Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

pkgsrc VS Spacevim

Compare pkgsrc VS Spacevim and see what are their differences

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pkgsrc logo pkgsrc

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

Spacevim logo Spacevim

SpaceVim is a distribution of the Vim editor thatโ€™s inspired by Spacemacs.
  • pkgsrc Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-30
  • Spacevim Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-11

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.

Spacevim features and specs

  • Pre-configured
    SpaceVim provides a pre-configured setup which makes it easier for users to get started with minimal setup time compared to vanilla Vim.
  • Customizability
    It offers high customizability enabling users to tailor the editor to their specific needs with easily configurable layers and plugins.
  • Community-driven
    Developed and improved upon by a large community, providing good support and documentation, as well as numerous plugins and features based on user feedback.
  • Layer System
    SpaceVim employs a layer system that allows for modular and organized configuration, simplifying the process of adding or removing features.
  • Multi-language support
    Supports different programming languages, offering features like enhanced syntax highlighting, autocompletion, and language-specific tools.

Possible disadvantages of Spacevim

  • Learning Curve
    Despite being easier to set up than Vim, SpaceVim still has a steep learning curve, especially for users unfamiliar with Vim's modal editing.
  • Performance
    SpaceVim can be slower than a bare Vim setup due to its additional features and plugins which can affect startup times and overall performance.
  • Complex Configuration
    While it offers great customizability, configuring SpaceVim can become complex and overbearing, especially for users needing fine-tuned custom setups.
  • Dependency Overhead
    Relies on several external plugins and dependencies, which might complicate the setup and management process, particularly in environments without access to package managers.
  • Incompatibility with Some Plugins
    Certain Vim plugins and scripts may not be compatible with SpaceVim or require additional configuration to work correctly.

pkgsrc videos

pkgsrc on ChromeOS

More videos:

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

Spacevim videos

SpeceVim First Impressions

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to pkgsrc and Spacevim)
Developer Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Text Editors
0 0%
100% 100
Package Manager
100 100%
0% 0
IDE
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Spacevim should be more popular than pkgsrc. It has been mentiond 39 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 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

Spacevim mentions (39)

  • How to start using Vim
    SpaceVim is a readyโ€”toโ€”use configuration that also provides an interface for configuring the editor and installing plugins. A similar project, Spacemacs, exists on the Internet, which they were inspired by. - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago
  • Micro โ€“ A Modern Alternative to Nano
    I don't know how much you actually care, and I'm the nano OP of this comment chain/thread but there are some vims (and emacs) with plugins and what not built in. Only one I can think of off the top of my head is https://spacevim.org/ but theres a bunch. - Source: Hacker News / about 3 years ago
  • Is it possible to use VIM as an ide?
    On the vim side, you can try https://spacevim.org. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Devil Mode for Emacs
    There's also spacevim: https://spacevim.org/ And to a certain extent the new Helix editor which uses space and context sensitive popup menues for discoverability to great effect IMNHO: https://helix-editor.com/. - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago
  • colorscheme won't apply
    Hi, I'm new to using vim I followed the instruction from spacevim.org but this won't work.. Source: over 3 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

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

Conda - Binary package manager with support for environments.

Neovim - Vim's rebirth for the 21st century

Homebrew - The missing package manager for macOS

Doom Emacs - Emacs configuration similar to Spacemacs but faster and lighter.

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

Spacemacs - Community-driven Emacs distribution that meshes Emacs and Vim features.