How to Install or Upgrade pkg-cli: an 'Apt-like' Package Manager

[mikeslr]

Before you panic, I don’t really consider it a “cli” since the ‘help’ command presents arguments so that I don’t have to memorize them. Just open a 2nd terminal so that you can read the argument format in one while entering/editing them to your needs in the other. Maybe cut & paste will also work.
There are also two GUIs. Remember that I’m new to this in evaluating my impression that these may not offer as many options a running pkg-cli from the command line.

Pkg-cli is an invaluable tool for obtaining applications or –as is often my situation-- just those dependencies which may be lacking on your system in order for an application to (fully) function. You can find its thread here, https://oldforum.puppylinux.com/viewtop ... 112927&i=1 together with a link to its latest version.

Edit: After I referred to this post, 666philb brought to my attention that git is included in every recent Puppy's devx.sfs. So, rather than the following the instructions I've now placed in bracekets [ ], obtain the devx.sfs for your Puppy [if yours has Quickpet, it will be available from the Useful panel] and sfs-load it when necessary.

[In order to use or update pkg-cli, you may have to use Puppy Package Manager to install git and its dependencies. Under bionicpup64, these were git_2.17.1-1ubuntu0.7_amd64.deb, git-man_2.17.1- 1ubuntu0.7_amd64.deb and liberror-perl_0.17025-1_all.deb. Your system may require something else.

To find out if pkg-cli is already on your system, and especially whether you can update to the latest version, open a terminal and type, code: pkg –help.

Two ‘dashes’ precede ‘help’. You monitor should display something similar to the section on the above web-page following the bold “Help info:” Scroll until you see it. [Similar as since that post there have been some revisions].

When the terminal returned "pkg --not found" or something to that effect, I knew there was a problem.] Without git, you can not install the latest version of pkg-cli: that is you can not execute the following command given on the above web-page: "(extract then run 'installer.sh)."

I can’t do better than its creator in explaining how pkg-cli works. Again, see the above web-page. However, there is one thing I will mention: when using pkg-cli from the command-line –i.e. open a terminal-- the command
pkg get-only PKGNAME
will download dependencies revealed by using listDD. I used this routine to obtain the dependencies my system required to run an AppImage. [Decompressed the AppImage with Uextract in order to access the binary].
Perhaps
 deps|e PKGNAME            install dependencies of matching package
 deps-download|ed          PKGNAME   only download dependencies, no install

will do the same or similar without having to first examine the binary under ListDD. [I’ve just started exploring pkg-cli. Those familiar with apt or similar package-managers may face less of a learning curve]. But between the information on the above thread and the README.md in the latest pkg-cli package you should be able to figure out how to make use of pkg-cli.

[mikeslr]

See the above post for the official way. Loading your puppy's devx.sfs is required which also means that you may first have to download that SFS. And I'm not sure it will work if you've swapped kernels. Later --unless you have some other need for devx.sfs you'll have to sfs-(un)load it. All to obtain the setup files sc0ttman last updated about three years ago. And, as yet, sc0ttman hasn't made an appearance on the 'new Forum'.
pkg-cli and the setup files are 'no-arch': will run under most* Puppys whether they are 32-or-64 bit. So, once you've downloaded the setup files you don't have to do that again; nor load/unload any devx.sfs.
The attached pet will avoid all that. It provides sc0ttman's last published version and creates menu entries in the Menu>Setup Category. AFAICT, it is fully functional. But look for and read any post following this one. Those who actually know what they are doing may have discovered some flaws.

pkg-1.9.22-noarch.pet

(160.41 KiB) Downloaded 151 times

Reading the thread on 'the old forum' is still highly recommended.
-=-=-=-=--
*One of the GUIs sc0ttman provided --AFAICT, as an alternative to XPKdialog-- requires ncurses. Puppys binary-compatible with Void-Linux do not have ncurses installed. Hence, that GUI isn't functional under them OOTB. I don't know if void-puppies will even support ncurses

[rockedge]

I don't know if void-puppies will even support ncurses

I think VoidPups can support ncurses. I have it installed in all of the WDL and KLV builds constructed recently.

Code: Select all

xbps-install -Sy ncurses

[wiak]

I think VoidPups can support ncurses.

Yes, of course Void supports ncurses! Also worth install vpm frontend to xbps (as peebee does). vpn makes commandline installation of Void packages really easy (and has advantage of also telling what xbps command it used underneath). So with vpm, installing ncurses was a simple matter of:

Code: Select all

vpm i ncurses

refer to vpm --help

But I am pretty sure peebee included ncurses and also important ncurses-base in voidpup32

But this thread is about pkg-cli aside from the mikeslr erroneus comment about Void ncurses capability... I think it is very important to double-check negative reports about other distros/package-managers before making them or we are all going to get confused and make decisions accordingly.

[mikeslr]

Thanks for the correction. My exploration of vpup had been using an early version. I wrote "Puppys binary-compatible with Void-Linux do not have ncurses installed. Hence, that GUI isn't functional under them OOTB. I don't know if void-puppies will even support ncurses." Emphasis supplied. Not "Void can't support ncurses."
The statement was about my lack, not Voids.
The real question I had was whether I screwed-up constructing the pet.