The race for a universal package manager
Package Deal
We look at four contenders that want to become the Linux universal package manager, although the reality is still on the horizon.
So far, 2016 is likely to be remembered as the year in which universal package managers were debated. With the announcement of Ubuntu's Snappy packages, followed quickly by Fedora's and Red Hat's release of its Flatpak format, the race is on for a method of software installation that will work on any distribution and make .deb, .rpm, and the rest footnotes in Linux history.
Advocates of a universal package manager claim that it will make software installation more efficient by eliminating dependency problems. Additionally, many candidates include extra security and extra features, such as package installation by ordinary users for their own use. However, whether any improvements will result is questionable. Debian developers in particular insist the way to eliminate software installation problems lies in enforcing a strict package structure, as described in the Debian Policy Manual [1].
In fact, Josh Triplett, a long-time Debian contributor, went so far as to suggest that Debian's reputation is a consequence of the Debian Policy, and not the .deb format. According to Triplett, "Debian without the .deb format would still be Debian; Debian without [the] Debian Policy would just be Sourceforge or Rpmfind," and nothing more than a random collection of software [2].
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
AerynOS Alpha Release Available
With a choice of several desktop environments, AerynOS 2025.08 is almost ready to be your next operating system.
-
AUR Repository Still Under DDoS Attack
Arch User Repository continues to be under a DDoS attack that has been going on for more than two weeks.
-
RingReaper Malware Poses Danger to Linux Systems
A new kind of malware exploits modern Linux kernels for I/O operations.
-
Happy Birthday, Linux
On August 25, Linux officially turns 34.
-
VirtualBox 7.2 Has Arrived
With early support for Linux kernel 6.17 and other new additions, VirtualBox 7.2 is a must-update for users.
-
Linux Mint 22.2 Beta Available for Testing
Some interesting new additions and improvements are coming to Linux Mint. Check out the Linux Mint 22.2 Beta to give it a test run.
-
Debian 13.0 Officially Released
After two years of development, the latest iteration of Debian is now available with plenty of under-the-hood improvements.
-
Upcoming Changes for MXLinux
MXLinux 25 has plenty in store to please all types of users.
-
A New Linux AI Assistant in Town
Newelle, a Linux AI assistant, works with different LLMs and includes document parsing and profiles.
-
Linux Kernel 6.16 Released with Minor Fixes
The latest Linux kernel doesn't really include any big-ticket features, just a lot of lines of code.