apx-pkgmanagers
Manage packages across different package managers
TLDR
Interactively create a new package manager configuration
List all available package manager confirgurations
Remove a package manager configuration
Display information about a specific package manager
SYNOPSIS
apx pkgmanagers
DESCRIPTION
The apx pkgmanagers command is a subcommand of apx, a tool for Alpine Linux that enables running applications and installing packages in disposable containers (using bubblewrap or distrobox backends) without affecting the host system.
It displays a table of all package managers supported by APX, including details like supported architectures, default distribution, and status. This helps users quickly identify available environments for package installation, such as apk for Alpine Linux, apt for Debian/Ubuntu, dnf for Fedora, pacman for Arch, and others.
APX containers isolate dependencies per app or project, making it ideal for developers testing software across distros. Running apx pkgmanagers outputs a concise list, e.g.:
NAME ARCHES DEFAULT DISTRO
apk all alpine:edge
apt amd64 debian:bookworm
etc. This command has no options and requires apx to be installed (via apk add apx). It's useful before using apx install or apx run with a specific pkgmanager.
CAVEATS
Outputs depend on APX version and enabled backends; some pkgmanagers may require additional setup like podman for distrobox mode.
TYPICAL OUTPUT
NAME ARCHES DEFAULT DISTRO
apk all alpine:edge
apt amd64 arm64 debian:bookworm
(truncated; full list varies by APX build)
USAGE CONTEXT
Use after apk add apx to check backends before apx --pkexec install -S apt htop for Debian container.
HISTORY
Introduced in APX v0.12 (2023) by Oliver Smith for postmarketOS/Alpine Linux; expanded support in later versions to 20+ pkgmanagers for multi-distro compatibility.
