PKGIT(1)

📦 version 1.1.3, in nixpkgs unstable

🦋 PKGIT(1) — the pkgit manual, but make it make sense

okay so this is the manual page for pkgit, living in section 1 (User Commands). Buckle up bestie, it's actually a serve 💅

✨ NAME ✨

pkgit — an unconventional package manager

like... the name literally tells you it's not gonna be normal. embrace it 🫶

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

pkgit [options] <package>
pkgit [options] <command> [arguments]

two whole shapes, pick whichever fits your vibe

💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

so pkgit is an unconventional package manager, and its whole thing is that it compiles and installs packages directly from their git repository. no middleman, no tarball gacha, just git → build → installed. iconic behaviour honestly 👑

commands in pkgit follow a standard structure:

pkgit [--flag|-f] <package>

flags come in two forms: long (like --install) and short (like -i). the short form literally just uses the first letter of the long counterpart — so no memorising random letters, it's giving thoughtful ✨

and here's the fun part: short flags can be chained together into a single argument. for example, -qif combines --quiet, --install, and --force. one little blob, three whole behaviours. efficiency ate 💅

⚠️ WARNING ⚠️

okay we need to be so fr for a sec. due to the nature of pkgit, you are solely responsible for vetting the repositories that you add to your system. nobody's checking those for you, bestie. use at your own risk.

this is the part where you actually read the repo before you run it. no cap. 🙈

🎀 COMPILATION 🎀

to compile pkgit from source, enter the project directory and run one of the following:

make

or

pkgit --build

both methods will create an executable in the root directory of the project.

you may also want to generate a base configuration file. run the following as a regular user to generate the config in ~/.config/pkgit:

make defconfig

alternatively, run as root (using sudo or doas) to generate the system-wide config in /etc/pkgit:

sudo make defconfig

see how that works? user config vs system config, pick your fighter 🌈

🧚 INSTALLATION 🧚

after compiling, install the package with root privileges:

make install

if you don't have root privileges, or you simply prefer a local installation, you can specify an install location using the PREFIX variable. a common choice is ~/.local:

make install PREFIX="~/.local"

no sudo, no stress, just vibes 🍓

💜 ENVIRONMENT 💜

before using programs installed via pkgit, make sure the binary path is added to your shell's PATH. for a local installation (e.g., ~/.local/bin), add the following to your shell configuration:

Bash / Zsh

export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"

Fish

fish_add_path $HOME/.local/bin

Csh / Tcsh

setenv PATH $HOME/.local/bin:$PATH

pick the block that matches your shell and you're so set 🫶

⭐ OPTIONS ⭐

these options modify the behavior of commands.

  • -q, --quiet — minimize logs output to stdout. less yapping, more doing 🤫
  • -f, --force — force the package to be installed, even if it is already installed. it said what it said 💀

👑 COMMANDS 👑

  • -i, --install <target> — install a package. assuming the respective repository has already been added, you can specify the package by name. the <target> argument supports several syntax variations:

Basic install

pkgit --install pkg_name

Specific version

pkgit --install pkg_name@version

Specific target

pkgit --install pkg_name,target

(target is based on configuration in bldit.lua or init.lua)

Combined target and version

pkgit --install pkg_name,target@version

or

pkgit --install pkg_name@version,target

(order does not matter as long as the package name is first — flexible queen)

Repo install

pkgit --install url.git

(installs directly from a git URL. works with target and version syntax too)

Local install

pkgit --install  .

(installs from the local code repository in the current directory, taking advantage of pkgit's build system autodetection — it literally just figures it out 🔥)

  • -b, --build [/path/to/project] — (best for developers) act as a meta-build-system to automatically compile any supported project. can be run from the project's root directory without specifying the path. autodetect slay ✨
  • -r, --remove <pkg_name> — remove (uninstall) an installed package. bye bestie 👋
  • -u, --update — update all installed packages. all of them. at once. yes really 💅
  • -d, --declare — use the configuration file as a package declaration file to declare and install all packages at once. config file but make it a to-do list 🎀

🌟 EXAMPLES 🌟

install a package quietly, forcing the installation:

pkgit -qif mypackage

install a specific version and target of a package:

pkgit -i mypackage,mytarget@1.0.0

install a package directly from a git repository:

pkgit --install https://github.com/heather7283/pipemixer

build the project in the current directory:

pkgit --build

copy, paste, live your truth 🦋

🔗 SEE ALSO 🔗

git(1), lua(1)

(yes obviously, look at what it does 😭)

💐 AUTHORS 💐

pkgit is developed and maintained by the contributors at git.symlinx.net/pkgit.

okay that's the whole thing!! go forth and compile responsibly, bestie 🫶

source/version: git.symlinx.net/pkgit — dated 2026-06-22 — mwah, that's the sign-off 💋✨

📦 where this page comes from