Updating Packages in pkgsrc

Thomas Klausner < wiz@NetBSD.org >

Use Cases

• pkg_add gimp
• pkg_update (*)
• Security Update

pkg_add gimp

• install latest gimp version
• or, latest gimp that fits - but warn about it
• problem: name resolution (apache, py-*)

pkg_update (*)

• bring all installed packages to latest version
• (except for automatically installed dependencies, as usual)

Security Update

• pkg_audit returns nothing (as far as possible)
• all previously (manually) installed packages are still installed, in at least the same version

Source vs. Binary?

• mathematical approach
• build binary packages from source
• handle binary package updates

Requirements for a Consistent Set

• all dependencies are present
• no conflicts between them
• all REQUIRES fulfilled
• no library conflicts

Library Conflicts?

• in dependency tree of one package only one version of a REQUIRES library
• Not two different major versions of the same library
  libfoo.so.1 vs. libfoo.so.2
• Not two different paths to the same library
  /usr/lib/libfoo.so.1 vs. /usr/pkg/lib/libfoo.so.1

Other Requirements

• update handling should be in base pkg_install tools
• use pkg_summary files for speed