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	CONTENT="How OpenBSD can make use of the FreeBSD ports">
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  <title>OpenBSD ports mechanism</title>
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  <h2><font color=#e00000>OpenBSD ports mechanism</font></H2>
  <h3><font color=#0000e0>History</font></h3>
  <p>
   OpenBSD is a fairly complete system of its own, but still there is a lot
   of software that one might want see added. However there is the problem
   on where to draw the line as to what to include, as well as the occasional
   licensing and export restriction problems.  In what is supposed to be
   small stand-alone UNIX-like operating system, some things just can't be
   shipped with the system.
  <p>
   We wanted to find a way for users to easily get software we don't provide
   and started to look around. We didn't have to look far as a sibling project,
   <a href="http://www.freebsd.org/">FreeBSD</a>, had an excellent mechanism
   for exactly this purpose called
   <a href="http://www.freebsd.org/ports/">"The ports collection"</a>.
  <p>
   At first we tried to use their collection as-is, but due to
   incompatibility problems between FreeBSD and OpenBSD we decided to branch
   out and create our very own OpenBSD Ports Project using FreeBSD's as a
   starting point.  This also allows us to tune the ports better to our
   system.
  <h3><font color=#0000e0>Short description and setup</font></h3>
  <p>
   The ports idea is to have, for each piece of software, a Makefile that
   controls
   <ul>
    <li>where to fetch it,
    <li>how to do the fetch,
    <li>what it depends upon (if anything),
    <li>how to alter the sources (if needed),
    <li>and how to configure, build and install it.
   </ul>
  <p>
   This information is kept in a directory hierarchy under the
   /usr/ports directory.
  <h3><font color=#0000e0>Getting the Ports tree</font></h3>
  <p>
   The ports source tree can be retrieved via:
   <ul>
    <li><a href=anoncvs.html>Anonymous CVS</a> (see link).  The command is
         essentially <strong>cvs get ports</strong>.
    <li>Anonymous ftp from
        <a href="ftp://ftp.openbsd.org/pub/OpenBSD/snapshots/ports.tar.gz">
        ftp://ftp.openbsd.org/pub/OpenBSD/snapshots/ports.tar.gz</a>.
	This archive is updated nightly.
    <li>Your web browser using the 
        <a href="http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/cvsweb/ports/">CVS
	web interface</a>.
   </ul>
  <p>
   You can also ftp the 2.2 version from the pub/OpenBSD/2.2 directory
   on any of the <a href=ftp.html>ftp mirror sites</a>.
   Note: this version, also on the 2.2 CDROM, is not the most
   recent version.  You likely want to get and use a newer version.
  <h3><font color=#0000e0>Example use of the Ports tree</font></h3>
  <p>
   Let's say you managed to get a ports tree and you want to compile and
   install the archiving utility <code>unzip</code>.  You should be able to
   something like:
<pre>
% cd /usr/ports/archivers/unzip
% su
# make
# make install
# exit
</pre>
   Easy, huh?
  <h3><font color=#0000e0>Port status information</font></h3>
  <p>
   The <a href="portstat.html">ports status page</a> is updated as
   team members add new ports and verify existing ports.  Existing
   ports are continually verified to validate source availability and
   proper operation with the current OpenBSD sources.  The page notes
   the date last checked and the nature of any change.  This is a new
   resource that is not yet complete.  If you have any information to
   add to the status page please send it to
   <a href="mailto:ports@openbsd.org">ports@OpenBSD.ORG</a>.
  <h3><font color=#0000e0>Creating new ports</font></h3>
  <p>
   If you are interested in helping to expand the OpenBSD ports tree
   you should first read <a href="porting.html">porting.html</a>.
   That page references the porting section of the
   <a href="http://www.freebsd.org/handbook/">FreeBSD handbook</a>
   as well as OpenBSD specific policies and hints.
  <h3><font color=#0000e0>Problems and contacts</font></h3>
  <p>
   If you have trouble with ports please send mail to the OpenBSD
   ports mailing list, <a href="mailto:ports@openbsd.org">ports@OpenBSD.ORG</a>.
   Patches are always appreciated, but in any case please provide:
   <ul>
    <li>The output of <code>uname -a</code>
    <li>Your OpenBSD version, including any patches you may have applied.
    <li>A complete description of the problem.
   </ul>
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