FreeBSD installs all packages in /usr/local/bin and /usr/local/sbin
You can blow away your /usr/local and start from a new ports tree and build it all back up without adversely affecting the system.
Everything system related is in /bin, /sbin, /usr/bin, /usr/sbin depending on whether it needs to be accessible when the system has just / mounted or when /usr is mounted as well.
So in single user mode with just / mounted you have access to various different utilities. Mount /usr and you can expand upon that.
Back in the old days when FreeBSD required perl in its base system switching to a newer version didn't break any of the base system tools (or maybe I just never noticed).
You can blow away your /usr/local and start from a new ports tree and build it all back up without adversely affecting the system.
Everything system related is in /bin, /sbin, /usr/bin, /usr/sbin depending on whether it needs to be accessible when the system has just / mounted or when /usr is mounted as well.
So in single user mode with just / mounted you have access to various different utilities. Mount /usr and you can expand upon that.
Back in the old days when FreeBSD required perl in its base system switching to a newer version didn't break any of the base system tools (or maybe I just never noticed).
There is something nice about a layout that is properly documented and makes sense: http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?query=hier&apropos=0&...