best package management method

[TerryP]

This is for your idea of the best package management methods not the best package management program, that will be another thread ;-)


I've split the poll into the different methods I know of and put common examples in paren's in case anyone doesn't get the idea.

[Oliver_H]

I can choose only one method and this isn't realistic. I'm choosing the package management according to the context. So I don't compile FreeBSD/ports at my laptop, but I do so at the desktop/workstation. Last not least I'm using Slackware for a multimedia device and I'm happy to live without any dependency :-) Furthermore compiling from source is in certain server environments more or less a no-go. I wouldn't use RPM anymore and package formats like pbi or zero install are nonsense in _my_ opinion.

[stukov]

As I love to have the "latest" release of every application I am running, I vote for "Automated source". I just can't live without ports.

[anomie]

Precompiled Binaries for me (with Automated Source a close second). Binaries seem to provide what I need around 97% of the time...

[lvlamb]

Automated sources (options in FreeBSD, FLAVORS in OpenBSD).
Some ports are so buggy only packages would install. (How "they" do that, I don't know :p , guess I should understand the Maskefiles I read :D
But, having better experience on Perl modules through CPAN then source install.

Have to check CPAN and source install over a while to see how updates are, or are not, taken care of between the two sources.

Nothing is black or white in the *nixes.

[JMJ_coder]

Hello,

Just to note - NetBSD's pkgsrc fits both in the <Automated Sources> (src part of pkgsrc) and the <Precompiled Binaries> (pkg part of pkgsrc) categories.

[sverreh]

I usually use ports for small applications, but for some of the really big ones (KDE, OOo) I use packages. If I am just curious and want to test a program, I also prefer the packages for a quick install.

[mtx]

automated source on freebsd production servers, after testing the build on a test machine. i don't have a bsd desktop station so i can't speak from that point of view. but i guess i'd go like anomie when i'll have one precompiled binaries first and automated source second.

/v

[TerryP]

Hello,

Just to note - NetBSD's pkgsrc fits both in the <Automated Sources> (src part of pkgsrc) and the <Precompiled Binaries> (pkg part of pkgsrc) categories.

oops!

Goes to show how much I've used pkgsrc doesn't it :\

[nihonto]

I prefer apt/aptitude and the *.debs. It's comfortable, easy to use and allows me to upgrade the whole OS (Debian) with just one command. OpenBSD's packages come next, really smooth and easy to use. That's one of the main reasons why I'm into OpenBSD - almost no compiling at all - exept when running -current:D.
The only (little!) criticism I have about packages is the missing ncurses-frontend like aptitude.