Patches to a FreeBSD package - local or upstream or ...?

[Patrick M. Hausen]

Hi all,

Motivation:

iXsystems, the company behind FreeNAS keeps a separate repository of FreeBSD ports. They implemented interesting enhancements to some of the ports. In my case net-mgmt/collectd5 is the one I am interested in.

• Positive: it's all BSD licensed.
• Negative: they did not upstream their changes.

Compare:

• https://svnweb.freebsd.org/ports/head/net-mgmt/collectd5/
• https://github.com/freenas/ports/tree/freenas/master/net-mgmt/collectd5

My questions:

Does OPNsense keep a private ports tree, too? If yes, should I try to integrate the iXsystems changes into the OPNsense version?

If no, I see two alternatives:

• Try to get the enhancements into the FreeBSD port
• Try to integrate them into the OPNsense plugin - which again depends on whether OPNsense uses FreeBSD packages as they come or builds from ports

Advice about the proper direction appreciated.

Thanks,
Patrick

[mimugmail]

OPNsense syncs them from upstream. It would be possible to manage own ones, but I'm unsure if following freenas ports tree is a good idea. It would be better to force pushing these patches upstream.

Best would be to start a conversation with port mainainer ..

[Patrick M. Hausen]

Then I will try that first. I have some routine doing that 

Thanks,
Patrick