PackageKit

Infobox Software
name = PackageKit



caption = "gnome-packagekit", a front-end for PackageKit, running on Fedora
collapsible =
author =
developer = Richard Hughes
released =
latest release version = 0.3.3
latest release date = release date and age|2008|09|16
latest preview version =
latest preview date =
frequently updated =
programming language =
operating system = Linux
platform =
size =
language =
status =
genre = Package management system
license = GPL
website = [http://www.packagekit.org/ www.packagekit.org]

PackageKit is a 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.

History

PackageKit was created by Richard Hughes and first proposed in a series of blog posts in 2007, and is now developed by a small team of developers. Fedora 9 is the first operating system to use it as default front end for yum.

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 trivially interact with PackageKit. [citeweb|title=PackageKit Reference Manual|url=http://www.packagekit.org/gtk-doc/PkClient.html|publisher=packagekit.org|accessdate=2008-03-25]

Features include:
* Installing local files, ServicePack media and from remote sources.
* Authentication using PolicyKit
* Does not replace existing packaging tools
* Multi-user system aware – will not allow shutdown in critical parts of the transaction
* A system activated daemon so exits when not in use

Backends

A number of different package management systems (known as backends) support different abstract methods and signals that are used by the front-end tools. [citeweb|title=Frequently asked questions|url=http://www.packagekit.org/pk-faq.html#how-complete|publisher=packagekit.org|accessdate=2008-03-25] Backends supported include Advanced Packaging Tool, alpm, box, Conary, opkg, PiSi, poldek, Smart Package Manager, Yellow dog Updater, Modified and zypp.

Frontends

There are already three collection of software application front ends for PackageKit:
* console to be used without graphical environment.
* gnome-packagekit to be used in the GNOME desktop.
* kpackagekit to be used in the KDE desktop.

See also

* Adept Package Manager
* KPackage
* Smart Package Manager

References