Package Manager for Mac

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Posted by Andy Koch at 14:05 | Monday, April 14. 2008

Why doesn't Mac OS have a standard package manager?

This was final thought Sunday night as I flipped my MacBook shut and stumbled off to bed. I finally got around to configuring my MacBook as my primary development machine this weekend. It's been 3-4 months since I got my MacBook and I've since converted the two other PC's in my house into Linux machine (Debian and Ubuntu). With that conversion mostly complete it was time to get cracking on making my MacBook into the web development powerhouse for which it was intended. OK, before anyone says anything - it took me 3 months because I had a Lego Star Wars addiction - Don't judge me!

So after installing Xcode, MacPorts and then Ruby, rubygems and postgresql - I then reconfigured my Eclipse to use the port installed version of Ruby and gems. Which is when I realized that the pre-installed Ruby and gems was not in any way connected to the Mac port installed version. Well, that's inefficient - I thought.

Why doesn't macports just link into what is already installed and go from there? In fact why isn't macports pre-installed so developers can hit the ground running?

I still think Mac OS is a great platform for development - particularly web apps - but if it came with an integrated package manager it would be awesome.

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I assume you are comfortable with the fact that you are venturing outside of the supported Mac experience when you don't use the Apple Software Update, or you wouldn't be running MacPorts. That disclaimer made, have you tried Fink? It should be reminiscent of your Debian and Ubuntu experience. It uses dpkg and apt to manage packages. More info here: http://www.finkproject.org/

#1 colin on 2008-04-21 15:33

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