what can I do to upgrade all my applications? I will appreciate it. I have been using `# portsnap fetch` and `# portsnap update` but that does nothing to the installed application only update the list of ports from the tree.



Yes, that is all that portsnap(8) does. To actually update those ports, use ports-mgmt/portmaster. Here is an overview: Upgrading FreeBSD Ports.


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## nickednamed (Sep 25, 2013)

TroN-0074 said:
			
		

> I was using the PC-BSD repo to keep all my installed applications up to date it was working fine. But they no longer support 32bit and I haven't been able to upgrade.



Does that mean you were using PBIs and/or AppCafe? If so, it seems we both have the same problem. I have a couple of fat, rarely-used applications installed as PBIs (libreoffice, firefox, calibre, gimp) and haven't been able to update them in quite a while.

I was considering installing them from ports, but I thought I'd look into the current state of PC-BSD PBIs first. From what I've read it seems that only x86-64 systems are supported. Also, I read a long time ago that the new pkg (pkgng) was going to support some kind of self-contained installation mode (a la PBIs) but that doesn't seem to have happened. Therefore, it seems you and I have three options:

1. In case you have a 64bit-capable system, you might want to migrate from i386 (32-bit mode) to amd64 (64-bit mode).

2. Uninstall the PBIs and install everything from ports.

3. Continue to use your currently installed, but out-of-date PBIs.


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## TroN-0074 (Sep 26, 2013)

I was just using the repository for PKGNG, I didnâ€™t install anything from their software cafe. I was wondering if there was a repository for FreeBSD since it was quite a while that I installed 9.1 and 9.2 is almost ready to go out.

I haven*'*t done what @wblock@ suggested I was wondering if I can just copy and paste the commands from the link he posted, I can have fresher applications. I know Firefox now is on version 24 and I am running 18, and lot of other applications have newer versions than what I have.

Anyway PC-BSD is no longer supporting 32BIT so that repository is not good any more.


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## nickednamed (Sep 30, 2013)

TroN-0074 said:
			
		

> I was just using the repository for PKGNG, I didnâ€™t install anything from their software cafe. ...
> 
> I was wondering if I can just copy and paste the commands from the link he posted, I can have fresher applications. ...
> 
> Anyway PC-BSD is no longer supporting 32BIT so that repository is not good any more.



I would suggest actually reading the links provided thoroughly and actually understanding them before just copying and pasting. And definitely install ports-mgmt/portmaster as it will make things easy as pie.

I also wouldn't get  hung up on having the latest, "greatest" version of everything unless you are looking for a specific new feature or bugfix. IMO you're just as likely to introduce new bugs into your environment as remove them by constantly updating everything.


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## tzoi516 (Oct 3, 2013)

TroN-0074 said:
			
		

> I was using the PC-BSD repo to keep all my installed applications up to date it was working fine. But they no longer support 32bit and I haven't been able to upgrade.


I was wondering where x86 repositories were. Why offer a 32-bit capability only to not support it later? I have a Core Duo test system I'm not ready to give up because I like it still.


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## SirDice (Oct 3, 2013)

tzoi516 said:
			
		

> Why offer a 32-bit capability only to not support it later?


They stopped with the 32 bit version of PC-BSD because they're now using ZFS by default. Running ZFS on 32 bit required too much attention and caused too many problems.


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## Beastie (Oct 4, 2013)

So, unfortunately, we're back to square one: PC-BSD doesn't build 32-bit packages anymore and the FreeBSD packages (all architectures) are months old (including those in the *STABLE* and *9.2-RELEASE* repositories). :\


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