pkgcore
pkgcore is an alternative package manager for Gentoo that aims for high performance, extensibility, and a clean design. Written in Python, pkgcore provides an alternative to Portage's emerge command while also subsuming most of the functionality of the eix and eselect repository repository management tools.
pkgcore is still experimental and care should be taken when updating a system
Installation
Emerge
Use the following emerge command to install the sys-apps/pkgcore package:
root #emerge --ask sys-apps/pkgcoreConfiguration
If there is no specific pkgcore configuration (that is /etc/pkgcore.conf or ~/.pkgcore.conf), it reads the Portage configuration and converts it transparently for use. For a detailed explanation of how the pkgcore specific configuration works see Pkgcore/Configuration.
When pkgcore is working in Portage compatibility mode, if /etc/portage/repos.conf is defined without mentioning the gentoo repository, which Portage can infer, pkgcore will fail. Refer to Troubleshooting pkgcheck to move the gentoo repository's definition to Portage's repos.conf.
Usage
Updating the system
For synchronizing the local copies of the Portage tree and any overlays the pmaint utility is used. Then pmerge is invoked to update all packages and clean superfluous packages.
root #pmaint sync
root #pmerge --ask --upgrade --deep --newuse
root #pmerge --ask --clean --with-bdeps
Searching for a package
To search for a package use the pquery program:
user $pquery -nv <query>For example, to find some audio software for encoding ogg files, one may use the following to find media-sound/vorbis-tools.
user $pquery -nv --description ogg 'media-sound/*'Note the quotes around the extended atom to protect from expansion by the shell.
Installing a package
A package can be installed with pmerge:
root #pmerge --ask --verbose <atoms>In our example this would be the following:
root #pmerge --ask --verbose media-sound/vorbis-toolspmerge is intended to be compatible with Portage. It should be possible to use both emerge and pmerge on the same system.
Removal
root #emerge --ask --depclean --verbose sys-apps/pkgcoreSee also
- Portage — the official package manager and distribution system for Gentoo.
- Paludis — a multi-format package manager and an alternative to Portage.