Tukaani pkgtools in action
pkgtool
01: The main menu
The main menu is shown when pkgtool is started with no command line options. It allows easy access to all important package management features. Note especially the QuickUpdate, which is a quick way to check for availability of security updates.
02: Adding a new repository
Tukaani pkgtools support multiple repositories. When adding a new package source, pkgtool first prompts for a repository name.
03: Adding a new repository source
pkgtool contains a list of most popular repostories and their mirros. Alternatively you can type in a custom URL or pathname. To create your own repositories you can use a utility called makerepo, which is a part of the Tukaani pkgtools.
04: Menu of the package repositories
From this menu you can open a repository for browsing and also add, edit and delete repositories. Deleting a repository is done using the Edit button.
05: Selecting the package list filter
One repository usually contains hundreds of packages. Usually you are looking for updates for packages already installed or completely new package you do not have installed yet. Or would like to try a new audio player? Try CustomDesc and type audio and you will be shown a list of package whose description contain the word audio.
06: The diskset view
The official Slackware package tree (and other repositories having similar package tree such as Tukaani) are automatically split in disksets to make browsing the package list easier.
07: Browsing the disk set XAP: The package browser
On the right side is shown which version is currently installed. The bottom line shows the first line of the package description (usually name and short description) and package compressed and uncompressed (installed) size.
08: Viewing detailed package information
Pressing the Details button in the package browser shows the package description and other information related to the selected package. And, by the way, the Tukaani installation program uses pkgtool's package browser, thus allowing both newbies and experts to view the package descriptions when selecting packages to be installed.
09: Actions menu
After selecting the packages, you press the Actions button. From there you can choose to install or download the packages you have selected, or update the package database, which means download fresh PACKAGES.TXT and CHECKSUMS.md5 files. The downloaded packages are stored to the package cache directory which is /var/cache/packages by default. (The same directory is used by slackpkg.)
10: Downloading a package
At the top left corner there's a counter showing the package number and total amount of packages selected. Below the package name is the description following download progress information printed by wget.
11: Installation complete
Summary of installed packages lists the new *.new files, which should be checked by the administrator.
12: Using custom filter
Linuxpackages.net repository filtered with CustomDesc (see screenshot number 5) using "vorbis" as a search string.
13: Remove menu has a Details button
Now you can view the package descriptions and filelists while selecting packages for removing. Well, this has been in other distributions for ages, better late than never. ;-)
14: Command line arguments of pkgtool
Sometimes command line is more comfortable than menus. Almost all the features of pkgtool are also available as non-interactive commands which can be useful e.g. when pkgtool is called from other scripts.
15: Using pkgtool in command line mode
The user has first updated the package database of the repostory called Audioslack. Then he has listed what updated packages there are available.
Other screenshots
16: viewpkg
Most Slackers know that package contents can be easily viewed using "tar tzf" or "less". viewpkg is an additional tool for the job showing a bit more information. It supports many command line options with which you can customize the output suitable to your needs.
17: makepkg
Sometimes improvements in small details make things nicer. Look at the confirmation prompts. The user has pressed just enter on both as he had liked to use the defaults shown in brackets.
18: upgradepkg
upgradepkg has had some cosmetical changes. The package count is shown in a similar way as it is in pkgtool (see screenshots 10 and 11). Also the package description is now printed in an ASCII "frame" without the leading package name which makes even the widest package descriptions print tidily.