On Fri, 02 May 2025 11:28:47 +0200,
Stuart Henderson <stu@spacehopper.org> wrote:
> 
> On 2025/05/01 21:56, Josh Grosse wrote:
> > For consideration.
> 
> > diff --git usr.sbin/pkg_add/pkg_add.1 usr.sbin/pkg_add/pkg_add.1
> > index 67be4b80179..17b3fc12687 100644
> > --- usr.sbin/pkg_add/pkg_add.1
> > +++ usr.sbin/pkg_add/pkg_add.1
> > @@ -109,7 +109,9 @@ with
> >  .Fl u
> >  whenever possible, but
> >  .Fl U
> > -can be much faster.
> > +can be much faster, and is intended for use when running -current, if
> > +a new package needs to be added without conducting a full update of all
> > +packages.
> >  .It
> >  Replace existing packages with explicit other versions, using option
> >  .Fl r .
> 
> -U is a bit of a hack and I think mostly useful for ports developers.
> 
> Diff below gives a better reason *not* to use it.
> 
> Perhaps pkg_add should reject -Uu, afaict it is meaningless, and there
> is some meme which won't go away about running -Uu for updates.
> 
> Bonus -u -> .Fl u fix.
>

Cleaner wording, indeed!

Meanwhile, I was able to backtrace the source why so many people uses -U. I
don't belive that all of them read man page and decided to speedup things.

Long story short: I almost sure that the root cause this page:
https://www.openbsdhandbook.com/upgrade/

> Index: pkg_add.1
> ===================================================================
> RCS file: /cvs/src/usr.sbin/pkg_add/pkg_add.1,v
> diff -u -p -r1.168 pkg_add.1
> --- pkg_add.1	2 Oct 2024 09:14:08 -0000	1.168
> +++ pkg_add.1	2 May 2025 09:24:00 -0000
> @@ -104,12 +104,14 @@ The
>  .Ar pkg-name ...
>  specified on the command line are new packages that may require updating
>  dependencies first.
> -It is recommended to keep all packages in-synch
> +It is recommended to update all packages
>  with
>  .Fl u
> -whenever possible, but
> +before installing a new package, but
>  .Fl U
> -can be much faster.
> +can be much faster (at the risk of possibly leaving an inconsistent
> +set of packages).
> +Mainly for use with -current snapshots.
>  .It
>  Replace existing packages with explicit other versions, using option
>  .Fl r .
> @@ -685,7 +687,9 @@ Dependencies from the old packages are a
>  package.
>  .El
>  .Pp
> -To update packages in -u mode,
> +To update packages in
> +.Fl u
> +mode,
>  .Nm
>  performs the following steps.
>  .Bl -enum
> 

-- 
wbr, Kirill