COMP 3000 2011 Report II:PC-BSD

Part II

Software Packaging

This distribution is PC-BSD. Linux package formats are the different file formats used to package software for various Linux distributions. Here in PC-BSD, it mainly uses Binary Packaging format -- pbi<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_software_package_management_systems#PC-BSD</ref>. It uses lots of graphic utilities<ref>http://www.pcbsd.org/about/pc-bsd-project/utilities</ref> to provide front-end to useful FreeBSD features, such as Software Management Utility, Virtual Environment Utility, Backup Utility, Ports Jails Utility and so on.

There is utility called Software Management (in PC-BSD version 8.2), which can get a list of installed packages, except for system packages installed during installation of this distribution, like this picture:

PC-BSD is aim to give user easy used install/remove package experience like Windows or Mac OS. The applications are installed from a simple downloaded file with graphic prompts. Software Management is also a very useful utility to find desired software and install them by clicking the link. Remove is also a simply mouse click operation. There is a website browser in the Software Management and search engine for keyword search and different catalogs for selections.

After made decision, it can downloaded the software by clicking the download link. And it will automatically download and install the packages/software.

There is also a remove button under "Installed Software" menu. Simply choose the package needed to remove, and click remove.

The software catalog for this distribution can be found in the Software Browser of Software Management. There are many selections: Archives, Astronomy, Audio, Benchmarks, Biology, CAD, Communications, Databases, Desktop Utilities, Development, E-Mail, Editors, Educational, Emulators, File Transfer & Utilities, Finance, Games, Graphics, IRC, Japanese, Java, Languages, Math, Miscellaneous, Multimedia, Network-IM, Network-Management, Network-P2P, Network-Utilities, News, Non-Port, Polish, Ports-Management, Print, Science, Security, Shells, System Utilities, Text Processing, The Warden-Inmates, Web, X11, X11-File Managers and X11-Window Managers.

There is too many packages to choose, part of catalog information can be seen from the previous picture.

Major package versions

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Reference

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