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Python Package Index VS pkgsrc

Compare Python Package Index VS pkgsrc and see what are their differences

Python Package Index logo Python Package Index

A repository of software for the Python programming language

pkgsrc logo pkgsrc

pkgsrc is a framework for building over 17,000 open source software packages.
  • Python Package Index Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-01
  • pkgsrc Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-30

Python Package Index features and specs

  • Extensive Library Collection
    PyPI hosts a comprehensive collection of Python libraries and packages, enabling developers to find tools and modules for almost any task, from data analysis to web development.
  • Ease of Use
    The PyPI interface is user-friendly, and installation of packages can be quickly done using pip, Python's package installer. This makes it easy for both beginners and advanced users to manage dependencies.
  • Community Support
    Many PyPI packages are well-documented and supported by a large community of developers, which provides reassurance and assistance through forums, tutorials, and user contributions.
  • Regular Updates
    Packages on PyPI are frequently updated by maintainers to include new features, improvements, and security patches, ensuring that developers have access to the latest and most secure versions.
  • Open Source
    PyPI primarily hosts open-source packages, promoting transparency, collaboration, and the ability to modify packages to better suit individual needs.

Possible disadvantages of Python Package Index

  • Quality Assurance
    Not all packages on PyPI are of high quality or well-maintained. Some may have bugs, lack proper documentation, or not adhere to best practices, requiring users to vet packages carefully.
  • Security Risks
    There is a risk of downloading malicious packages since PyPI allows anyone to upload packages. Users need to be cautious and verify the credibility of the package authors and sources.
  • Dependency Management
    Managing dependencies can become complex, especially for large projects, as conflicts between package versions can arise, leading to potential runtime issues.
  • Overhead
    For smaller projects or those with specific needs, the sheer number of available packages can be overwhelming, making it difficult to find the most suitable one without investing a significant amount of time.
  • Legacy Packages
    Some packages on PyPI may no longer be maintained or updated, which can represent a risk if they become incompatible with newer versions of Python or other dependencies.

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.

Python Package Index videos

Python Django - Create and deploy packages to PyPI - Python Package Index

More videos:

  • Review - PIP and the Python Package Index - Open Source Language, Package Installer, Programming Python

pkgsrc videos

pkgsrc on ChromeOS

More videos:

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

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Python Package Index and pkgsrc)
Translation Service
100 100%
0% 0
Package Manager
37 37%
63% 63
Front End Package Manager
Developer Tools
36 36%
64% 64

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Python Package Index should be more popular than pkgsrc. It has been mentiond 83 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.

Python Package Index mentions (83)

  • Solving SSL Certificate Verification Issues with pip on macOS
    # Check if Python can connect to pypi.org Python -c "import urllib.request; urllib.request.urlopen('https://pypi.org')" # Test where Python is looking for certificates Python -c "import ssl; print(ssl.get_default_verify_paths())" # Check pip configuration Pip config debug. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • What I wish I knew about Python when I started
    But let me back up and start from the perspective of a total Python beginner, as that is who this post is intended for. In Python, there are a lot of built-in libraries available to you via the Python Standard Library. This includes packages like datetime which allows you to manipulate dates and times, or like smtplib which allows you to send emails, or like argparse which helps aid development of command line... - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • Python Project Setup With uv – Virtual Environments and Package Management
    Virtual Environments are isolated Python environments that have their own site-packages. Basically, it means that each virtual environment has its own set of dependencies to third-party packages usually installed from PyPI. - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • Getting Started With Pipenv
    Where can I find packages available for me to use in my project? At https://pypi.org/ of course! - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • Create a python package and publish.
    To upload your package to PyPI, you need to create an account on PyPI. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
View more

pkgsrc mentions (10)

  • 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 / 9 months ago
  • Show HN: Brioche – A new Nix-like package manager
    Https://pkgsrc.org/ from netbsd runs on many systems. - Source: Hacker News / 11 months 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: about 2 years ago
  • pkgsrc.se is no more :(
    It seems like pkgsrc.org hasn’t got the news yet. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Slackware 15.0
    I still have a Slackware install that runs some really old stuff I have. I remember working at AN ISP in the 90s and slack was are secure distro. All the important stuff (authentication, configs, etc.) were stored and served from our 'slack pool'. Funny part is now I do a very basic Slackware install that setup pkgsrc (https://pkgsrc.org) on it so I can really experience the best and worst of times! - Source: Hacker News / about 3 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Python Package Index and pkgsrc, you can also consider the following products

pip - The PyPA recommended tool for installing Python packages.

Conda - Binary package manager with support for environments.

Homebrew - The missing package manager for macOS

Python Poetry - Python packaging and dependency manager.

MacPorts - The MacPorts Project is an open-source community initiative to design an easy-to-use system for compiling, installing, and upgrading either command-line, X11 or Aqua based open-source software on the Mac OS X operating system.

Lobe - Visual tool for building custom deep learning models