Welcome to the "Keep It Simple: Package Manager", a simple package management standard and implementation coming to ask a simple question. Does package management have to be this complex? On all fronts, the answer is no. This project aims to prove that all package mananagers need are a simple set of scripts. We designed the whole system to be as simple, easy, and quick as possible. Current package managers for Linux and BSD are more complicated than they have to be. Building a package on most systems require complex build scripts, insane and idiotic files and designs, unneeded complexity. FreeBSD's package manager is the best to describe how even in most best case scenarios in package management, it's way too complicated.
FreeBSD, you build a port, add it to the rest of the ports, then done. However, it takes 3 or more files, one of them is a Makefile which have irritating syntax, they require the code in an external place anyways, you probably need a couple other weird files, and the make file adds insult to injury by having a dependency Makefile to be linked in order to work! Plus, the work for the FreeBSD devs to get those ports as packages is difficult, and hosting your own package manager source is not really too easy. And remember, FreeBSD has a better package management build system.
The question to answer to "Can we make package management simple?" is yes. Welcome to KISPM. While KISPM is not much more than an experiment, even going as far as to not bother with makesums like every other package manager, it does work.
Design
Making a KISPM file is as easy as writing the commands to compile your script in the first place. Here is the list of design choices made to make KISPM easy:
- There are only two required files,
manifest.kis
andbuild.kis
. - Running a repository is simple as possible. It will be in the Repo Documentation.
- Making a build script is essentially making a shell script. Read
build.kis
Documentation. - Both
manifest.kis
andbuild.kis
are available specifically tools for repo owners. - Install commands are easy to read and understand.
- Adding a new repo is simple, read Getting Started.
Purpose
Here are the four goals of the KISPM project.
- Make things simple for developers.
- Make repo hosting simple.
- Make it accessable.
- Keep It Simple, Stupid.
To Note
The KISPM project is a work-in-progress standardization package manager project by the Potabi Foundation.