# Upgrading packages



## TroN-0074 (Nov 11, 2013)

Hi I am trying to update my FreeBSD system I ran the command `# portmaster -af` and it runs for about thirty minutes, then stops with the error:


```
===>>> Update for folks-0.2.1_1 failed
===>>> Aborting update

===>>> Killing background jobs
Terminated
===>>> Exiting
```

I read in the /usr/ports/UPDATING file to do


```
# portmaster -o devel/libgee06 devel/libgee
  # portmaster -o net-im/folks04 net-im/folks
```

Then I run `# portmaster -af` again and it stops at the same point. I would appreciate if somebody could advise the best way to update my system to fresh applications. Is there a way I can update everything else and skip the one conflicted? I would like a newer Firefox, VLC, Thunderbird, and everything else. 

`# portupgrade -R firefox` also stops after a while. I will appreciate all advice.


----------



## jb_fvwm2 (Nov 11, 2013)

[cmd=] portmaster -d -B -P -i -g www/firefox multimedia/vlc mail/thunderbird [/cmd] That is how I do it; it may change if/when I start to use  pkgng  eventually. Before `portmaster` existed I wrote a shell script to more-or-less build each port individually.  OTOH  ...

```
cd /usr/ports/ftp/ncftp3
make install
rehash
cd /usr/ports/packages/All
ncftp ftp://ftp.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/i386-packages-9--stable/www
get firefox... [tab complete]
pkg_add firefox... (when done)
```
Quicker than compilations.  I'd maybe write down all the ports beforehand then track the progress so one can start anew with a smaller number until done, and have other stuff to do in the meantime.


----------



## ShelLuser (Nov 11, 2013)

TroN-0074 said:
			
		

> Hi I am trying to update my FreeBSD system I ran the command
> 
> ```
> # portmaster -af
> ...


First of all I'd advice against using -f casually like this since it will only waste some of your time. It basically tells portmaster that it should always rebuild ports, even if there's no need for it.

As to your question; there really is no 'best' solution here, it all depends on context.

But I'd definitely remove the -f.

If you need to build a lot of dependencies and something goes wrong somewhere in between then -R might help you out. It tells portmaster to keep track of the ports it already build so that if you need to do a new run it won't build the ports its already done over and over again, but instead skips them.

That can save a lot of time.

You can indeed skip ports by using the -x flag but I'd be very careful there. Because if you do then you're still having some sort of problem on your system; the only thing is that you're now hiding it.


----------

