--- Blake Barnett <blake.barnett@developonline.com>
wrote:
> On Fri, 2002-07-19 at 18:42, bob smith wrote:
> > Hmm I just updated my FreeBSD ports tree. KDE3,
> > Gnome2, MPlayer, Openoffice.org 1.0.1...yeah it's
> all
> there >:).
> 
> It's also provided "AS IS", in other words, FreeBSD
> does nothing but
> provide the port entry, and the dependencies, in 90%
> of the ports.  With
> Debian the package maintainers are constantly
> improving and patching the
> software to make it work not only _better_ but also
> on 11 different
> architectures.

FreeBSD has port maintainers as well...and if the
software needs a patch it's always waiting there in
the files directory ready to be installed with the
port. I'm not sure if the maintainers are actively
working on the project they've built a port for. I
assume some are and some aren't. As far as the 11
different architectures, FreeBSD supports 3. The
project was originally called 386BSD so it was only
meant to support the x86 platform which is the one I'm
using and therefore care about :). If I wanted support
for multiple platforms I'd use NetBSD.

> As well as sending their
> improvements to the upstream
> maintainers.  There's a hell of a lot more involved
> in Debian than just
> saying "Well, it's in there."

I'm sure there is. And if I knew more about the
differences and similarities between the Debian and
FreeBSD packaging process I could provide a better
argument. You're a senior unix administrator :). I'm
sure you know this process backwards and forwards. For
me I don't want to worry about what piece of software
is in which Disney characters branch. I want to be
able to type "cvsup ports-supfile" and have the
necessary files to install whatever bleeding edge
software I want. If I hose my system it's my own
fault. I don't want Simba, Cinderella, Sleepy, Grumpy,
etc. to decide that for me. 
> 
> -- 
> Blake Barnett (bdb) 
> <blake.barnett@developonline.com>
> Sr. Unix Administrator
> DevelopOnline.com                 office:
> 480-377-6816
> 
> Learning is a skill, you get better at it with
> practice.
> 
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