Audience
Users interested in a solution for managing third-party software on UNIX-like systems
About pkgsrc
pkgsrc is a framework for managing third-party software on UNIX-like systems, currently containing over 17,900 packages. It is the default package manager of NetBSD and SmartOS and can be used to enable freely available software to be built easily on a large number of other UNIX-like platforms. The binary packages that are produced by pkgsrc can be used without having to compile anything from the source. It can be easily used to complement the software on an existing system. pkgsrc is very versatile and configurable, supporting building packages for an arbitrary installation prefix, allowing multiple branches to coexist on one machine, a build options framework, and a compiler transformation framework, among other advanced features. Unprivileged use and installation are also supported. NetBSD already contains the necessary tools for using pkgsrc; on other platforms, you need to bootstrap pkgsrc to get the package management tools installed.
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The missing package manager for macOS (or Linux). The script explains what it will do and then pauses before it does it. Homebrew installs the stuff you need that Apple (or your Linux system) didn’t. Homebrew installs packages to their own directory and then symlinks their files into /usr/local (on macOS Intel). Homebrew won’t install files outside its prefix and you can place a Homebrew installation wherever you like. Trivially create your own Homebrew packages. It’s all Git and Ruby underneath, so hack away with the knowledge that you can easily revert your modifications and merge upstream updates. Homebrew formulae are simple Ruby scripts. Homebrew complements macOS (or your Linux system). Install your RubyGems with gem and their dependencies with brew. Homebrew Cask installs macOS apps, fonts and plugins and other non-open source software. Making a cask is as simple as creating a formula.
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NetBSD
NetBSD is a free, fast, secure, and highly portable Unix-like Open Source operating system. It is available for a wide range of platforms, from large-scale servers and powerful desktop systems to handheld and embedded devices. NetBSD was originally released in 1993. Over time, its code has found its way into many surprising environments, on the basis of a long history of quality, cleanliness, and stability. The NetBSD code was originally derived from 4.4BSD Lite2 from the University of California, Berkeley. NetBSD is an entirely free and open-source UNIX-like operating system developed by an international community. It isn't a "distribution" or variant but has evolved over several decades to be a complete and unique operating system in the BSD family. NetBSD users enjoy a simple, well-documented, and fully integrated UNIX-like system that feels minimal, and in many ways traditional, while including many modern and interesting features, and support for recent hardware.
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Rudix
Rudix is a build system target on macOS (formerly known as Mac OS X) with minor support to OpenBSD, FreeBSD, NetBSD, and Linux. The build system (also called "ports") provides step-by-step instructions for building third-party software, entirely from source code. Rudix provides more than a pure ports framework, it comes with packages, and precompiled software bundled up in a nice format (files *.pkg) for easy installation on your Mac. If you want to collaborate on the project, visit us at GitHub/rudix-mac or at our mirror at GitLab/rudix. Use the GitHub issue tracker to submit bugs or request features. Similar projects or alternatives to Rudix are Fink, MacPorts, pkgsrc, and Homebrew. Packages are compiled and tested on macOS Big Sur (Version 11, Intel only!), Catalina (Version 10.15) and OS X El Capitan (Version 10.11). Every package is self-contained and has everything it needs to work. The binaries, libraries, and documentation will be installed under /usr/local/.
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Fink
The Fink project wants to bring the full world of Unix open source software to Darwin and Mac OS X. We modify Unix software so that it compiles and runs on Mac OS X ("port" it) and make it available for download as a coherent distribution. Fink uses Debian tools like dpkg and apt-get to provide powerful binary package management. You can choose whether you want to download precompiled binary packages or build everything from source. The project offers precompiled binary packages as well as a fully automated build-from-source system. Mac OS X includes only a basic set of command-line tools. Fink brings you enhancements for these tools as well as a selection of graphical applications developed for Linux and other Unix variants. With Fink the compile process is fully automated; you'll never have to worry about Makefiles or configure scripts and their parameters again. The dependency system automatically takes care that all required libraries are present.
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Pricing
Starting Price:
Free
Free Version:
Free Version available.
Integrations
Company Information
pkgsrc
United States
www.pkgsrc.org
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