Re: nb suffix to package names

[Bill Hacker <wbh@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Jeremy C. Reed wrote:
> > > > Two questions here:
> > > >  . what does the 'nb' suffix mean ?
> > > >  . what is the interpretation of the number after 'nb' ?
>
> > No idea what current use is, but a NetBSD sub-ID similar to a more generic
> > 'p(X) patchlevel does look to be a reasonable fit.
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nota_bene
>
> It adds a pkgsrc specific revision to an existing version.
>
> Sometimes packages have a revision noted just because they differ from 
> upstream version. (But that depends on the maintainer.)
>
> Anytime a resulting package changes, the "nb" number is increased by 
> updating the PKGREVISION variable. For example, changes may be: new 
> patches, different files installed, removed configuration options, changed 
> dependencies, etc. Note that if a ABI (binary interface) of a dependency 
> changes, the PKGREVISION of the dependent package is increased too, so a 
> new binary package will be built using that dependency's ABI. Whenever the 
> official version increased (due to update), the PKGREVISION variable may 
> be unset and so "nb" is removed.
>
> For more information look at the pkgsrc Guide (pkgsrc/doc/guide.txt or 
> html) for PKGREVISION and nb.

Ah so.

IOW - may reflect changes in the *rest of* the package rather than (just) the 
'primary'?

One of those (many!) useful items we tend to take for granted...

Over the past two years I've moved to probably 90% pkgsrc, (OpenBSD, NetBSD, 
DragonFlyBSD) 10% source-builds (still necessary with a good deal of what I do 
on FreeBSD, as it is more likely to not be in either ports or packages).

pgsrc has been amazingly solid, and that cannot be accidental or easy.

'Kudo's' to those who've made it work so well.

Beer too - for those in Hong Kong in the winter or Northern Virginia in the 
summertime...

;-)

Bill