====== Ports and packages summit – BSDCan 2012 ======
May 9, 2012: 11:00-12:00, 13:00-14:30, and 15:00-16:00 EDT; DMS 1160

[note: please coordinate edits to this page with chaircreature [[/MarkLinimon|MarkLinimon]].]

==== Attendees (preliminary list) (sorted alpha Lastname) ====
  * [[/ThomasAbthorpe|ThomasAbthorpe]] (portmgr)
  * [[/DianeBruce|DianeBruce]]
  * [[/SeanBruno|SeanBruno]] (clusteradm Y!, rant monger)
  * [[/BaptisteDaroussin|BaptisteDaroussin]] (portmgr/pkgng/poudriere)
  * [[/BradDavis|BradDavis]] (clusteradm)
  * [[/BeatGaetzi|BeatGaetzi]] (portmgr)
  * [[/JulienLaffaye|JulienLaffaye]] (pkgng)
  * [[/ErwinLansing|ErwinLansing]] (portmgr, %%FreeBSD%% Foundation)
  * [[/MarkLinimon|MarkLinimon]] (portmgr)
  * [[/WarnerLosh|WarnerLosh]] (core, gadfly) (if attending)
  * [[/PeterLosher|PeterLosher]] (mirror)
  * [[/SimonNielsen|SimonNielsen]] (so, clusteradm)
  * [[/AndrewPantyukhin|AndrewPantyukhin]]
  * [[/IonMihaiTetcu|IonMihaiTetcu]] (portmgr - skype)
  * [[/FlorentThoumie|FlorentThoumie]] (portmgr - skype)
  * [[/RobertWatson|RobertWatson]] (core, %%FreeBSD%% Foundation)
  * [[/SteveWills|SteveWills]]
  * [[/BjoernZeeb|BjoernZeeb]] (cluster issues)

==== Summary ====
The %%FreeBSD%% project has provided prebuilt ready-to-install binary packages for many years on a best-effort basis.  While these packages do work in a large number of cases, there are too many inconsistencies and failure combinations, from the unpredictable update frequency to dependency handling across upgrades, for them to be used on a wider scale.  This session centers on a round-table brainstorm that begins with a summary of the tremendous progress made in the last 12 months, and closes with a discussion of the roadmap on how to improve binary package creation, distribution, installation and upgrading.

See also [[http://people.freebsd.org/~erwin/presentations/20110511-BSDCan-packages.pdf|2011's slides]] for some background.

==== Agenda (beta) ====

(note: slides are currently being written and their order may change.)

=== Session 1 (11:00-12:00) ===

This session is intended to cover the current tasklist, including both what has changed in the last 12 months since the previous BSDCan, and a brief summary of what we think we can do by the end of the year.  Due to the amount of information we need to present, this session will be structured; attendees will be asked to wait for the third session to go into blue-sky proposals.  This session is appropriate for all developers.

  * The Pointyhat build clusters.  Presenter: [[/MarkLinimon|MarkLinimon]].
  * The redports distributed tinderbox system.  Presenter: [[/MarkLinimon|MarkLinimon]].
  * Ports on %%FreeBSD%% 10. Presenter: [[/MarkLinimon|MarkLinimon]].
  * Ports and clang. Presenter: [[/MarkLinimon|MarkLinimon]].
  * pkgng. Presenter: [[/BaptisteDaroussin|BaptisteDaroussin]].

=== Session 1 (13:00-14:30) ===

This session is intended to cover what we think we can do by the end of the year.  This session will be structured; attendees will be asked to wait for the third session to go into blue-sky proposals.  This session may be most appropriate for the key ports developers.

  * package sets.  presenter: [[/ErwinLansing|ErwinLansing]].
  * VCS switch to svn.  presenter: [[/BeatGaetzi|BeatGaetzi]].
  * status of next-generation options code, optionsNG. Presenter: [[/BaptisteDaroussin|BaptisteDaroussin]].
  * status of "switchable ports compiler" task.  presenter: [[/MarkLinimon|MarkLinimon]].
  * Content Distribution Network.  Presenter: [[/ErwinLansing|ErwinLansing]].

=== Session 2 (15:00-16:00) ===

The first part is intended to be somewhat structured:

  * Common complaints
  * Wantlist

The remainder of the time is unstructured:

  * Brainstorming session.

(anyone want to take up the topic of ports cross-compilation?)

===== Common Complaints =====
  * inconsistent OPTIONS throughout the tree
  * distribution – ftp mirroring
    * disk space
    * syncing
  * inconsistent package sets
  * no concept of what is a “set”
  * no QA across ports, only individual ports
  * manual log analysis