What's XBPS?

The X Binary Package System (in short XBPS) is a new binary package system designed and implemented from scratch. Its goal is to be fast, easy to use, bug-free, featureful and portable as much as possible.

The XBPS code is totally compatible with POSIX/SUSv2/C99 standards, and released with a Simplified BSD license (2 clause). There is a well documented API provided by the XBPS Library that is the basis for its frontends, to handle binary packages and repositories: xbps-bin(8) and xbps-repo(8). Some highlights:

• Supports multiple local and remote repositories (FTP/HTTP/HTTPS).
• SHA256 hashes for all package files and binary packages.
• Supports package states (ala dpkg) to mitigate broken package installs/updates.
• Ability to resume partial package install/updates.
• Ability to unpack only files that have been modified in package updates.
• Ability to use virtual packages.
• Ability to replace packages.
• Ability to put packages on hold (to never update them. NEW in 0.16).
• Ability to preserve/update configuration files.
• Ability to force reinstallation of any installed package.
• Ability to downgrade any installed package.
• Ability to check package integrity: missing files, hashes, missing dependencies, dangling or modified symlinks, etc.
• Low memory footprint.
• Fast dependency resolver and sorting algorithms.

The package build system (xbps-src) uses a BSD ports-like style with the ability to build packages in chroot jails, without requiring root permissions, i.e your ordinary user; thanks to the Linux kernel and support for POSIX file capabilities (please note that this feature requires a file system that supports extended attributes). Required package build and run time dependencies can be resolved from local/remote repositories or directly from the source packages tree.

The latest stable version 0.15 was released on April 6th, 2012.

Do you want to try XBPS and judge by yourself? try Void Linux at http://voidlinux.github.com/

Documentation

• Binary package format description.
• XBPS utilities examples and usage.
• XBPS binary package builder: xbps-src
• XBPS Library API documentation.
• XBPS Library API examples

Howto

• How to build the XBPS utilities?
• How to prepare a bootstrap to build packages?
• How to build packages as unprivileged user?
• How to create a local repository with binary packages?
• How to remove package orphans?
• How to use virtual packages?

Contributing

• Contributing source packages on Github
• Follow me on twitter: @xtraemeat
• You can join us at #xbps on irc.freenode.net.
• Use the xbps google group for anything else.
• Make a donation to improve further development via Paypal.

DISCLAIMER: enjoy your life and happy void hacking -- xtraeme