Upgrading to 7.0 - stupid requirements

[Kris Kennaway]

Chris H. wrote:

> While not a recommended substitution for "good housekeeping". I thought it
> worth mentioning:
> LIBMAP.CONF(5)
> http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?query=libmap.conf&apropos=0&sektion=0&manpath=FreeBSD+6.3-RELEASE&format=html 

This can be used safely sometimes, but it is dangerous when attempting 
to work around library version issues.  In general, library version 
numbers change because the libraries are incompatible, and if you force 
the issue with libmap (or its cruder cousin, ln -s) you will begin to 
enumerate the ways in which they are not compatible when your 
application crashes or misbehaves.

Using libmap should not be thought of as a solution unless you know what 
you are doing and can verify that it is safe on a case by case basis.

This may sound like pedantic advice, but I have dealt with many mailing 
list users who are all up in arms about "how crap the ports collection 
has become..nothing works any more...freebsd is dying...and *mumble 
mumble* when I botched an upgrade a few months ago I symlinked all the 
missing libraries to new versions...don't do that you say?  But that 
cannot possibly be related...oh wait it was, okbye."

Kris