Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

pkgsrc VS NumPad

Compare pkgsrc VS NumPad and see what are their differences

pkgsrc logo pkgsrc

pkgsrc is a framework for building over 17,000 open source software packages.

NumPad logo NumPad

A web-based text editor with a powerful built-in calculator
  • pkgsrc Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-30
  • NumPad Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-02-09

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.

NumPad features and specs

  • Enhanced Productivity
    NumPad offers customizable shortcut keys that can speed up data entry and enhance productivity for users who frequently input numerical data.
  • Ergonomic Design
    The design of NumPad is likely ergonomic, catering to comfort during prolonged use and reducing strain on hands and wrists.
  • Wide Compatibility
    NumPad is compatible with various devices and operating systems, making it versatile for different users across multiple platforms.
  • Portability
    Being a standalone device, NumPad is portable and can easily be used with laptops and devices lacking a built-in numeric keypad.

Possible disadvantages of NumPad

  • Additional Cost
    Purchasing a NumPad can be an additional expense, especially for users who already have a keyboard with a built-in numeric keypad.
  • Requires USB/Bluetooth Connection
    Using NumPad requires an available USB port or Bluetooth connection, which might be limited on some devices, especially laptops.
  • Learning Curve
    Customization features might introduce a learning curve for some users, requiring time to set up and adapt to the new functionalities.
  • Potential Compatibility Issues
    Although designed for wide compatibility, some users might experience compatibility issues with less common devices or software.

pkgsrc videos

pkgsrc on ChromeOS

More videos:

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

NumPad videos

Glorious Numpad Review | Is The Most Expensive Numpad Good Value?

More videos:

  • Review - Why would you buy JUST a numpad?
  • Review - Buy this numpad!!

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to pkgsrc and NumPad)
Developer Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Productivity
52 52%
48% 48
Package Manager
100 100%
0% 0
Calculators
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, pkgsrc should be more popular than NumPad. It has been mentiond 11 times since March 2021. 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.

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
View more

NumPad mentions (6)

  • Ask HN: What Are You Working On? (June 2025)
    Numpad: https://numpad.io/ It's a web-based notepad calculator, which means it's a notes app but it can evaluate inline calculations like ```. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Ask HN: What are you working on? (April 2025)
    I launched my web-based notepad calculator, https://numpad.io/, a few years ago. Right now I'm working on a version 2 that has user accounts, multiple documents, markdown support, and document exports. Everything is local-first and it uses CRDTs to sync documents. It looks like this: https://i.imgur.com/Plk1DQ4.png the calculator is mostly the same for now, with a few improvements. It's unstable right now, so I... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Show HN: Heynote โ€“ A Dedicated Scratchpad for Developers
    This is awesome! I currently use numpad[0] for this, but would much prefer a local app. I would love to switch but the only thing holding me back is lack of Vim support. Are there any plans to add Vim keymap in the future? 0: https://numpad.io/. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • Show HN: Heynote โ€“ A Dedicated Scratchpad for Developers
    This looks fantastic. I will definitely give it a spin. I've been tracking what I call "computational scratchpad" apps for a while now but haven't found one that fits my environment/workflow yet. Maybe Heynote will. Here are some others that I've looked at: * https://soulver.app Granddad of them all, Mac-only, proprietary, expensive * https://numi.app Mac-only, proprietary, semi-expensive. Has a Github and claims... - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • Ask HN: What side projects landed you a job?
    My side project NumPad https://numpad.io got me my current job at Decipad https://www.decipad.com/ (the similar naming scheme is a coincidence!). I came across Decipad while looking for a job, and messaged the founder, highlighting my work on NumPad. They were impressed enough that the hiring process ended up being just a few interviews, I've been there for almost a year now, and it's been pretty good! If there's... - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing pkgsrc and NumPad, you can also consider the following products

Conda - Binary package manager with support for environments.

Numbr - An elegant calculator for the web

Homebrew - The missing package manager for macOS

Soulver - Soulver is a software application that functions as a calculator that allows you type a continuous stream of information rather than having to input data into multiple cells.

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

Numi App - Numi is a beautiful text calculator for Mac.