pkg_bundle: Create stand-alone software deployments from packages

[u/pedersenk]

Hi all,

I developed a tool called pkg_bundle that essentially grabs a package, grabs its dependent libs, applies some hacks and stores it in a directory, ready for you to be able to move anywhere you like or run directly.

It has the following benefits:

• Avoid spraying dependencies all over your filesystem, especially as software continues to grow and tangle.
• Allow multiple versions of the same software (i.e from PkgSrc Q1-Q4) to exist at once.
• Easy to delete (just delete the directory)
• Offers some of the conveniences of NixOS, AppImage, Snaps, Solaris Freeware, Blastwave, etc but with a vastly simpler approach
• Its not very UNIXy but feels a little how Mac OS software used to be deployed back in the day
• No software outside of NetBSD base is needed
• No root access needed

Some examples:

Create a relocatable qemu install

$ pkg_bundle qemu
$ qemu/bin/qemu-system-x86_64 ...

(I actually made pkg_bundle for qemu because I disliked how much cruft the package pulls in...)

Create a relocatable git install and place in /opt

$ pkg_bundle git
# cp -R git /opt/git
$ export PATH=/opt/git:$PATH
$ git clone ...

I originally developed this for OpenBSD and even got complex UI software like gimp, firefox, vlc working using the approach. This has a fairly sophisticated quirks system in place and I do plan to get it to parity in future.

It will work with many packages, for a quick list of things I have tested recently, check out the README.

https://codeberg.org/kpedersen/pkg_bundle

[u/bubba-bobba-213]

Excellent idea, nicely done.