pkgin/pkgsrc at user-level

netbsdnoob

Hello everyone, I am aware of the fact that we can in theory install as many pkgsrc tree as we want and just by following some precautions (e..g, using always bmake and adding the right paths to PATH and MANPATH) we can work with multiple user-level installations of pkgsrc.

Now my question is... is there a way to install pkgin and all the binary stuff at a user level?
I mean once i have exported the PKG_PATH variable to my preferred repo, what are the steps to perform?

I didn't find anything online.

JuvenalUrbino

netbsdnoob Now my question is... is there a way to install pkgin and all the binary stuff at a user level?

Yes, you'll have to bootstrap pkgsrc in unprivileged mode. I use this to work with pkgsrc on SDF.org.

See also 10.3 How to use pkgsrc as non-root and mk/unprivileged.mk for the unprivileged mode environment.

netbsdnoob

JuvenalUrbino No no wait there is a misunderstanding... I want to use pkgin not pkgsrc as unprivilged.

So do pkgin in X and get X installed at user level.

I am well aware of being able to use the pkgsrc tree as unprivileged user by the bootstrapping it the right way.

JuvenalUrbino

netbsdnoob So do pkgin in X and get X installed at user level.

I am well aware of being able to use the pkgsrc tree as unprivileged user by the bootstrapping it the right way.

You install pkgin within the LOCALBASE of an unprivileved bootstrap (e.g. ~/pkg, with PKGSRCDIR being ~/pkgsrc). Then point pkgin's repositories.conf to ~/pkgsrc/packages/All. This requires building packages from source, because, naturally, official packages will always install their content in the default PREFIX (/usr/pkg).

rvp

netbsdnoob I want to use pkgin not pkgsrc as unprivilged.

Does this even make sense? Some programs, for instance, servers--and esp. the Xorg server--need to be setuid or setgid. These won't work properly if you run them without those bits as a regular user.

netbsdnoob

JuvenalUrbino Ok so basically there is no way without pulling down the whole pkgsrc tree right?

netbsdnoob

JuvenalUrbino How does it work when it comes to the database? The one in /var/db/pkgin , will i have a user level installed one ?

netbsdnoob

rvp ok but this then applies also to pkgsrc bootstrapped at user level then no?

rvp

netbsdnoob ok but this then applies also to pkgsrc bootstrapped at user level then no?

Yes; and this is documented in the pkgsrc guide:

4.2. Bootstrapping pkgsrc

pkgsrc can be bootstrapped for use in two different modes: privileged and unprivileged one.
In unprivileged mode in contrast to privileged one all programs are installed under one
particular user and cannot utilise privileged operations (packages don't create special users
and all special file permissions like setuid are ignored).