Comprehensive dictionary of software package management

Mar 31, 2023 · 18 min read

programming

Alpine Linux

Alpine Linux is a lightweight, security-focused Linux distribution. It is based on the musl libc library and the BusyBox utilities (as opposed to the more prevalent glibc), which provide a minimal set of Unix command-line tools. Alpine Linux is particularly popular for container environments, like Docker, due to its small footprint and fast boot times.

Alpine Linux uses its own package management system called apk (Alpine Package Keeper) to handle software installation and updates. One of the main design goals of Alpine Linux is to be secure by default, and it achieves this by using hardened kernel patches, address space layout randomization (ASLR), position-independent executables (PIE), and other security features.

While Alpine Linux is not as beginner-friendly as other distributions like Ubuntu, it is an excellent choice for advanced users or for those looking for a lightweight, security-focused distribution to deploy in server or container environments. Alpine Linux works on Arm and Raspberry Pi devices as well.

Resources:

The Alpine Linux website
Downloading Alpine Linux
Packagecloud launches Alpine package support GA
Packagecloud: A well-suited package manager for Alpine Linux

Apt

Apt is a package manager used in Debian-based Linux distributions such as Ubuntu, Debian, and Linux Mint. The name "apt" stands for "Advanced Package Tool".

Apt provides a command-line interface for installing, updating, and managing software packages on a Linux system. With apt, users can search for available packages, install or remove packages, and update the system with the latest security patches and software updates.

Apt works by accessing a package repository. The package repository contains information about each package, including its name, version, dependencies, and description. When a user runs an apt command to install or update a package, apt retrieves the necessary information from the package repository and installs the package along with any required dependencies.

Resources:

Find documentation on AptCLI in the Debian wiki here.
With Packagecloud, you can create an apt repository in seconds. Find out how, here.
You may also find this Packagecloud blog post on apt repository internals helpful.

Build

In software package management, "build" refers to the process of creating an executable program or library from the source code of a software package. This process typically involves compiling the source code, linking it with required libraries, and packaging the resulting executable code into a format that can be installed and run on a target system.

Builds may be performed manually by developers, but are often automated using build tools or build systems. These tools can help manage dependencies, ensure consistent build environments, and simplify the process of building and packaging software for distribution to end users.

After a build, the resulting binary packages are distributed to end users through package repositories like Packagecloud.

Here are some resources you may find helpful:

CDN (Content delivery network)

A CDN, or Content Delivery Network, is a system of distributed servers (network) that delivers web content, such as images, videos, stylesheets, and JavaScript files, to users based on their geographic location.

The primary goal of a CDN is to improve the performance, speed, and reliability of web content delivery by caching and serving content from the server nearest to the user.

Packagecloud uses the AWS Cloudfront content delivery network CDN

Resources:

Packagemanagement is not just about CDN or storage

CloudFront

Amazon CloudFront is a content delivery network (CDN) service built for high performance, security, and developer convenience. Packagecloud uses CloudFront to cache package objects. You may need to whitelist CloudFront’s IP range if you are behind a firewall.

Here are some resources you may find helpful:

Docker

Docker is an open-source platform designed to automate the deployment, scaling, and management of applications in containers. Docker uses containerization technology to create, deploy, and run applications in containers, which are isolated from each other and from the host system. This isolation enables developers to package an application with all its dependencies, libraries, and configurations, ensuring that it will run consistently, regardless of the underlying infrastructure.

The main components of Docker include:

Docker Engine: The core component of Docker, responsible for building, running, and managing containers. It is a daemon that runs on the host operating system and communicates with the Docker client.
Docker CLI (Command Line Interface): A command-line tool used to interact with the Docker Engine. It allows developers to build, run, and manage containers by sending commands to the Docker Engine.
Docker Image: A lightweight, standalone, and executable software package that includes everything needed to run an application, including the code, runtime, system tools, libraries, and settings. Docker images are built from a Dockerfile, which is a script containing instructions on how to assemble the image.
Docker Registry: A centralized storage system for sharing and distributing Docker images. Docker Hub, for example, is a public registry where developers can upload and download images.

Docker has become popular because it simplifies application deployment, reduces infrastructure costs, and enables faster development cycles. It is widely used in the software industry for continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines, microservices architecture, and cloud-native applications.

Here are some resources you may find helpful:

Git

Git is a distributed version control system for software development. It was created by Linus Torvalds in 2005 to manage the development of the Linux kernel, but has since become widely used for managing software development projects of all types and sizes.

Git is designed to keep track of changes made to a project's source code over time. It allows multiple developers to work on the same codebase simultaneously, and to collaborate on changes to the code in a controlled and organized way.

Git works by creating a "repository" of the project's source code, which is a directory that contains all of the code and metadata that Git uses to track changes. Each time a change is made to the code, Git creates a "commit" that records the changes and includes a message describing the changes made. These commits can then be reviewed, compared, and reverted as needed.

Git also provides tools for collaborating with other developers, such as "pull requests" and "merge requests" that allow developers to review and approve each other's changes before they are merged into the main codebase.

You can find Git documentation here.

GPG keys

GPG keys (also known as PGP keys), are cryptographic keys used for securing and authenticating data or as digital signatures. GPG stands for GNU Privacy Guard, which is a free and open-source implementation of the OpenPGP standard for encryption and decryption of data.

GPG keys consist of a public key and a private key, which are used together to encrypt and decrypt data. The public key is used to encrypt data, while the private key is used to decrypt it.

GPG keys can be used to sign and verify software packages, ensuring that they have not been tampered with and that they come from a trusted source.

Packagecloud allows repository owners to upload the GPG key used to sign the packages in a repository. When you do this, the key URL will be included in the package manager config that is generated for the client host.

Find more information on using GPG keys with Packagecloud here.

Helm

Helm is a package manager for Kubernetes. Helm provides a way to package and distribute Kubernetes applications, making it easier to deploy and manage complex containerized applications.

With Helm, developers can package their Kubernetes applications into a chart, which is a collection of YAML files that describe the resources needed to run the application. Charts can include Kubernetes resources such as pods, services, deployments, and ingress rules, as well as any dependencies needed by the application.

Packagecloud offers Helm support.

Resources:

You can find documentation on Helm here.
Find the documentation on using Helm charts with Packagecloud here.

Metadata

Metadata in software refers to data that describes other data.

Let’s look at some examples. Metadata could be

Data type: The type of data, such as text, numbers, dates, or images.
Data format: The format in which the data is stored, such as CSV, XML, or JSON.
Data size: The size of the data in bytes or other units of measurement.
Data structure: The way in which the data is organized or structured, such as in tables, lists, or trees.
Data source: The origin of the data, such as a database, file system, or web service.

Node

Node.js, often referred to simply as Node, is an open-source, cross-platform runtime environment built on Chrome's V8 JavaScript engine. It enables the execution of JavaScript code outside a web browser, allowing developers to build scalable and high-performance server-side applications using JavaScript. Node.js uses an event-driven, non-blocking I/O model, which makes it highly efficient and suitable for building real-time applications, APIs, and microservices.

Node.js uses a package manager called npm (Node Package Manager) to manage and distribute packages (modules or libraries) that extend the functionality of Node.js applications. Packagecloud can be used to host private npm repositories, providing a centralized and controlled environment for managing Node.js packages within an organization or development team.

Resources:

NPM (Node package manager)

Node package manager or npm is a command-line tool used to install, manage, and share packages written in JavaScript. NPM is primarily used for managing packages that are related to Node.js, a popular server-side JavaScript runtime.

NPM maintains a registry of over a million packages. The registry is also used to track dependencies between packages.

By default, each NPM project includes a file named package.json in the root directory. The package.json file is a simple text file that provides critical information about the project that NPM uses to detect and manage dependencies.

You can use npm to create private packages, but the company admits you could face security challenges by taking that option. Npm warns that putting sensitive information in the npm registry, even via private packages, could increase the risks of data loss and infrastructure damage. Instead of taking a risk with a public npm registry, Packagecloud can help you create a hosted repository that resolves security issues.

Let’s look at some npm resources:

Package

A package in software parlance is a collection of computer programs and related data that are designed to perform specific tasks.

A software package can include one or more programs, libraries, configuration files, documentation, metadata and other resources that are needed to support the programs.

Software packages are often distributed as installable files or archives that can be downloaded from the internet. Three thousand years ago, you could install packages from physical media (such as CD-ROMs).

Software packages may be designed for a specific operating system (Windows, Mac OS, Linux) and may include both binary and source code versions of the software.

Software packages can be proprietary, meaning that the source code is not available, or they may be open-source, meaning that the source code is freely available.

Packagecloud provides an unified, developer-friendly package management platform for your software artifacts - written in any language, delivered to any infrastructure.

Packagecloud repo

A packagecloud repo is a more advanced take on the traditional repo.

A single packagecloud repo can:

Contain packages of any (or all!) supported types; for example Debian, RPM, RubyGem, and Python packages can all coexist in the same packagecloud repo.
Have packages for multiple Linux distributions; for example, if you have a Debian package that works for 2 versions of Ubuntu and 1 version of Debian you only need 1 packagecloud repo (see pushing packages for more info).
Issue read tokens to identify specific nodes and control access to a repo by specific node.

Resources:

Announcing README support for packagecloud repositories

Registry

A registry in software is a centralized database or repository that stores information about software applications, making it easier to maintain and update software.

A registry typically contains configuration settings, system options, and other information that is required by the operating system and other software applications.

By controlling access to the registry, administrators can prevent unauthorized changes to system settings and configurations, improving system security.

Here are some resources you may find useful:

Repository

A software repository, also known as a package repository, is a centralized storage location for software packages.

A software repository contains a collection of software packages, along with metadata such as package dependencies and version information.

The purpose of a software repository is to provide a centralized location where users can download and install software packages for their system. Instead of having to manually download and install each package, users can simply point their system to the software repository and use a package manager to download and install the desired packages and their dependencies.

Software repositories provide a number of benefits for software distribution, including:

Centralized distribution: By providing a centralized location for software packages, repositories make it easier to distribute software to a large number of users.
Simplified package management: Using a package manager to download and install packages from a software repository simplifies package management for users, who don't need to worry about manually downloading and installing individual packages and dependencies.
Version control: By tracking package versions and dependencies, software repositories provide a way to ensure that users are installing compatible versions of software packages.
Security: By providing a trusted source for software packages, software repositories can help prevent users from inadvertently downloading and installing malicious software.
Community support: Software repositories often have a community of developers and users who contribute to the development and maintenance of the software packages, providing a valuable source of support and assistance.

Repository in Packagecloud

A packagecloud repo is a more advanced take on the traditional repo.

A single packagecloud repo can:

Contain packages of any (or all!) supported types; for example Debian, RPM, RubyGem, and Python packages can all coexist in the same packagecloud repo.
Have packages for multiple Linux distributions; for example, if you have a Debian package that works for two versions of Ubuntu and one version of Debian you only need one packagecloud repo (see pushing packages for more info).
Issue read tokens to identify specific nodes and control access to a repo by specific node.

By the way, using Packagecloud to create a repo using the CLI is as easy as:

$ package_cloud repository create prod

Here are some resources you may find helpful:

Watermark (Storage)

A watermark is the minimum threshold of free storage space you get with Packagecloud.

Every time a package is pushed to, or yanked from Packagecloud, we credit or debit a storage usages table for that user and repository, with the time that action took place.

Then, we sum up all the bytes that were pushed and come up with a high watermark for any given billing period. Thus, if you upload 100GB of packages, and delete 90GB of them, you'll still have used 100GB for that billing period, and 10G for the next.

VirtualEnv

VirtualEnv is a tool used in Python development to create isolated Python environments for different projects or applications. Each VirtualEnv environment has its own Python interpreter, along with its own set of installed packages and dependencies.

VirtualEnv allows developers to create isolated environments for different projects or applications, ensuring that dependencies and packages installed for one project do not conflict with those installed for another.

VirtualEnv allows developers to manage dependencies and packages for each project separately, making it easier to track and manage changes to packages and dependencies, as well.

Resources: