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Nim (programming language) VS pkgsrc

Compare Nim (programming language) VS pkgsrc and see what are their differences

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Nim (programming language) logo Nim (programming language)

The Nim programming language is a concise, fast programming language that compiles to C, C++ and JavaScript.

pkgsrc logo pkgsrc

pkgsrc is a framework for building over 17,000 open source software packages.
  • Nim (programming language) Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-07-31
  • pkgsrc Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-30

Nim (programming language) features and specs

  • Performance
    Nim compiles to C, C++, or JavaScript, which can offer performance close to languages like C and C++. This makes it suitable for high-performance applications.
  • Expressive Syntax
    Nim offers a clean and expressive syntax that is inspired by Python, making it relatively easy to write and read code, which can speed up development.
  • Metaprogramming
    Nim supports powerful metaprogramming features such as macros and templates, which allow for more flexible and reusable code.
  • Memory Management
    Nim gives developers control over memory management while also providing an efficient garbage collector, effectively balancing manual and automatic memory management.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    Nim can compile code for various platforms, including Windows, macOS, and Linux, as well as the web through JavaScript.
  • Interoperability
    Nim has excellent interoperability with C and C++ code, making it easier to incorporate existing libraries and gain performance benefits.

Possible disadvantages of Nim (programming language)

  • Smaller Community
    Compared to more established languages like Python or JavaScript, Nim has a smaller community, which can lead to fewer resources, libraries, and third-party support.
  • Ecosystem Maturity
    While Nim is growing, its ecosystem is not as mature as some other languages. This can mean fewer libraries, tools, and frameworks for various tasks.
  • Learning Curve
    Despite its expressive syntax, Nim has unique features and paradigms that can present a learning curve for new developers, especially those coming from more mainstream languages.
  • Less Corporate Backing
    Nim does not have as much corporate support or adoption compared to other languages like Go or Rust, which could influence its long-term viability and industry adoption.
  • Compiler Bugs
    As a relatively young language, Nim's compiler may still have some bugs or less polished features compared to more established languages.

pkgsrc features and specs

  • Cross-Platform Support
    pkgsrc is designed to be a portable package management system and can be used on a variety of Unix-like operating systems, including NetBSD, Solaris, Linux, and macOS. This cross-platform capability makes it a versatile tool for developers working in diverse environments.
  • Consistency Across Systems
    Using pkgsrc allows for a consistent package management experience regardless of the underlying operating system, reducing the learning curve and maintenance overhead for administrators managing multiple systems.
  • Comprehensive Package Collection
    pkgsrc offers a wide range of software packages, providing a robust collection that can meet diverse user needs from scientific libraries to web applications.
  • Quarterly Releases
    With quarterly releases, pkgsrc provides a balanced approach between stability and keeping software up to date, offering users new features regularly while maintaining reliability.
  • Flexible Build Options
    pkgsrc supports a flexible build system, allowing users to customize package builds with specific options or dependencies, tailored to their specific needs or system requirements.

Possible disadvantages of pkgsrc

  • Smaller Community
    Compared to other popular package management systems like apt (Debian/Ubuntu) or yum (RedHat/CentOS), pkgsrc has a relatively smaller community, which might affect the availability of support and community-driven improvements.
  • Potentially Older Software
    While pkgsrc maintains stable quarterly releases, it may occasionally lag behind other systems in terms of offering the very latest versions of certain software, which might not be ideal for users needing the newest features.
  • Manual Configuration
    Setting up pkgsrc might require manual interventions and configurations, which could pose a hurdle for users unfamiliar with its setup process or those who prefer more automated solutions.
  • Dependency Management
    Although pkgsrc is quite capable in dependency handling, some users may find its dependency resolution to be less automatic or seamless compared to other systems which offer more integrated solutions.
  • Performance Overhead
    Because it is designed to be cross-platform, there can be some performance overhead associated with using pkgsrc compared to native package managers that are optimized for specific operating systems.

Nim (programming language) videos

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pkgsrc videos

pkgsrc on ChromeOS

More videos:

  • Review - Using pkgsrc for multi-platform deployments in heterogeneous environments, G Clifford Williams

Category Popularity

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Programming Language
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Developer Tools
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Generic Programming Language
Package Manager
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User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Nim (programming language) seems to be a lot more popular than pkgsrc. While we know about 163 links to Nim (programming language), we've tracked only 11 mentions of pkgsrc. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Nim (programming language) mentions (163)

  • Zig: Build System Reworked
    That's actually a great argument for Nim[0]. Easy interop with C, native-speed performance, and a syntax very close to Python in both readability and how quickly you can get something working. Batteries included, automatic memory management without a conventional GC and metaprogramming - is a really cool combination. [0] - https://nim-lang.org/. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month ago
  • Go-legacy-winxp: Compile Golang 1.24 code for Windows XP
    Coincidentally, just a few days ago, I tried to run Nim[0] on Windows XP as an experiment. And to my surprise, the latest 32-bit release of Nim simply works out the box. But Nim compiles to C, so I also needed C compiler and all modern versions of mingw failed to launch. After some time I managed to find very old Mingw (gcc 4.7.1) that have finally worked [0]. [0] - https://nim-lang.org/ [1] -... - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago
  • Go Away Python
    You can replace Python with Nim. It checks literally all your marks (expressive, fast, compiled, strong-typing). It's as concise as Python, and IMO, Nim syntax is even more flexible. https://nim-lang.org. - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago
  • Go Away Python
    Have you tried Nim? Strong and static typed, versatile, compiles down to native code vรญa C, interops with C trivially, has macros and stuff to twist your brain if you're into that, and is trivially easy to get into. https://nim-lang.org. - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago
  • Use Python for Scripting
    If a script is simple - I use posix sh + awk, sed, etc. But if a script I write needs to use arrays, sets, hashtable or processes many files - I use Nim[0]. It's a compiled systems-programming language that feels like a scripting language: - Nim is easy to write and reads almost like a pseudocode. - Nim is very portable language, runs almost anywhere C can run (both compiler and programs). - `nim r script.nim` to... - Source: Hacker News / 7 months ago
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pkgsrc mentions (11)

  • Debian isn't waiting for 2038 to blow up, switches to 64-bit time for everything
    > Most open source software packages are also compiled for BSD variants, they switched to 64 bit time_t a long time ago and reported back upstream any problems. * NetBSD in 2012: https://www.netbsd.org/releases/formal-6/NetBSD-6.0.html * OpenBSD in 2014: http://www.openbsd.org/55.html For packaging, NetBSD uses their (multi-platform) Pkgsrc, which has 29,000 packages, which probably covers a large swath of... - Source: Hacker News / 11 months ago
  • Our Audit of Homebrew
    > https://pkgsrc.smartos.org/install-on-macos/ Note that Pkgsrc is a NetBSD-derived project. * https://pkgsrc.org The Joyent folks leveraged it to allow their customers, who were perhaps not as familiar with Solaris/SmartOS, a larger pool of packages. Pkgsrc was running on Solaris before Joyent, Joyent built on top of it. - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • Show HN: Brioche โ€“ A new Nix-like package manager
    Https://pkgsrc.org/ from netbsd runs on many systems. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
  • Installing packages without an internet connection?
    It seems according to pkgsrc.org that pkgin might follow the PKG_PATH environment variable. You're supposed to set PKG_PATH="http://cdn.NetBSD.org/pub/pkgsrc/packages/NetBSD/$(uname -p)/$(uname -r|cut -f '1 2' -d.)/All/", and according to uname(1), -p gives the processor architecture and -r gives the operating system [kernel] release. Source: over 3 years ago
  • pkgsrc.se is no more :(
    It seems like pkgsrc.org hasnโ€™t got the news yet. Source: over 3 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Nim (programming language) and pkgsrc, you can also consider the following products

Crystal (programming language) - Programming language with Ruby-like syntax that compiles to efficient native code.

Conda - Binary package manager with support for environments.

Go Programming Language - Go, also called golang, is a programming language initially developed at Google in 2007 by Robert...

Homebrew - The missing package manager for macOS

D (Programming Language) - D is a language with C-like syntax and static typing.

Yay - Yay is an AUR helper written in go, based on the design of yaourt, apacman and pacaur.