Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Yay VS pkgsrc

Compare Yay VS pkgsrc and see what are their differences

Yay logo Yay

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

pkgsrc logo pkgsrc

pkgsrc is a framework for building over 17,000 open source software packages.
  • Yay Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-13
  • pkgsrc Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-30

Yay features and specs

  • AUR Support
    Yay provides seamless support for Arch User Repository (AUR) packages, allowing users to easily search for, install, and update AUR packages along with official repository packages.
  • Combined Package Management
    It combines both AUR and official repository package management in one tool, streamlining the process and reducing the need to use multiple package managers.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    Yay offers a user-friendly command-line interface with clear prompts and options, making it easier to navigate and use than some other AUR helpers.
  • Speed and Efficiency
    Thanks to its optimized codebase and use of go programming language, Yay is typically faster than some alternatives, enhancing the overall system update process.
  • Interactive Search
    It provides an interactive search feature, allowing users to conveniently search for packages without leaving the terminal interface, enhancing user experience.

Possible disadvantages of Yay

  • Dependency Management Complexity
    Managing dependencies for AUR packages can become complex and may require manual intervention, particularly with packages that have many dependencies or conflicts.
  • Potential for Inexperienced User Errors
    As with any AUR helper, misuse by inexperienced users could potentially lead to system instability if non-vetted or conflicting packages are installed.
  • Security Risks
    Since AUR packages are user-submitted, there is an inherent security risk involved with installing them, as they may not receive the same scrutiny as official repository packages.
  • Limited Official Support
    While Yay is popular and widely used, it is not officially supported by Arch Linux, and users must turn to community forums for support and troubleshooting.
  • Dependency on the Go Language
    As Yay is written in Go, it requires Go runtime for compilation from source, which might be an inconvenience for some users who prefer not to have additional language runtimes.

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.

Analysis of Yay

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Yay is considered a good tool for managing AUR packages, thanks to its user-friendly design and reliable performance. It is well-suited for users who want an efficient way to access and maintain a wide range of software available in the AUR.

Why this product is good

  • Yay is a popular AUR (Arch User Repository) helper for Arch Linux users. It simplifies the process of installing and managing AUR packages by automating the build process, resolving dependencies, and handling updates. Its seamless integration with official Arch package management tools, ease of use, and active community support make it a favored choice among Arch Linux enthusiasts.

Recommended for

    Yay is recommended for intermediate to advanced Linux users who are comfortable working with the command line, particularly those using Arch Linux or its derivatives. It's especially beneficial for users who frequently install applications from the AUR.

Yay videos

Review Mister Potato YAY - YERS Spicy Tebabo & Cheezy Wheezy ๐Ÿ’— Rozu Style

More videos:

  • Review - My First Order from WeCrochet! (Review + an AMAZING deal) | Yay For Yarn
  • Review - Yay Labs Ice Cream Ball Review

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 Yay and pkgsrc)
Work Music
100 100%
0% 0
Developer Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Focus Music
100 100%
0% 0
Package Manager
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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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.

Yay mentions (0)

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

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 / 12 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

What are some alternatives?

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

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.

Conda - Binary package manager with support for environments.

pikaur - AUR helper with minimal dependencies. Review PKGBUILDs all in once, next build them all without user interaction.Inspired by pacaur, yaourt and yay.

Homebrew - The missing package manager for macOS

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.

Trizen - Trizen AUR Package Manager: A lightweight wrapper for AUR.