In a hurry? Go to: http://sfe.opencsw.org/quickrepolinks

I promise, one day there will be someone volunteering and re-write this article for you.

Update 20150710: The build machine for OI Hipster is running, the setup for the repository follows shortly. Once available, I'll post this on this blog. (Done! It is now online!)

Update 20150214: the repository localhostomnios is now being built with the automatic build scripts. I'm looking for users telling me which packages from SFE you want published first. I already have a short list but *your* priority list is very important to me now. If you want additional packages, please put then on the wishlist on this blog or drop me a note.

Update 20150119 there is a new testing repository localhostomnios. Very early stage, but very cool. Use pfexec pkg set-publisher -G '*' -g http://sfe.opencsw.org/localhostomnios or click on the URL for access.

Update 201401 there is a new repository localhostoi151a8 with packages built on oi_151a8, use pfexec pkg set-publisher -g http://sfe.opencsw.org/localhostoi151a8 or click on the URL for access (edit 201404).

Update 20121201 the localhostoi and localhosts11 publisher got some fresh packages, e.g. netatalk3. Next will be solving a few packages not finished building and then we'll start updating the main repository.

Update 20120807 there is now a 1:1 copy of the repositories of the build machines (S11, OI). Expect those two repos to break frequently, so please only use those for testing: pkg set-publisher -g http://sfe.opencsw.org/localhosts11 localhosts11 and
pkg set-publisher -g http://sfe.opencsw.org/localhostoi localhostoi. Note: the publisher name is different. If you test those packages, please uninstall them *before* you remove the publisher. Later on you will find those packages on the regular repository and with the publisher name "sfe".

Update 20120730 fresh packages are on the way to the repository. This will include an automatic renaming of packages which got new names following the IPS naming conventions. So for instance SFEbzr will automaticly renamed (and in that example upgraded as well) if you type "pkg update -nv" for the dryrun and "pkg update -v" for the real upgrade. Remember to take a snapshot of your bootenvvironment before that, as SFE currently does not do this for you. This ensures that you can't loose any configuration of your SFE packages (yes, not every package might backup or migrate your configuration files!). In case something goes baldy wrong with e.g. your services based on SFE packages, you easily boot back into your previous bootenvironment. The unpatient may go spy into the new set of packages e.g. here: http://sfe.opencsw.org/sfe-s11-testing and http://sfe.opencsw.org/sfe-oi151a4-testing. Guess what the later URL means?

Please use the comment section if things work for you (need positive feedback!) and / or if you have questions.

Update 20120618 - Comments are open now, please let us know if you are happy with the repo or post any questions. Volunteers for preparing a nice website (should not be a too big project) and preparing web forms to enter desired SFE packages to be added or updated that would help a lot (current idea is to use django1.4, and backend CI system "jenkins")

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This is premlimiary information on how to use the binary packages provided for your convenience. All you can get here is based on the spec-files-extra repository and instructions from the site pkgbuild.wiki.sourceforge.net and pkgbuild.sourceforge.net (SFE svn-repository). The reason for the current URL being redirected away from sfe dot opencsw dot org to tom dot blog dot in-ulm dot de is, that on the hosting location there is no regular webserver running, only the pkg.depotd repository daemons. In a later phase it is planned to remove the redirection and host the documentation pages on the base URL. If there are any volunteers with design, writing or cms knowledge out there, please tell us. Technical background: If you configure the IPS repositories, then there is no URL redirection in place, only the loadbalancer/urlredirector on the server will proxy the request to the right repository daemon you addressed with the pkg publisher configuration.

IPS Packages from the SFE project hosted here are not related in any way to the OpenCSW project you can find here: http://www.opencsw.org (Solaris 9, Solaris 10, Oracle Solaris 11 Packages in I think both formats (SVR4 and IPS) and using pkgutil for package management). We only get granted bandwidth and the subdomain name sfe, see paragraphs below.

On this "SFE" (spec-files-extra) IPS package repository you can get packages (binary content) for easy installation with IPS package tools (GUI package manager or command line "pkg install"). How to use the IPS repository is described in detail below. Again: The SFE packages hosted here (sfe.opencsw.org) aren't related in any way to OpenCSW.

What is the story behind "SFE" (spec-files-extra): It consists of RPM-style build recipes which can be used with the pkgbuild/pkgtool script and these scripts internally call "./configure && make && make install && make packages" for you. This is done from pure sourcecode and a few patches. You get nice and shiny binary packages which are installable on e.g. Oracle Solaris 11 (TM) and OpenIndiana (TM) each have a different publisher. So why this repository? It saves you from having to compile the same bits then others already have. And as a plus, some people get so enthousiastic about this concept of "spec-files-extra" build recipes that they start learning to port software onto theyr favoured Operating System and script everything to share the work with all others.

A note to the numerous volunteers writing those spec-files-extra build recipes: Thank you very very much for your enormous efforts you take to make those spec files work perfect, all you can see here today would be non-existent, no binary packages would be available here, if you would not take this biggest effort to write and maintain the spec-files-extra build recipes!
As well, I would like to thank the opencsw organisation to provide a strong enough hosting location to this binary package repository. This is like a small joint-venture: We provide IPS knowledge they provide a solaris zone and we both go spy into each others build recipes and learn to workaround the porting problems with F/OSS on the Operating System.

Back to the ground, you can browse the available packages if you enter the URL of the selected repository into your browser, e.g. click on this link for Solaris 11: http://sfe.opencsw.org/sfe/en/catalog.shtml and see the binary packages currently available. If you need a package added then please drop us a note on e.g. irc.freenode.org channel #pkgbuild. Access the *raw* list of spec files directly from the SVN here: http://pkgbuild.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/pkgbuild/spec-files-extra/trunk/ (check as well the subdirectories to see archived, experimental and encumbered stuff)

If you can see this page, then you've used only the domain name without the name of the IPS repository appended. This is fine as well, because you can read these instructions now .-)
Find the instructions on how to select and add the repository matching your operating system variant below.

Please note: All content is provided for your convenience only and you (that is *you*) have to check yourself if you can accept the licenses of each package and use them according to your local country laws. It is no support provided and promised nor can we take responsibility for the contents of the packages. We will silently ignore or redirect problems originating in downloading or using the software packages back to yourself. Again, normally you would build all those packages by yourself and get the same results.

To enable your system to load the packages select your OS and follow the instructions below:

Oracle Solaris 11 (TM of Oracle) X86 only (sparc needs volunteers! ... No... it needs http://sfe.opencsw.org/donate-SPARC-build-zone)
* open an xterm as user with assigned rights at least "Software Installation" (check with profiles -l) and enter these steps:

bash> pkg publisher (you get the current publisher displayed)
bash> pfexec pkg set-publisher -g http://sfe.opencsw.org/sfe sfe
bash> pkg publisher (you get the new sfe publisher displayed, now search or install packages)

List packages from the new publisher by running: pkg list -a pkg://sfe/"*"

optional: Add if you want as well the sources used to build each package: (normally you don't want them!)
bash> pfexec pkg set-publisher -g http://sfe.opencsw.org/sfe-src sfe-src

or
* use the graphical package manager and the new publisher with this URL: http://sfe.opencsw.org/sfe
this is probably the most easy way to just browse trough the available packages. Remember to set the drop-down list to only display packages from the "sfe" provider if you want to hide the packages from the OS distribution.

Volunteering is possible and encouraged:
* you may help building packages
* maintain spec files (write new or update existing ones - just ask on IRC)
* support Sparc (TM) builds for the above packages
* once the need arises add mirrors (please don't mirror without prior asking!)

See also: OpenIndiana has SFE binary packages as well (not the same selection, sometimes differ in version and a few details)

Disclaimer: All content provided for your convenience, all trademarks are owned by the respective owners. Drop us a note if you have any questions.