Hey all,

When you are doing modifications and dev work, do you keep your systems lean in terms of packages? Say you wanted to build a package from source, do you install its dependencies for this build, or was it already installed from a previous build? Do you have another machine that you do the builds on and then transfer the binaries across?

I currently have a persistent docker container that I use that is base ubuntu 16.04 for just this reason. It bind-mounts my projects folder and I do all my compiling/building of sources from here, but do all the coding from my main machine. As my config files are all on the host. This way when I do my updates, it's not clogged up with dev libraries and tools and things.

Anyone else have anything similar they do or any tips?

Refrain from using unnecessarily bloated operating systems like GNU/Linux. Helps a lot.

suggested alternative?

windows, of course.

Still less bloated than GNU/Linux. Other than that, there are more than just two systems available.

(22-02-2017, 08:49 PM)robotchaos Wrote: suggested alternative?

Any of the mainstream BSD operating systems would do better. FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, almost literally anything BSD. It's more... unified in a way than a cobbled-together mess of softwares like 99% of GNU/Linux distributions.

I fail to see how using a different operating system will improve the way you handle "one-time" dependencies. You're not providing any real answer here.

The easiest way I found to do this is to use a chroot build, and install the deps in this chroot prior to building. This way I can make sure I include all the dependencies for my builds (I don't do that way often though)

(22-02-2017, 08:37 PM)robotchaos Wrote: Anyone else have anything similar they do or any tips?

Sometimes putting the questions into other words offer some insights.
So if I understood correctly you are doing this:

* Downloading the source of a program
* Using the package manager to install the dependencies
* Building and installing the program
* Remove the uneeded dependencies (that's the step you want help with)

If there was a way to tell your package manager that those packages are installed "as-deps-only-for-build" to something else it would solve the issue, as most package managers have a way to list un-wanted dependencies.

I'm falling short on options here.

EDIT: As others said, the port system of most BSDs does that nicely.

(23-02-2017, 07:55 AM)venam Wrote: * Remove the uneeded dependencies (that's the step you want help with)

(...) the port system of most BSDs does that nicely.

FYI:

• FreeBSD: You could use portmaster --delete-build-only or clean up manually: pkg autoremove -qy.
  (Should also work on recent DragonFly BSD systems which use pkgng.)
  
• OpenBSD: pkg_delete -a.
  
• NetBSD: pkgin autoremove.

(23-02-2017, 08:46 AM)jkl Wrote: FYI:

• FreeBSD: You could use portmaster --delete-build-only or clean up manually: pkg autoremove -qy.
  (Should also work on recent DragonFly BSD systems which use pkgng.)
  
• OpenBSD: pkg_delete -a.
  
• NetBSD: pkgin autoremove.
  

Does it only work for ports installed using pkgin|pkg_add|pkg, or you have a way to install anything as "build-only deps", so then can be removed later?

Installing ports - including dependency ports - usually registers them as installed packages. At least on FreeBSD, I can pkg delete ports I installed via portmaster [port].

I have never used a ports system, but does it do any of that automatically? It can't know that I'm done using the dep. So I need to manually run clean-up correct?

I'm not opposed to a clean-up process, just trying to figure out a clean way to have minimal updates. So far I've settled on a container, much like a chroot build system. I have my runtime OS that then only does updates on required packages, nothing superfluous. My build container then keeps all the deps installed permanently, and they get updated when I run system updates. I'm not overly concerned with the build container becoming bloated.

I think I'm just over-complicating it... As I tend to do.

the only way to keep a system lean is by using plan 9









this is a proven fact.

(24-02-2017, 09:42 PM)apk Wrote: the only way to keep a system lean is by using plan 9

How do you dare indirectly critizising the eternal, beautiful temple OS? Shame on you.

But you are of course right.

Aha. The saga continues. I started using the nix package manager for this, which has helped tremendously. I am also in the midst of standing up my own hydra server to use as a nix-channel.