Is there a COMPLETE package manager (front-end)?

[Jucato]

Browsing through the different front-end package managers available, I was wondering if there is or will be sort of complete package manager that would at least come close to combining the advantages of existing package managers.

Here's a review of some of the ones I've come across:

1. Aptitude
PROS:
- can install and remove metapackages, together with their dependencies
- DE agnostic
CONS
- CLI only (It has a GUI, but one using ASCII, a sort of text-style GUI).
- basically the same as apt-get, except for metapackage handling

2. Synaptic
PROS:
- History logs: you can see what you have installed through synaptic, without having to plow through the /var/logs
- Markings: marked changes can be saved, and later on edited to do the reverse: Mark packages for installation, save marked changes, and install. Later on, you can edit the file, change all "install" to "deinstall" or vice-versa, Read Markings into Synaptic and Apply. It will remove what it installed, and install what it removed.
- Categories: packages grouped according to type/use
CONS: - filter only filters package names, unlike Adept.

3. KPackage
PROS:
- Allows you to launch without asking for a password, if you only want to browse through. It will ask for the Admin password once you try to do something other than browse.
- Tree view at the side (not really sure how useful that is, though)
- Works with both RPM and DEB
CONS: -
It's a bit slow, especially in scanning and rebuilding the dependency tree.

4. Adept (version 2.0)
PROS:
- Fast filter search that allows you to filter through package names, descriptions, or both.
- Configureable toolbar
CONS:
- the UI is, IMHO, a mess. Only developers seem to love it. I think it scares the @#$* out of newbies.
- No confirmation dialog boxes, allowing room for accidentally removing half of your system.
- Their concept/use of tags is not very easy to understand.
- No utility to handle /var/cache/apt (similar to sudo apt-get clean).

So I guess, basically what I'm looking for is a pakacage manager that has these features:
1. Efficiently manage metapackages and dependencies (like Aptitude)
2. History/log of changes (like Synaptic)
3. can work with DEBs and RPMs (like KPackage)
4. Categories and/or Tags (like Synaptic/Adept)
5. Good filter searches: names and/or descriptions (like Adept)
6. Intrusive confirmation dialogs that can probably be enabled/disabled, depending on the user level (like everything except Adept)

Does anyone know if such an app exists or if there are plans to make one? The reason I'm interested in this is that package management and installing software is both a boon and a bane in Linux. While many claim that installing software has never been easier in Linux thanks to these package managers, it hasn't been that easy, especially for newcomers, especially when dependencies are involved. DPKG and RPM, by themselves, are faultless. But the front-ends to these need a bit more work I think.

[aysiu]

I don't know if there's a solution, but I'm bookmarking your post for the next time someone asks about the differences between the package managers!

[Jucato]

I don't know if there's a solution, but I'm bookmarking your post for the next time someone asks about the differences between the package managers!

Wow thanks! But those were generally just my experiences with the package managers (all except aptitude, which I'm just trying out now). So I might be off on a few things.

There's a feature that I forgot about KPackage. Maybe I'll remember it when I reinstall it later.

I also didn't mention Kynaptic, Synaptic's KDE brother, because I have nothing good to say about it.

[aysiu]

By the way, there's a graphical frontend to aptitude. It's a text-based graphical mode, though.

Just type

aptitude

[Jucato]

Edited the first post to add two things:

Aptitude CON: CLI only, has a GUI, but is ASCII/text-based GUI

Adept CON: No tools to manage the apt cache (sudo apt-get clean)

[bonzodog]

Be prepared for another change in package management, because the Smart Package manager is being folded into Ubuntu, as the default manager. I know very little about it, but it is supposed to be good.

[Jucato]

Ah yes! The Smart Package Manager. I've been hearing about it for quite a while, since SUSE 10.1 came around. Seems like some used Smart to solve some problems regarding SUSE 10.1's package managers. I'm not really sure about the details, though.

I really hope this will be THE package manager to rule them all. Although it seems like it's more RPM oriented, but nevertheless, it can work with DEB as well. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Btw, I never knew that it was being introduced into Ubuntu.

[ComplexNumber]

Be prepared for another change in package management, because the Smart Package manager is being folded into Ubuntu, as the default manager. I know very little about it, but it is supposed to be good.

i use smart on FC5. it is very good. its probably the most reliable of the lot. it seems quite resource hungry, though.

Although it seems like it's more RPM oriented

it works with debs too, but was targetted for rpms (i think).

[Jucato]

i use smart on FC5. it is very good. its probably the most reliable of the lot. it seems quite resource hungry, though.

it works with debs too, but was targetted for rpms (i think).

WOw finally someone with experience using it. Just 2 things I wanted to know before I try it out myself:
1. Does it have it's own logging/history, like Synaptic?
2. Does it handle metapackages well, like Aptitude?

I don't really mind if it was originally targetted for RPMs as long as it will work flawlessly with DEBs, which is one of it's objectives (package manager agnostic). The FAQ says that Debian is also testing it.

But the major consideration here I guess would be the resource usage. They do admit (again in the FAQ), that it consumes quite a bit. But if it's faster than KPackage, I won't mind. Other users with lower end specs might, though.

[ComplexNumber]

1. Does it have it's own logging/history, like Synaptic?

logging of what, exactly? it keeps a log of errors and problems (eg when it timed out when trying to access a particular package in a particular repo).

2. Does it handle metapackages well, like Aptitude?

no idea. i guess you're speaking about such things as when you use apt-get kubuntu-desktop(or whatever it is) to load all the kde libs. as far as i know, it only deals with individual packagaes like all other packaage manager gui's do.

But the major consideration here I guess would be the resource usage. They do admit (again in the FAQ), that it consumes quite a bit. But if it's faster than KPackage, I won't mind. Other users with lower end specs might, though.

i wouldn't bother using kpackage if i were you. its rubbish. very buggy, and doesn't seem to function correctly (it will appear as if its installed a package when it hasn't, etc). its always been like that ever since i can first remember using it sometime in the early days.