I just installed FreeBSD, and it ended up being a minimal command line system only. Its not all bad, kind of gave me a crash course in BSD. I managed to get X and KDE installed. However, pretty much anything else using the command doesn't work.

It points to the correct ftp site, so I go there in my browser, and the files are all there, but it doesn't see them or download them. Obviously, some things I have been able to install "manually", but programs such as pidgin, with a million and a half dependencies, would take me a lifetime to sort out.

I guess the more technical explanation is: the program is looking for the package "pidgin.tbz" in ftp://site/8.0/latest/, and the file is there, but it cannot find it.

Do I need to update the ports list? Change something somewhere? My Linux knowledge is what got me this far but from here I am unsure what to do.

Silly question, but the ftp site is an official FreeBSD mirror, or something you set up?

What is the output of "echo $PACKAGEROOT" and "echo $PACKAGESITE"?


Also, there's a distinct difference between packages and ports in the BSD world. Packages consist of precompiled software, ports consist of source code distributions of software.

"echo $PACKAGEROOT" and "echo $PACKAGESITE" don't return anything at all. Here is what I see when trying to install pidgin via a remote source.

To answer your other question, I'm new to the whole concept of ports, and it worked for me to install X and KDE, as well as a window manager. Thus said, I didn't feel it was necessary to change what seemed to be working. Unfortunately, its not really working now.

I hate to "bump" this thread but I'm trying to get a fully functioning BSD system set up, with a basic desktop + security focus, and programs are no longer installing how they should. I didn't change anything to any port files but it no longer can locate, download, and install my programs.

I really could use some help.

Here is the output of pkg_add -rv firefox if it helps at all.

I had to go to the FreeBSD forums for help since no one here seemed to know what to do. I solved my problem but there are two things you need to check if you have the same issue.

1. whether or not you need to use passive or active ftp mode for package retrieval and installation. your firewall can determine this.

2. "sudo" in FreeBSD does not grant you the same rights as it does in Linux. using "sudo pkg_add -r <package>" will not work because you don't actually have enough rights to do it. First you need to do a "sudo su -" then try to install your package.

Hope this helps anyone else with the same problem.

That is incorrect.
Will fetch and install xterm if you allow user to install things in the sudoers file. I do it all the time.

I read your post on BSD forums. Glad you got it fixed.

Well I am in the sudoers file and it didn't make any difference, so maybe something else is wrong.

What do you mean by that?

/usr/local/etc/sudoers
That will allow users in wheel group to do anything. Probably not wise unless you are the only user on the box.

Or you can make up your own rules allowing users to do only what you want.

You can also use pkg_add specifying the whole path to the package if you don't have your $PACKAGESITE set right.