Why Are You Using FreeBSD?

[Erich]

Hi,

On 02 June 2012 PM 10:52:48 Chris Rees wrote:
> On 2 June 2012 10:42, Erich Dollansky <erich at alogreentechnologies.com> wrote:
> > On 02 June 2012 AM 9:14:28 Chris Rees wrote:
> >> On Jun 2, 2012 4:04 AM, "Erich Dollansky" <erich at alogreentechnologies.com>
> >> wrote:
> >> >
> >> > But I have to mention one disadvantage. The ports are in no way linked to
> >> the releases. This leads to situations in which a small change in a basic
> >> library will result in a complete update of the installed ports. I
> >> expressed this already many time here. It would be of advantage if the
> >> ports tree would also have tags like the base system itself.
> >> >
> >>
> >> Unfortunately this is a massive amount of extra work - we only just keep up
> >> with updates as it is.
> >
> > I do not think so. At least not for the first step as I see it. Just make snapshots of the ports tree when the release comes out. These snapshots are with the releases anyway.
> >
> > What I did was very simple. I got the ports tree that comes with the release and installed the system back to the release status. Ok, it was some work for me - maybe not for others - to find this tree.
> >
> > A simple link could help here.
> >
> > I do not know if this is just an opinion which is too optimistic.
> >
> > What I know is that all the security fixes which appeared since the release are not in there. If I have the choice between three days or more of compiling and known security holes, I will take the security holes, make the client happy and upgrade after the work for the client is finished.
> >
> > I would not expect that FreeBSD will provide more than this.
> 
> Then you already have all you need-- RELEASEs use packages compiled at
> time of release if you use pkg_add -r, and the ports tree is tagged at
> release if you wish to get a 'snapshot'.

I have it. Yes, but how difficult is this to get for others?
> 
> Note that you will not get any official support if you choose to use a
> tagged tree :)

When you can chose between a running system and a supported system which does not work, which would you take?

Erich