YPM - your package manager

PROJECT GOALS:

• cross platform
• cross language
• binary distribution support
• open source database containing recipes
• install from github/bitbucket like sites if they ship build/install recipes
• serve all distributions by providing the data they need: Information about how to install projects
• allowing you to choose your own balance between beeing bleeding edge and stable and which to optimize: Estimated build/download time or being closer to your preferred set of most stable/up to date packages.
• clearly separate build from runtime dependencies. Thus replacing a library in between will only cause some reconfiguration, but no full rebuilds. Obviously this "might" brake for some combinations but very often it just works and is fastest.

SAMPLE USAGE

This shell example shows how it'll look like installing a python project called A, a Ruby project called B and so on:

# Note how packages get simply prefixed by language file extension
$ ypm i[nstall] py-A rb-B hs-C java-D js-E ml-F scala-G

  ypm: You haven't setup a configuration file yet.
  May I assume you want
    * to use latest versions unless there are known bugs or security issues
    * you trust the global package database
  [Y]/n
  .. thanks .. installing ..
  downloads: 200 MB of source
  downloads: 180 MB of prebuild binaries
  estimated execution time: 40 min
  ... build/download logs

Sample shell session installing from github like repositories:

$ # assuming package has sane package description in its repository
$ ypm install github:user/package

Starting to hack on an arbitrary project:

$ # this will checkout sources, provide utilities, whatever you need to get
$ # started hacking on a project:
$ ypm hack-on "package-foo"

How to configure the solver?

$ export YPM=SOLVER_CONFIG=file:PROFILE=~/ypm-profile:PACKAGE_POOL=A:PACKAGE_POOL=B

where A,B can be the open source package database run by YPM project.

LANGUAGE PROGRESS

• C (planning)
• C++ (planning) details
• lua (planning) details
• Ruby (planning)
• PHP (planning)
• Haskell (planning)
• Perl (planning)
• Python (planning)
• FreePascal (planning)
• NodeJS (planning)
• Java (planning)
• Scala (planning)
• TCL (planning)
• Erlang (planning)
• Rust (planning)
• Ocaml (planning)
• D (planning)
• Fortran (planning)
• urweb (planning)
• Elisp (Emacs extensions) (planning)
• Lisp (planning)
• VimL (Vim plugins) (planning)
• mono (planning, no idea how much work this would be yet)

Which language do you think is missing?

TEST CASES (SOFTWARE TO INSTALL)

{ package: "YPM"; description = "this package manager"; }
{ package: "c-Vim"; description = "my favorite editor allowing to enable python/ruby/lisp/... support"; }
{ package: "Vim-and-YouCompleteMe"; description = "Vim along with YouCompleteMe extension using Py interface interfacing with C extensions"; }
{ package: "elips-Emacs"; description = "favorite editor written in Elisp and C"; }
{ package: "c-Qgis"; description = "advanced cross platform C++ application"; }
{ package: "rb-rails"; description = "favorite ruby web system"; }
{ package: "py-plone"; description = "favorite Python web system"; }
{ package: "hs-Yi"; description = "Haskell editor which can reconfigure itself at runtime"; }
{ package: "ps-Lazarus"; description = "Free Pascal IDE"; }
{ package: "c-git"; description = "C/Perl/.. common version control system also used by github"; }
{ package: "js-etherpad"; description = "nodejs collaborative editing software with dependencies"; }
{ package: "haxe-openfl"; description = "cross platform gaming dev environment. Requires Ocaml (to build haxe) and haxe to build libraries"; }

Which ones do you want me to work on?

PLATFORMS WHICH WILL BE SUPPROTED

• linux
• OSX/Darwin
• cygwin (thus Windows)
• mingw ?
• FreeBSD/OpenBSD

NEXT STEPS

• describe package recipe format
• prototype implementation
• make test cases work
• think about what is next

PROGESS / TIMELINE

I'm working on this project in my spare time only. Sorry, no timeline yet. Donate to change this, see next section

SUPPORT THIS PROJECT

• By donating to bounty source fundraiser
• By telling me in which alternative way you want to support such as coding, testing, reviewing documentation
• By telling me which software to support first

MY BACKGROUND

I've been coding for 15 years. Years ago I switched to linux (gentoo), then to nixos.org always reaching for the best platform to use. Yet I didn't find it.

BACKENDS

• Nix (my current favorite package distribution system serving cygwin, darwin, linux and people are working hard to optimize the BSD systems)
• a newly written one making home installs painless