Should i switch to current?

szilard

I am using OBSD 7.3 as my main OS on my Thinkpad. Everything works OK, but i am wondering if i should switch to current, as some programs have newer versions for current in the port repository. Maybe updating for the sake of updating is not a good idea. Also can i switch back from current to release after the fact? Thanks!

szilard I don't know about OpenBSD but, on NetBSD is possible to run current packages on a stable base.

untitled

on NetBSD is possible to run current packages on a stable base.

Are there packages on NetBSD -current to begin with? I thought packages are only built for releases and on -current you have to build everything yourself.

remiliascarlet

If you want to deal with a broken system, keep compiling the OS every single day, and die miserable in the end just so that you can run the latest versions of packages, then yes, definitely switch to current.
Otherwise, please wait 4 more months for the next release, or compile individual packages yourself from source.

pin I don't know about OpenBSD but, on NetBSD is possible to run current packages on a stable base.

You technically can fetch the current branch of the ports tree, but it's not supported, and can cause breakages.
I did this before, never again.

kc9udx

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

bsduck

As far as I know you can't use latest packages on an OpenBSD release, at least it's not a supported configuration.

If you're ok with the software versions available, I'd rather stay on a stable release. Using development versions without a particular reason to do so is just asking for trouble.

CiotBSD

bsduck As far as I know you can't use latest packages on an OpenBSD release

unless you recompile them yourself… 😉

kc9udx

untitled
"Build it yourself" with pkgsrc can be done on one line less than 80 chars 😁

It might take some time, but it's very simple to do (unless the package is broken, hey, it can happen.)

untitled There were for sometime. Unfortunately, they are now being built for 10_BETA.

That's the reason why, I'm compiling everything from source, as I do want to run current and not release.

neb

I switched all my, (and even my mothers) machines to -CURRENT. As long as you pay attention during the version nr switches and maybe have to wait sometimes for syncing the mirrors, I don’t see why not?
It’s very stable!

uxer

can i switch back from current to release after the fact?

AFAIK, you can't switch back / downgrade from current to current release but you can switch forth / upgrade from current to next release when it is released. Just wait <6 month, duh

if i should switch to current, as some programs have newer versions for current

I haven't tried current, but tried snapshots for the exact same reason. Disliked the experience, but I have lots, LOTS of big and small packages installed. I may not use all of them day-to-day, but keep them just in case. Also those that I plan to get aquainted with, I install them, and they reside on storage disk waiting.
Consider: you are on an old - say 2 weeks - snapshot and you want to install a pkg. You may try your luck and just install the pkg. If there have been no dependency or ABI changes, you get it installed and it works. But if there have been some breaking changes, it may fail to install or install but not work. You need to upgrade everything - base and all pkgs - to the current snapshot. Have you enough time, patience, internet traffic and CPU at the moment when you need the pkg? YMMV

neb why not?

Even though not often, things do break. YMMV

neb

uxer These last few days the transition from KDE Plasma 5 --> 6 has been bad on my machines. Great to switch back to cwm as always 😎😅🐡

uxer

remiliascarlet If you want to deal with a broken system, keep compiling the OS every single day, and die miserable in the end just so that you can run the latest versions of packages

I vaguelly recall that Theo de Raadt - OpenBSD head - said he does/did this routinely. That every day his laptop runs fresh OpenBSD. Hardly for latest packages, rather for the OS itself. He didn't complain it breaks, rather he advertised that bleeding edge is easily within reach and that he keeps an eye on it.

It was a very long time ago, I can't reference and I don't know whether it still applies

xmris

sorry to break into this thread, but I ve read on a site that someone on stable can use M:Tier's repo for updated packages (you need to pay of you have older versions of OpenBSD), is this still valid ?

Jay

xmris are you talking about their tool openup ? https://mtier.org/solutions/apps/openup/

It just regularly check for package updates and update them via official repo

xmris

@Jay yes, thanks!

remiliascarlet

uxer It's not that it will break, but rather that there can be a risk of breakages due to the lack of testing.
Perhaps you will be safe with a ThinkPad X-series or T-series laptop, since that's what the OpenBSD team uses, but I don't think guarantees can be made for many other laptops.

Sam

I used to run OpenBSD release branch, but then 4 years ago I switched to current. It's still running even now without any issue.

OpenBSD is the most boring OS in the planet. Everything works so well and out of the box that it can be hardly considered a hardcore-user Operating System.

hexis

If you have hardware that works in current or packages that are only in current then switch.