apx-pkgmanagers

Interactively create a new package manager configuration

$ apx pkgmanagers create

$ apx pkgmanagers list

$ apx pkgmanagers rm --name [string]

$ apx pkgmanagers show [name]

apx-pkgmanagers [internal_options] [package_manager_subcommand] [arguments...]
Note: This command is primarily an internal utility of the apx tool and is not typically invoked directly by users. Its interface is designed for use by the apx wrapper.

install
    Instructs apx-pkgmanagers to perform a package installation using the detected package manager. Followed by package names.

update
    Instructs apx-pkgmanagers to update all installed packages using the detected package manager.

remove
    Instructs apx-pkgmanagers to remove specified packages using the detected package manager. Followed by package names.

search
    Instructs apx-pkgmanagers to search for packages using the detected package manager. Followed by search terms.

list
    Instructs apx-pkgmanagers to list installed packages using the detected package manager.

--detect
    An internal flag to simply output the name of the detected package manager (e.g., "dnf", "apt", "pacman") to standard output.

apx-pkgmanagers is an internal helper script used by the apx command-line tool. Its primary function is to intelligently detect and interact with the appropriate package manager (such as dnf, apt, pacman, zypper) within a distrobox container. When a user runs an apx command that requires package management operations (e.g., apx install, apx update, apx remove), apx delegates the specific package manager interaction to apx-pkgmanagers. This abstraction allows apx to provide a consistent interface for managing software across various containerized distributions without the user needing to know the underlying package manager details of each container. It typically resides in /usr/libexec/apx/.

apx-pkgmanagers is an internal utility and not intended for direct user invocation. Its behavior and arguments are subject to change without notice, as it's part of the apx project's internal implementation details. Users should primarily interact with the higher-level apx(1) command.

The primary purpose of apx-pkgmanagers is to act as a crucial backend component for the apx command. It encapsulates the logic for identifying the native package manager within a given container and executing the corresponding commands (install, update, remove, search, etc.) on behalf of the apx frontend. This allows apx to present a unified interface regardless of the underlying container's distribution.

On systems where apx is installed, apx-pkgmanagers is commonly found in the system's private executable directory, such as /usr/libexec/apx/apx-pkgmanagers. This location reinforces its role as an internal system utility rather than a directly user-accessible command.

apx-pkgmanagers was developed as an integral part of the apx project, which emerged to provide a more streamlined and integrated way to manage software in distrobox containers, especially on immutable Linux distributions like Fedora Silverblue and Kinoite. Its design addresses the need for apx to automatically adapt to the specific package manager of any given container, enhancing the user experience by abstracting away distribution-specific package management commands.

apx(1), distrobox(1), dnf(8), apt(8), pacman(8)