Sorry, should probably make this more clear before I get flamed ;) > Metadata which is for software to use - not people. Solaris packages > are distributed in a flat directory, there is no physical hierarchy. > There is no post install software managment that conveniently shows > packages according to category. This is normally accomplished by > directory hierarchies in a filesystem. This is what ports systems use > for categorization.
pkginfo et al aside, what I meant for this to say was there is no way get a useful view of packages from the filesystem without invoking other utilities to make the separation clear. With a ports system, if you are looking for an editor, you can simple look in the editors category, and see what is offered by the system without invoking any additional tools or commands. The aim here is simplicity of use, not distribution.
