HowTo use NetBSD pre-built packages

August 22, 2020 - 1 min read

Reminder to self: you need to set up the PKG_PATH to the correct FTP URI. Also, use the correct ARCH, otherwise the installer complains. Do not use amd64, but rather x86_64.

Here it is, you’d think this be something the installer could set up a default for …

PKG_PATH=http://ftp.netbsd.org/pub/pkgsrc/packages/NetBSD/amd64/6.1.5/All/

or if you use the latest on an old ThinkPad T42:

PKG_PATH=http://ftp.netbsd.org/pub/pkgsrc/packages/NetBSD/i386/9.0/All/

The simply

pkg_add -v git

Or so you might think! As this blog points out, you also need to install some root certificates to get HTTPS/SSL working. sigh

pkg_add -v openssl
pkg_add -v mozilla-rootcerts

Followed by

touch /etc/openssl/openssl.cnf
cd /etc/openssl/certs
mozilla-rootcerts extract
mozilla-rootcerts rehash

on newer NetBSD you only need to do:

mozilla-rootcerts install

Then you can clone your GitHub repo and start working …

cd
git clone https://github.com/troglobit/pimd

On FreeBSD it’s a lot simpler, type pkg dasdastradf and the OS asks you nicely if you want to install the pkgsrc system? Reply and then simply do pkg add git.

P.S. Modern NetBSD have pkgin, so use the above only to bootstrap pkgin, then use that for the rest.