Portsnap can be a useful tool when updating your FreeBSD Ports Collection.
To install portsnap:
AS ROOT:
# cd /usr/ports/sysutils/portsnap
# make
# make install
If these operations run successfully you can now run portsnap.
As root, perform this command:
# portsnap fetch
Portsnap will then retrieve the latest version of the Ports tree metadata.
NOTE: The first time you run portsnap, YOU MUST ALSO ISSUE THIS COMMAND:
# portsnap extract
This causes the ports tree to be handed over to portsnap for a smooth update. You will only need to do this the first time you run portsnap.
Then, to actually perform the update, issue this command:
# portsnap update
Once that is finished you will have the latest snapshot of the Ports Collection.