package manager

There are many Linux distros and all of them use variety of different package managers. So a particular user of that specific Linux distro is familiar with that distro package manager commands only. Due to which when that user is out at a event or someplace else and require to install or remove or update package using the commands he is familiar with, he may get errors in doing so if that distro doesn’t have a package manager that he is familiar with.

To overcome this problem we can have a solution of adding package manager command translating functionality to Meilix. To translate the commands of package manager like pacman, apt, yum, zypper we have build translation modules for each. To install these modules we first check the Linux distro and map it to the package manager it is using. For this we write the following script.

 declare -A osInfo;
  osInfo[/etc/redhat-release]=yum
  osInfo[/etc/arch-release]=pacman
  osInfo[/etc/gentoo-release]=emerge
  osInfo[/etc/SuSE-release]=zypp
  osInfo[/etc/debian_version]=apt-get

Then after checking the native package manager it copy the modules required for that packet manger to the bin and makes them executable.These modules can be called by the names of the packet manager not available on

These modules can be called by the names of the packet manager not available on system. The module reads the arguments and convert command according to it. Like for pacman to apt module, a simple pacman command to install a app is

Now, the pacman is a module called from bin using two arguments and these two arguments use a switch statement are converted.

Example of commands in ubuntu / debian based system using apt but the user was familiar with pacman

Installing package:

pacman -S PACKAGE

Gets translated to:

apt install PACKAGE

Remove package:

apt install PACKAGE

Gets translated to:

apt remove PACKAGE

Update software database :

pacman -Syy

Gets translated to:

apt update

Show updatable packages:

pacman -Qu

Gets translated to:

apt list --upgradable

Update all:

pacman -Syu

Gets translated to:

apt upgrade

Mew ensures the cross distro package manager command compatibility by providing translations which is a helpful tool especially at events where users may find it difficult to operate system if he cannot install or add the specific package he requires at that time. Mew helps in making the user experience better as the user don’t have to struggle with the package manager commands he is not familiar with.

contribute to the project by forking: https://github.com/fossasia/mew