Software Alternatives & Startups

pkgsrc VS Pamac

Compare pkgsrc VS Pamac and see what are their differences

pkgsrc logo pkgsrc

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

Pamac logo Pamac

Graphical Package Manager for Manjaro Linux (based on libalpm).
  • pkgsrc Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-30
  • Pamac Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-23

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.

Pamac features and specs

  • User-friendly Interface
    Pamac offers a graphical user interface that simplifies package management for users who are not comfortable using the command line. This makes it accessible for beginners transitioning from other operating systems.
  • AUR Support
    Pamac provides support for the Arch User Repository (AUR), enabling users to easily search for and install a wide array of packages not found in the official repositories.
  • Dependency Management
    It automatically handles dependencies during installation and updates, reducing the risk of dependency conflicts and broken installations.
  • Multi-repository Access
    Pamac allows users to manage packages from both the official repositories and the AUR, giving them access to a broader range of software.
  • Integrated Update Notifications
    The application notifies users of available updates, ensuring that the system can stay up-to-date with the latest packages and security patches.

Possible disadvantages of Pamac

  • Heavier Resource Usage
    As a graphical tool, Pamac consumes more system resources compared to command-line package managers like Pacman, which might be a consideration for users on lower-end hardware.
  • Potential Stability Issues with AUR
    Since AUR packages are user-submitted, they can sometimes cause system instability or compatibility issues if not carefully managed and reviewed by the user.
  • Less Control for Advanced Users
    Advanced users may find that Pamac does not offer the same level of granular control and configuration options that command-line tools provide, such as Pacman’s extensive flag options.
  • Dependency Overhead
    The automatic handling of dependencies might lead to bloat for users who prefer manually managing dependencies to keep their system lean and tailored.
  • Limited to GTK Environments
    Pamac is primarily designed for GTK-based desktop environments, which might not integrate as seamlessly on non-GTK environments like KDE Plasma.

pkgsrc videos

pkgsrc on ChromeOS

More videos:

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

Pamac videos

Install Package Manager in Arch Linux Pamac-AUR, Pamac-classic or Octopi

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to pkgsrc and Pamac)
Developer Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Focus Music
0 0%
100% 100
Package Manager
100 100%
0% 0
Work Music
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using pkgsrc and Pamac. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, pkgsrc seems to be more popular. 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 / about 1 year 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 / about 2 years ago
  • Show HN: Brioche – A new Nix-like package manager
    Https://pkgsrc.org/ from netbsd runs on many systems. - Source: Hacker News / over 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 hasn’t got the news yet. Source: over 3 years ago
View more

Pamac mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Pamac yet. Tracking of Pamac recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

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

Conda - Binary package manager with support for environments.

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

Homebrew - The missing package manager for macOS

paru - An AUR helper written in Rust and based on the design of yay. It aims to be your standard pacman wrapping AUR helper with minimal interaction.

pacaur - An AUR helper that minimizes user interaction.

Portage - Portage is source-based package manager used by Gentoo and its descendants. It controls all process from fetching source through building it, installing into clean environment to "merging" with already installed software.