PackageKit
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This article relies on references to primary sources. (September 2011) |
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 gnome-packagekit, a front-end for PackageKit, running on Fedora |
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| Developer(s) | Richard Hughes |
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| Stable release | 0.8.7 (2013-01-16) [±] |
| Development status | Active |
| Written in | C, C++, Python |
| Operating system | Linux |
| Type | Package management system |
| License | GNU General Public License |
| Website | www.packagekit.org |
PackageKit is an open source and free suite of software applications designed to provide a consistent and high-level front end for a number of different package management systems. PackageKit was created by Richard Hughes.
The suite is ostensibly cross-platform, though it is primarily targeted at Linux distributions which follow the interoperability standards set out by the freedesktop.org group. It uses the software libraries provided by the D-Bus and PolicyKit projects to handle inter-process communication and computer privilege negotiation.
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[edit] History
PackageKit was created by Richard Hughes and first proposed in a series of blog posts in 2007,[1][2] and is now developed by a small team of developers. Fedora 9 was the first operating system to use it as default front end for yum. It underwent many updates in Fedora 10 and Fedora 11.
[edit] Design
PackageKit itself is a system-activated daemon called packagekitd, that abstracts out differences between the different systems. A library called libpackagekit also allows other programs to interact with PackageKit.[4]
Features include:
- Installing local files, ServicePack media and from remote sources.
- Authorization using PolicyKit.
- Does not replace existing packaging tools.
- Multi-user system aware – it will not allow shutdown in critical parts of the transaction.
- A system activated daemon so exits when not in use.
[edit] Front-ends
There are three front-ends for PackageKit:
- gnome-packagekit for use in the GNOME desktop.
- Apper for use in the KDE desktop.
- pkcon for use on the command line.
[edit] Back-ends
A number of different package management systems (known as back-ends) support different abstract methods and signals that are used by the front-end tools.[5] Back-ends supported include:
- Advanced Packaging Tool (APT)
- Arch Linux Package Management (ALPM)
- box
- Conary
- Sabayon Linux's Entropy
- Opkg
- PiSi
- poldek
- Portage
- razor
- Smart Package Manager
- YUM
- ZYpp
- urpmi
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "Installing and Updating Software Blows Goats". Richard Hughes. Retrieved 18 January 2011.
- ^ "Robert Hughes' blog posts about PackageKit". Richard Hughes. Retrieved 18 January 2011.
- ^ "KpackageKit: future of package managers on your desktop". polishlinux.org. Retrieved 10 July 2009.
- ^ "PackageKit Reference Manual". packagekit.org. Retrieved 10 July 2009.
- ^ "Frequently asked questions". packagekit.org. Retrieved 10 July 2009.
[edit] External links
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