Menu
Home
People
Places
Arts
History
Plants & Animals
Science
Life & Culture
Technology
Reference.org
FreeBSD Ports
open-in-new
<h2 id="installing-from-source">Installing from source</h2> <p>The <a href="/facts/Ports_collection/X7NjT4F5">ports collection</a> uses <a href="/facts/Makefile/5q1DQ4ot">Makefiles</a> arranged in a <a href="/facts/Directory_structure/t7lEWPpd">directory hierarchy</a> so that software can be <a href="/facts/Software_build/uTz1koQy">built</a>, <a href="/facts/Installation_(computer_programs)/EQzPeYv2">installed</a> and uninstalled with the make command. When installing an application, very little (if any) user intervention is required after issuing a beginning command such as make install or make install clean in the ports directory of the desired <a href="/facts/Application_software/YQuj7Kog">application</a>. In most cases the software is automatically downloaded from the <a href="/facts/Internet/Xw1rVvJU">Internet</a>, <a href="/facts/Patch_(computing)/sIHVBPls">patched</a> and <a href="/facts/Configure_script/J2uWDJ3g">configured</a> if necessary, then <a href="/facts/Compiler/WNfCDFJe">compiled</a>, installed and registered in the package database. If the new port has needed <a href="/facts/Dependency_(project_management)/y9qKg1Cb">dependencies</a> on other applications or libraries, these are installed beforehand automatically. </p><p>Most ports are already configured with <a href="/facts/Default_(computer_science)/xIUMjgsH">default options</a> which have been deemed generally appropriate for most users. However, these configuration options (called <i>knobs</i>) can sometimes be changed before installation using the make config command, which brings up a text-based interface that allows the user to select the desired options. </p><p>Historically, each port (or software package) has been <a href="/facts/Software_maintenance/Uv39zQb0">maintained</a> by an individual <i>port maintainer</i> who is responsible for ensuring the currency of the port and providing general support. Today, many ports are maintained by special task forces or sub-projects, each with a dedicated <a href="/facts/Mailing_list/jUsumebQ">mailing list</a> (e.g. kde@FreeBSD.org, java@FreeBSD.org, etc.), while unmaintained ports are assigned to the generic group ports@FreeBSD.org. In general, anyone may become a port maintainer by contributing their favorite software to the collection. One may also choose to maintain an existing port with no active maintainer.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="packages">Packages</h2> <p>Precompiled (binary) ports are called <i>packages</i>. A package can be created from the corresponding port with the make package command; pre-built packages are also available for download from FreeBSD-hosted package repositories. A user can install a package by passing the package name to the pkg install command. This downloads the appropriate package for the installed FreeBSD release <a href="/facts/Software_versioning/EP8VXAUU">version</a>, then installs the application, including any software dependencies it may have. By default, packages are downloaded from the main FreeBSD Package Repository (pkg.freebsd.org), but if there are any troubles after updating packages, previous version of packages cannot be installed because the repository denies subfolders indexes. In this case, a user must upgrade the OS version to the latest release and install latest packages. </p><p>FreeBSD maintains a <a href="/facts/Compile_farm/vHEr1U9Y">build farm</a> called the <i>pointyhat cluster</i> in which all packages for all supported <a href="/facts/Computer_architecture/tHtwxgR2">architectures</a> and major <a href="/facts/Software_release_life_cycle/z4Q4RElA">releases</a> are built. The build <a href="/facts/Server_log/p7FHf8mA">logs</a> and known errors for all ports built into packages through the pointyhat cluster are available in a <a href="/facts/Database/VYcpkevb">database</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a> and weekly builds logs are also available through mailing list archives.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a> </p><p>These pre-compiled packages are separated into categories by the architectures for which they are available. Packages are further separated into several "release" directories, one for each current <i>production release</i> built from the ports collection and shipped with the release. These production release directories are never updated. </p><p>There are also <i>stable</i> and <i>current</i> directories for several major release branches. These are updated more or less weekly. In most cases a package created for an older version of FreeBSD can be installed and used on a newer system without difficulty since binary backward compatibility across major releases is enabled by default. </p><p>A packaging system for binary packages<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> called pkg has replaced the package management system in <a href="/facts/FreeBSD/RKsFTm7F">FreeBSD</a> 10.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="history">History</h2> <p><a href="/facts/Jordan_Hubbard/QQMhISau">Jordan Hubbard</a> committed his <i>port make macros</i> to the FreeBSD CVS repository on August 21, 1994.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> His package install suite <i>Makefile</i> had been committed a year earlier (August 26, 1993).<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> The core ports framework was at first maintained by Hubbard along with Satoshi Asami for several years. The Ports Management Team was later formed to handle this task. </p><p><a href="/facts/Pkgsrc/pY0HneXM">NetBSD's pkgsrc</a> and <a href="/facts/Ports_collection/X7NjT4F5">OpenBSD's ports collection</a> trace their roots to FreeBSD. </p> <h2 id="dports">DPorts</h2> <p>Since its release, 3.6 <a href="/facts/DragonFly_BSD/U6cvpDJR">DragonFly BSD</a> project uses FreeBSD Ports as a base for its own <i>DPorts</i> ports collection. John Marino of DragonFly BSD project created <i>DeltaPorts</i> <a href="/facts/Source_code_repository/PjE4Vkes">repository</a> – a collection of patches and files that overlay and modify the FreeBSD Ports, in order to generate DPorts.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/MacPorts/MXUIHbNY">MacPorts</a></li></ul> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li><a href="https://www.freebsd.org/ports/index.html">Official FreeBSD Ports web page</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.freshports.org/">FreshPorts</a> - website that tracks port updates</li> <li><a href="https://www.tobez.org/port-tags/">Port-Tags</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140110121730/http://www.tobez.org/port-tags/">Archived</a> January 10, 2014, at the <a href="/facts/Wayback_Machine/nmQ3a6JC">Wayback Machine</a> - Project to add tags to the ports collection</li> <li><a href="https://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/ports.html">Installing Applications: Packages and Ports</a> from the FreeBSD Handbook (Chapter 4)</li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>"About FreeBSD Ports". freebsd.org. Retrieved December 8, 2019. <a href="https://www.freebsd.org/ports/" target="_blank">https://www.freebsd.org/ports/</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>"The FreeBSD Project". The FreeBSD Project. Retrieved October 30, 2024. <a href="https://www.freebsd.org/status/report-2024-07-2024-09/portmgr/" target="_blank">https://www.freebsd.org/status/report-2024-07-2024-09/portmgr/</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>"Porter's Handbook". FreeBSD project. <a href="https://www.freebsd.org/doc/en/books/porters-handbook/" target="_blank">https://www.freebsd.org/doc/en/books/porters-handbook/</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>"FreeBSD Package building logs and errors (pointyhat cluster)". freebsd.org. Archived from the original on April 15, 2013. Retrieved March 26, 2010. <a href="https://archive.today/20130415004934/http://pointyhat.freebsd.org/errorlogs/" target="_blank">https://archive.today/20130415004934/http://pointyhat.freebsd.org/errorlogs/</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>"FreeBSD Mailing lists: subscription for freebsd-pkg-fallout". <a href="https://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-pkg-fallout" target="_blank">https://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-pkg-fallout</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>"Chapter 4. Installing Applications: Packages and Ports | FreeBSD Documentation Portal". <a href="https://www.freebsd.org/doc/handbook/pkgng-intro.html" target="_blank">https://www.freebsd.org/doc/handbook/pkgng-intro.html</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>"FreeBSD 10.0-RELEASE Release Notes | The FreeBSD Project". <a href="https://www.freebsd.org/releases/10.0R/relnotes.html" target="_blank">https://www.freebsd.org/releases/10.0R/relnotes.html</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>"CVS log for ports/Mk/bsd.port.mk". FreeBSD project. Archived from the original on April 15, 2013. Retrieved January 5, 2020. <a href="https://archive.today/20130415033100/http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/cvsweb.cgi/ports/Mk/bsd.port.mk" target="_blank">https://archive.today/20130415033100/http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/cvsweb.cgi/ports/Mk/bsd.port.mk</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>"CVS log for src/usr.sbin/pkg_install/Makefile". FreeBSD project. Archived from the original on April 14, 2013. Retrieved May 26, 2018. <a href="https://archive.today/20130414183008/http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/cvsweb.cgi/src/usr.sbin/pkg_install/Makefile" target="_blank">https://archive.today/20130414183008/http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/cvsweb.cgi/src/usr.sbin/pkg_install/Makefile</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>Sherrill, Justin (January 12, 2013). "An early DPorts education". DragonFly BSD Digest. Archived from the original on February 28, 2014. Retrieved April 12, 2014. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140228235142/http://www.shiningsilence.com/dbsdlog/2013/01/12/11008.html" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20140228235142/http://www.shiningsilence.com/dbsdlog/2013/01/12/11008.html</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>Marino, John. "DeltaPorts". GitHub. Retrieved April 12, 2014. <a href="https://github.com/DragonFlyBSD/DeltaPorts" target="_blank">https://github.com/DragonFlyBSD/DeltaPorts</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>