binpatch for OpenBSD 1.0.0

binpatch is a framework for creating binary patches for OpenBSD on all platforms in a semi-automatic way.

These binary patches in turn can be distributed across a network and applied easily to any number of servers with a custom script. Since they are just simple compressed tar balls with the programs/libraries patched, applied is as easy as

# tar xzpf binpatch-3.8-i386-001.tgz -C /

Binary patches is a convenient way to keep your servers up to date with security and reliability patches. Unlike the traditional method of patching the source tree, applying binary patches doesnt need extra disk space to hold the whole source tree, compilers or a powerful enough CPU to build the programs patched in a reasonable period of time.

Usage:

The binpatch framework resemblances the OpenBSD ports subsystem in many ways. Its no coincidence since binpatch took ideas from the OpenBSD ports subsystem.

binpatch is a make script with routines that automate downloading, applying, building and packaging binary patches. Using binpatch means executing the following tasks: maintenance, building and installation.

Maintenance and building are not intended for end users of binary patches. If you are insterested only on installing a binary patch you can safely skip the following two sections.

The magic in binpatch must be invoked by a custom Makefile that informs binpatch about the patches available and how they should be built. Its similar as making a port, where you need to write a Makefile with directions about how a port must be built. A sample self-documented Makefile is included in this distribution. After editing a Makefile, we have to build the patched files.

This is the sequence of targets:

init: "fake" install of a complete OpenBSD system
extract: unpacks the OpenBSD sources
patch: downloads the patch given from the master site and applies it
build: builds the programs/libraries affected
plist: creates the PLIST with the names of the files modified

Theres no fetch target. binpatch doesnt currently download neither the installation sets nor the sources. You have to put them manually under the required directory.