Unable to upgrade new package version from installed older package version

[plukimi]

Hi Guys & gals,

I am new in OpenBSD and stills learning. Earlier, I installed a package by using simple standard pkg_add command. The version I installed package is Hiawatha 10.11 in few months ago. I spotted a new package version 11.2 found in OpenBSD port website https://openports.se/www/hiawatha.

When I executed pkg_add –uv. Including pkg_add -Uuv The problem is this update will focusing on 10.11 version but failed to update into version 11.2. Not sure why and what did I miss?

I checked in https://www.openbsd.org/faq/faq15.html and internet. Appears lack for an answer how to upgrade the package version from installed old version. Do you have better step by step instructions as how do this more effective and simpler?

Please advise, thanks.

[Head_on_a_Stick]

Version 11.2 is only available for OpenBSD -current.

I presume you're using OpenBSD 7.2 (either -release or -stable), version 10.11 is the latest available for that.

If you want to track -current then use a snapshot to upgrade the system but be aware that breaking changes may be introduced at any time, as per usual for a development branch. Having said that I have always found OpenBSD -current to be far more consistently reliable than, for example, Arch Linux. The devs tend to be a lot more cautious than their kamikaze-loving equivalents in Linux Land. IMO.

Reference: https://www.openbsd.org/faq/current.html

EDIT: and what makes you think I am either male or female? I've answered anyway even though your post doesn't seem to be addressed to me. I hope you're not offended...

I would appreciate more gender-neutral terms in future posts. "Folks" is always a good one.

[jggimi]

Welcome back, plukimi.


Please avoid using openports.se as a resource. It has a number of problems. It does not parse the ports tree correctly and the site's operator does not respond to problem reports from the OpenBSD Project.

Please use https://openports.pl/, which is an OpenBSD Project member (developer) operated public-access deployment of the databases/ports-readmes-dancer webserver.

[plukimi]

@Head_on_a_Stick
Thank you for the response; and my apologies. Will use ‘folks’ from now on.

1. Yes, I successfully upgraded from 7.1 to 7.2 by using simple sysupgrade command in early November. Executed syspatch and pkg_add –Uu commands few times since last sysupgrade. Last refresh was on 30/12/22 and nothing to update.
2. I install Hiawatha 10.11 package in November. Hiawatha 11.2 added to ports website on 22/12/2022. Version 10.11 is fairly 'out of date' because Hiawatha updates 4 times since July 2020 for few minor bug fixes and update in TLS libraries. That is almost 2.5 years gap untill finally added v11.2 into openbsd port.

@jggimi
Thank you for the response. Will use in https://openports.pl/ instead.

The question is how I update Hiawatha to v11.2 or has to wait till next system release into OpenBSD 7.3 in few months time? Sorry for asking. I am taking my learning notes to understand OpenBSD packages update cycles better.

Thanks

[Head_on_a_Stick]

Originally Posted by plukimi

my apologies

No need to apologise, I'm not offended.

Originally Posted by plukimi

Will use ‘folks’ from now on.

Thank you. If only everybody was so enlightened :-)

Originally Posted by plukimi

how I update Hiawatha to v11.2 or has to wait till next system release into OpenBSD 7.3 in few months time?

If you don't want to track -current then you could try updating the port yourself.

General porting guide here: https://www.openbsd.org/faq/ports/

Here's a list of the changes made to the port for -current:

https://github.com/openbsd/ports/com...012e4dc97848fc

Disclaimer: I've only ever used -current and I have no personal experience of manually updating ports in -release or -stable. So I might be talking nonsense here. Hopefully other forum users will be able to pick me up on any mistakes.

[jggimi]

It looks like the newest version of Hiawatha will require building from ports. License incompatibility prevents the project from distributing binary packages.

The commit log for this update states:

commit 451658d371422bb8fb387d6f5a012e4dc97848fc
Author: sthen@ {email redacted here}
Date:   Wed Dec 21 13:49:48 2022 +0000

    update to hiawatha-11.2; it now uses a bundled newer version of mbedtls.
    
    the license status hasn't changed (hiawatha is GPLv2 only, mbedtls is
    Apache v2; these are incompatible so we can't distribute binaries).
    
    point out upstream's "Due to lack of interest in this project, I no longer
    actively support and promote Hiawatha" message in DESCR.

[jggimi]

For additional clarity, the port Makefile at 7.2-release -- revision 1.65 -- has the variable PERMIT_PACKAGE set to 'Yes', so packages were built by the OpenBSD Project for distribution.

At the next commit, this changed to the reason string 'mbedtls Apache 2 license incompatible with GPLv2', which eliminated package distribution by the project. The commit log for that revision contained this explanation:

commit e4d1b594581d6df592370b4798559a2f57129f01
Author: sthen@ {redacted}
Date:   Tue Oct 25 20:36:04 2022 +0000

    Hiawatha is GPLv2 only and depends on mbedTLS, which was previously dual
    licensed (GPLv2/Apache) as well as offering commercial licenses, but GPLv2
    was dropped from mbedTLS in v2.17, and the Apache license is not compatible
    with GPLv2.
    
    mbedTLS is in packages rather than a system library, so we don't seem to
    come under exemptions, so stop distributing binary packages of Hiawatha.