FreeBSD ports URL

[trashthing]

hi. i am new to FreeBSD 5.0, and i would like to know how to change the URL that the ports downloads from. e.x: if i type in:

pkg_add -r gnome2

it downloads that from ftp.freebsd.org..../pachages-5.0-release, but i want, ftp.freebsd.org...../packages-5.0-current. how can i change this?

[trashthing]

waaaait...i think i did it, hmmm...........YES! I DID IT! :D

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ugh, i didn't do it. i only set it up so when i go in 'sysinstall' it will download from ftp.freebsd.org..../packages-5.0-current. how can i get it so it will work w/ pkg_add?

[Alex Cavnar, aka alc6379]

I think it's

export PKG_PATH=<insert path here>

That should do it. At least, that's what did it in NetBSD... I think I recall seeing it in the FreeBSD handbook, too.

For it to be persistant, put it in your root user's login scripts somewhere, like in /root/.bashrc or /root/.bash_profile.

[trashthing]

that doesn't work in FreeBSD.

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o wait, i forgot i'm using the csh, not bash. the syntax is different. but it still didn't work.

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nevermind about all the other posts. i'm using sysinstall to update my ports, it logs in, but then it says:

Unable to transfer the ports distribution from
ftp://ftp.freebsd.org

Do you want to try to retrieve it again?

what i did was, i type in sysinstall, then went to options and changed 5.0-RELEASE to 5.0-CURRENT. it logs in when i try this, but won't update the ports.

[xulfralos]

Say I want to get the latest racoon...

setenv PACKAGESITE ftp://ftp2.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/i386/packages-5.0-current/security/

Now, I need to specify the exact name of the file without the .tbz file extension.

pkg_add -r racoon-20021120a

Fetching ftp://ftp2.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/i386/packages-5.0-current/security/racoon-20021120a.tbz... Done.

pkg_info|grep racoon
racoon-20021120a KAME racoon IKE daemon

pkg_info manpage (http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?query=pkg_add&apropos=0&sektion=0&manpath=FreeBSD+5.0-RELEASE&format=html)

Clearly, you can see that this is a PITA. Better to install ports from source, then you can specify a MASTER_SITE_BACKUP and MASTER_SITE_OVERRIDE in /etc/make.conf

Some tips on getting that working:
http://simon.nitro.dk/freebsd-tips.php

make.conf manpage (http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?query=make.conf&apropos=0&sektion=0&manpath=FreeBSD+5.0-RELEASE&format=html)

BTW, if you're using 5.0-RELEASE, you really shouldn't be installing stuff from 5.0-CURRENT. All bets are off when doing this.

[trashthing]

thanks! it worked great!