ports: stable or current?

[schrodinger]

If you're using OpenBSD stable branch is it "dangerous" or can it cause problems using current ports instead of a stable ports tree?

i.e.:

src tree is

cvs -qd anoncvs@anoncvs.ca.openbsd.org:/cvs get -rOPENBSD_4_3 -P src

So for ports should I stick with -rOPENBSD_4_3 or can I just go ahead with

cvs -qd anoncvs@anoncvs.ca.openbsd.org:/cvs get -P ports

*Note going to be starting from a fresh install - I'm not going to be mixing old trees or packages here.

[mousesack]

http://openbsd.org/ports.html#Life

The current ports tree may not be used with the previous release. This is due to changes, typically with the port make process, that require code based upon the OpenBSD-current source tree.

You are advised to track ports-stable on a production machine: we will try to keep the stable ports tree up-to-par with respect to problems, and to provide timely binary updates as well.

well I at least tried, eh. :)

[schrodinger]

yeah see I was looking for people's experiences too, it is just after checking out some ports they just weren't as up to date as I expected them to be. In some cases the particular version that would be installed from ports wont work at all for me - just too old.

stupid example out of a few however relevant for my laptop build is pidgin. In the OPENBSD_4_3 ports it builds 2.3.1 however the latest (and version listed on openports.se) is 2.4.3p0

[jggimi]

Folks: Please read FAQ 15.4.1. You cannot mix -release/-stable OSes with -current ports and assume anything will work.

You might be able to get some things to function, with care, but 1) there are no guarantees, and 2) it would be entirely unsupported, and 3) it may require a great deal of knowledge about the port tree infrastructure and dependent libraries.

[schrodinger]

thanks jggimi, I have read the FAQ very thoroughly at this stage. Usually my first thing to do before posting anywhere, I should probably have made myself more clearer that I was looking more for peoples experiences. Looks like most stick with stable and stable or current and current. Thanks for the info, I'll stick with the ports and build anything else that I need more current manually.