FreeBSD questions

[Alex Zbyslaw]

Andy Greenwood wrote:

> If you want the newer versions of software from the ports tree, don't 
> limit your results by the tag. Basically, you're saying (IIRC) "I want 
> the version of the port that was included with this release" instead 
> of "I want the most recent version of this port." the release versions 
> of the ports will only be updated for bug fixes, etc. 

Unless something has changed recently, this is not correct.

The release versions of the ports are *never* updated for anything; not 
security fixes, not features, nothing.  The ports tree is not like, say, 
Fedora Linux rpms.

What you say is true of the *base* system, but not true for ports.

Technically, the ports tree is not branched, because it's a) too much of 
a maintenance burden and b) apparently CVS is likely to struggle, which 
I can believe.

The ports tree is *tagged* (not branched) when the release ISOs are 
made, and those tags are never moved.

For cv(s)uping ports there are only two reasonable tags, as far as I know:

"."  which means the latest ports tree or

a date: when you desperately need to get back to the ports tree you had 
say a week ago because it worked and your current one doesn't and you 
are desperate.

--Alex