pkgtool

Launch the interactive package tool

$ sudo pkgtool

$ sudo pkgtool --remove_menu

$ pkgtool --view_menu

$ sudo pkgtool --install_menu

$ sudo pkgtool --setup_menu

pkgtool [-sets] [-source_device device] [-source_dir directory] [-target_dir directory]

-sets
    Instructs the utility to work with package sets (groups of related packages) rather than individual files.

-source_device
    Specifies the hardware device (e.g., a CD-ROM or USB drive) from which packages should be read.

-source_dir
    Defines the specific directory path on the filesystem where the installation packages are located.

-target_dir
    Sets the root directory where packages should be installed. This is useful for installing to a mounted partition other than the current root.

pkgtool is the primary administrative utility used for managing software packages on a Slackware Linux system. It provides a user-friendly, ncurses-based interface that allows administrators to perform various maintenance tasks without manually executing individual command-line tools. Through this utility, users can install new packages from a variety of sources, remove existing packages, or view the contents of installed software.

Beyond simple package handling, pkgtool acts as a central hub for system configuration. It can be used to re-run setup scripts located in the /var/log/setup directory, which is useful for configuring hardware, networking, or the bootloader after the initial system installation. While it serves as a high-level front-end, it internally relies on lower-level utilities such as installpkg and removepkg to perform the actual file operations. It is designed for simplicity and follows the Slackware philosophy of giving the user direct control over the system.

pkgtool must be run with root privileges to modify system packages or configuration files. Note that unlike package managers in other distributions (like apt or dnf), pkgtool does not provide automatic dependency resolution; the user is responsible for ensuring all required libraries for a package are present on the system.

The interactive menu typically includes: Current (install from the current directory), Other (specify a custom path), Floppy (historical support for diskettes), Remove (select packages to uninstall), View (browse files in a package), and Setup (run system configuration scripts).

Developed by Patrick Volkerding, the creator of Slackware Linux, pkgtool has been a core component of the distribution since its inception in the early 1990s. Its design has remained remarkably consistent over the decades, prioritizing stability and transparency. It remains the standard tool for the initial setup and maintenance of a clean Slackware installation.

installpkg(8), removepkg(8), upgradepkg(8), explodepkg(8), makepkg(8), slackpkg(8)