Re: Binary packages on NetBSD: Importing pkg(8) from FreeBSD?

[Oz Nahum Tiram <nahumoz%gmail.com@localhost>]

A similiar effort is already being done.

Checkout http://pkgin.net/.

I have been using it for a while on MacOSX. I like it very much.
It lacks some features of tools like apt or aptitude in Debian, but
all in all it's great.

Cheers,

Oz

On Tue, Oct 14, 2014 at 8:30 AM, Marc Balmer <marc%msys.ch@localhost> wrote:
> FreeBSD has now by default pkg(8) (formerly called pkgng) as the default manager for _binary_ packages.  It replaces the old pkg_* tools.  pkg(8) is a manager for binary packages _only_; to produce the binary packages the FreeBSD ports system is used almost unaltered.  pkg(8) has been designed to be a modern binary package manager that can among other things properly deal with update situations, properly resolve dependencies and in general allows systems to be managed with binary packages easily.
>
> pkg(8) is not part of the base system, the base system only contains a way to bootstrap pkg(8).  pkg(8) itself resides in the FreeBSD ports tree.
>
> I think pkg(8) would be a good thing for NetBSD to have, too.  pkg(8) is properly designed and allows for different binary package formats (at least in theory), so it could probably be feasible to add a pkg(8) backend that handles binary packages produced using pkgsrc.
>
> afaict, the following steps would be needed:
>
> - Tell the upstream developers about our plans (the pkgsrc backend should become part of the upstream code, if possible)
> - Import the pkg(8) bootstrap mechanism into NetBSD base (src/external).
> - Extend pkg(8) to deal with pkgsrc-produced binary packages.
> - Import pkg(8) into pkgsrc.
> - Coordinate local changes with the upstream developers.
>
> As pkg(8) "only" deals with binary packages, this would be complimentary to the existing pkg_* tools that come with pkgsrc, i.e. it's use would be optional.
>
> Is anyone besides me interested in such work and would be able/willing to spend some amount of time on this?
>
> - mbalmer
>