PKG_PATH has short term memory

[jjstorm]

setting the PKG_PATH variable with the export command only holds for one session.

for example, say that I enter the following string:

# export PKG_PATH=http://your.local.mirror/pub/OpenBSD/$(uname -r)/packages/$(machine -a)/

next time I reboot, it will be lost, and I will have to enter it again. I thought that it was supposed to stay permanently?

It also states in the faq 15.2.2 that it is a good idea to enter a line like the above one in ~/.profile for the purpose of being able to retain multiple mirrors in case one is not working, it will move on to the next. servers can be separated by ":" which I inserted between servers, but I still can't get PKG_PATH to retain its contents. What am I doing wrong?

[e1-531g]

Environment variables are not permanent if you just type them in shell.
You need to save that variable in file.
Alternatively you can insert inside pkg.conf:

cat /etc/pkg.conf                                                            
#installpath=http://ftp.fr.openbsd.org/pub/OpenBSD/snapshots/packages/amd64/
installpath=http://ftp.hostserver.de/pub/OpenBSD/snapshots/packages/amd64/

It will configure pkg_*'s mirror path, but not create environment variable.

[Oko]

All add this into the /root/.profile of your root account if that is what you use to

PKG_PATH=http://openbsd.mirrors.pair.com/$(uname -r)/packages/$(arch -s)/
PKG_PATH=https://stable.mtier.org/updates/$(uname -r)/$(arch -s):${PKG_PATH}
export PKG_PATH

[jjstorm]

Originally Posted by Oko

All add this into the /root/.profile of your root account if that is what you use to

PKG_PATH=http://openbsd.mirrors.pair.com/$(uname -r)/packages/$(arch -s)/
PKG_PATH=https://stable.mtier.org/updates/$(uname -r)/$(arch -s):${PKG_PATH}
export PKG_PATH

Can you please explain what the 2 entries do? What is the one with the /updates/ path?


Thanks.

[e1-531g]

It is setting PKG_PATH environment variable.
First line sets up PKG_PATH equal to:
http://openbsd.mirrors.pair.com/$(uname -r)/packages/$(arch -s).
Of course $(uname -r) and $(arch -s) will be executed and results appended to rest of string.
Second line performs addition/appending PKG_PATH and new line:
https://stable.mtier.org/updates/$(uname -r)/$(arch -s)
and then set up PKG_PATH to totality/sum/concatenation of these variables.

If you are not following current, to receive security and/or reliablity fixes you need to:
1. Manually fetch souce code and compile it
or
2. Use unofficial, but commonly trusted M:Tier.

[jjstorm]

Originally Posted by e1-531g

It is setting PKG_PATH environment variable.
First line sets up PKG_PATH equal to:
http://openbsd.mirrors.pair.com/$(uname -r)/packages/$(arch -s).
Of course $(uname -r) and $(arch -s) will be executed and results appended to rest of string.
Second line performs addition/appending PKG_PATH and new line:
https://stable.mtier.org/updates/$(uname -r)/$(arch -s)
and then set up PKG_PATH to totality/sum/concatenation of these variables.

If you are not following current, to receive security and/or reliablity fixes you need to:
1. Manually fetch souce code and compile it
or
2. Use unofficial, but commonly trusted M:Tier.

No, I do not follow current. I am just beginning to learn, so I am following stable.

[jjstorm]

Originally Posted by e1-531g

Environment variables are not permanent if you just type them in shell.
You need to save that variable in file.
Alternatively you can insert inside pkg.conf:

cat /etc/pkg.conf                                                            
#installpath=http://ftp.fr.openbsd.org/pub/OpenBSD/snapshots/packages/amd64/
installpath=http://ftp.hostserver.de/pub/OpenBSD/snapshots/packages/amd64/

It will configure pkg_*'s mirror path, but not create environment variable.

This actually worked. I inserted my own servers of course and replaced 'snapshots' with '5.8'. since I follow stable.

[Oko]

Originally Posted by jjstorm

Can you please explain what the 2 entries do? What is the one with the /updates/ path?


Thanks.

Security updates of the packages by MTier for 5.8 stable. Without it you will have to build manually updates to Firefox for example.

[jjstorm]

I am trying to create a configuration file for pkg.conf that can be used on different versions of OpenBSD, however, I am getting an error. I have tried it several times by manually entering the information. The string works when assigned to PKG_PATH.

Below is the string as it appears on /etc/pkg.conf

 
installpath=ftp://openbsd.c3sl.ufpr.br/pub/OpenBSD/$(uname -r)/packages/$(machine -a)/

The error displayed.

# pkg_add vim
Error from ftp://openbsd.c3sl.ufpr.br/pub/OpenBSD/$(uname -r)/packages/$(machine -a)/quirks-2.197.tgz
550 Can't change directory to pub/OpenBSD/$(uname -r)/packages/$(machine -a): No such file or directory
Ambiguous: choose package for vim
a       0: <None>
        1: vim-7.4.900-gtk2
        2: vim-7.4.900-gtk2-lua
        3: vim-7.4.900-gtk2-perl-python-ruby
        4: vim-7.4.900-gtk2-perl-python3-ruby
        5: vim-7.4.900-no_x11
        6: vim-7.4.900-no_x11-lua
        7: vim-7.4.900-no_x11-perl-python-ruby
        8: vim-7.4.900-no_x11-perl-python3-ruby
        9: vim-7.4.900-no_x11-ruby
Your choice: 1
Error from ftp://openbsd.c3sl.ufpr.br/pub/OpenBSD/$(uname -r)/packages/$(machine -a)/vim-7.4.900-gtk2.tgz
550 Can't change directory to pub/OpenBSD/$(uname -r)/packages/$(machine -a): No such file or directory
Can't find CONTENTS from ftp://openbsd.c3sl.ufpr.br/pub/OpenBSD/$(uname -r)/packages/$(machine -a)/vim-7.4.900-gtk2.tgz
--- vim-7.4.900-gtk2 -------------------
Can't install vim-7.4.900-gtk2: bad package

Is it that only PKG_PATH can resolve $(uname -r) and $(machine -a) ?

[jggimi]

The pkg.conf file is not a shell script.

To make your life much, much easier, see the pkg.conf(5) man page. There is a paragraph under the installpath option that begins, "Special sequences..."

If you ever conduct a network install, you will find a pkg.conf(5) file created for you, that uses these sequences.

[jjstorm]

Originally Posted by jggimi

The pkg.conf file is not a shell script.
see the pkg.conf(5) man page. There is a paragraph under the installpath option that begins, "Special sequences..."

from pkg.conf(5)

Special sequences `%a', `%c', `%m', `%v' will be expanded to
`package architecture', `OS version or snapshots', `full
mirror path' and `OS version' respectively.

How could I miss that? duh.

Thanks.

[jggimi]

I must admit, I only know of them because of network installs. It's not a highlighted section in the man page.