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KateOS Package Management with KatePKG
This article is about using the KatePKG tool to manage the packages installed on your system with a point and click interface. To perform these operations on the command line see the Updateos page.
KatePKG is an application using Gtk2 to make package management on KateOS quick and easy. It currently has English and Polish translations and uses Gettext to display the application in whichever locale you use. Any questions, comments, or suggestions directly related to KatePKG should be directed to bob at kateos dot org , and preferably in English.
Installing KatePKG
If you are using a KateOS 3.2 or later then you already have KatePKG. If you are using an old version or elected not to install it on OS installation, then you will have to install KatePKG from the stable repository with the command:
updateos -i katepkg
The User Interface
The KatePKG interface consists of three main modes of operation, Browse Installed Packages, Update Installed Packages, and Install New Packages. Each of these three 'modes' are tabs which can be switched by clicking the appropriate tab near the bottom left of the main window. Each tab consists of two panes, the list pane which is the top, and the info pane which is the bottom. KatePKG also has a built-in repository editor to manage what online repositories your system uses.
Browse Installed Packages
This tab will list all the packages which are currently installed on your system. Clicking a package from the list on the upper pane will show the package info and description in the lower pane. You may select multiple packages by using SHIFT+Click to select a range or CTRL+Click to pick and choose individual packages.
While you have one or more packages selected in the Browse view, you have the option to uninstall the selected packages by clicking the Uninstall Selected button underneath the info pane. When uninstalling packages KatePKG will check your system to see what other packages depend on the ones you selected and ask if you would like to uninstall those as well. After all the dependency checks have been completed it will show you a full list of everything to be uninstalled for final confirmation. Accepting the final list will then uninstall all the selected packages from the system.
If at any time you deal with packages using another tool like the command line Updateos while KatePKG is running you can click the Refresh List button underneath the info pane to rescan installed packages on the system.
Update Installed Packages
This tab displays the packages installed on your system which have updates waiting to be downloaded from the online repositories. Before it can show this list though, you need to synchronize with the repositories. You may do this by clicking the Refresh List button under the info pane or by clicking Sync with Repositories Now on the Package menu.
After a successful sync with the repositories, select a package from the list and click the Update Selected button underneath the info pane. You may select multiple packages by using SHIFT+Click to select a range or CTRL+Click to pick and choose individual packages. Clicking Update Selected will automatically download and install all selected packages, as well as check for dependencies and automatically download those as well.
If you would like to do a mass update (also know as a Distribution Update), clicking the Distribution Update button underneath the info pane will resync with the repositories and automatically download and install everything there is to be updated.
Be careful with distribution update if you are using non-official or testing repositories
If you would like to update a package using a package file on your local computer, be sure it follows the correct name convention and click the Browse... button underneath the info pane. You may then browse and select the package file to use. Doing this will install the package without checking for dependencies.
Install New Packages
This tab displays the packages which may be installed from the online repositories. Everything works the same as it does on the Update tab, however you must click the Install Selected button to perform the download and installation process.
The Browse... button underneath the info pane works the same as it does on the Update tab.
To install packages from many package files on your computer in a certain directory, the Install From Directory button underneath the info pane will allow you to browse for that directory. Installing packages this way will not check for dependencies, however KatePKG will check to see if a package should be installed or updated automatically, this way a directory may contain many packages, even newer versions of installed packages.
Manage Repositories
KatePKG has a built in repository list editor to manage what repositories it (and the other KateOS tools) should use. To open the repository list editor choose Edit Repository List from the Package menu.
This editor will open a new window consisting of a list of all the repositories in the /etc/updateservers file. You may remove an entry by clicking the minus (-) button next to the desired entry. To add an entry, type the URL in the textbox next to the plus (+) button, and then click the plus button to add it. There are currently two main types of repositories you may add:
- http:// HTTP repositories, the standard type.
- file:// Local repositories, to maintain a local repository as a HTTP type. Still requires a valid update.list file.
Repositories with a green active icon are repositories that are active and will be used. Repositories with a red inactive icon are listed in your /etc/updateservers but temporarily disabled and therefore will not be used. To toggle the active/inactive status click the active/inactive icon button next to the desired entry.
To save all changes you must click the Save button. This will save and close the repository list editor. Clicking Cancel will discard all changes.
KatePKG User Options
KatePKG has several options available to alter the behaviour of the package management. All options can be found on the Package menu.
Sync Repositories on Startup
When enabled this will cause KatePKG to automatically check the enabled online repositories as soon as it is launched.
Close Repository Sync when Done
When enabled the repository sync dialog box will automatically close when the sync is complete, even if there were errors with the inability to connect to a repository. When disabled the dialog box stays open and must be closed by the user.
Check Dependencies on Download
When enabled when you select a package to install KatePKG will check your system to make sure you have all the dependencies required before installing the package, and if not download them. When it is disabled all selected packages are downloaded and installed without any dependency checks. It is recommended this option be enabled when doing standard installation operations.
Download Errors Prevent Install/Update
When enabled this option will prevent KatePKG from installing packages if everything has not been downloaded. With several packages selected if the download of even one fails none of the selected packages will install - however all the packages that downloaded successfully will remain in the temp directory so the next time the operation is attempted KatePKG will find what is already downloaded and move on. If you select to install several packages which have dependencies on each other it is good to not install them until you can fill all the dependencies, and therefore this option is recommended to be enabled for standard installation operations.
Keep Downloaded Packages
When enabled this option will save all downloaded packages to /var/pkg after they have been downloaded and successfully installed. When this option is disabled the packages are discarded after successful installation.
Download Without Install/Update
When enabled all packages downloaded will be saved in /var/pkg without installing them into the system.
