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Getting Started with the xPack Binary Development Tools

Overview​

xPack Binary Development Tools is a collection of standalone cross-platform binary tools, aimed at reproducible builds.

What are reproducible operations?

To be reproducible, an operation must remain stable over time and across different environments. In other words, if the same operation is repeated after some time, possibly on a different machine or platform, the resulting behaviour must be functionally equivalent.

The project home page groups the available tools as main tools and supplementary tools.

All projects are open source and are hosted in the GitHub Organization xpack-dev-tools.

What are xpm packages? (xPacks)​

xpm packages, also known as xPacks, are highly adaptable and language-neutral software solutions. They have been effectively employed in C and C++ projects, demonstrating their versatility and practicality.

What the heck are xpm packages (xPacks)? Please, do not introduce another package format!

At first glance, the use of xpm packages may appear complex; however, in practice, they are remarkably straightforward. Their design philosophy is centred on automating frequent tasks in software development, such as dependency installation, and ensuring reproducibility.

xpm packages are managed by xpm (the xPack Project Manager), a utility that complements the npm CLI, the widely-utilised JavaScript package manager, by introducing language-neutral features.

The xPacks Framework does not establish a new package format. Instead, it adopts the standard npm package format, which comprises a collection of files and folders, along with a package.json file containing the metadata.

xpm is capable of installing packages from the same repositories as npm, whether they are public or private.

Packages, which are typically regular archives or git repositories, are extracted into distinct folders within the project.

Based on their contents, xpm packages fall into two categories:

  • Source xpm packages: These contain source libraries.
  • Binary xpm packages: These typically consist of executables, often platform-specific binary tools.

Source xpm packages are standard npm packages that incorporate library source files, usually written in C/C++, although they are not restricted to any particular programming language.

Binary xpm packages are also standard npm packages but have minimal contents, generally limited to a package.json file. Since these packages provide executables for multiple platforms — many of which can be considerably large — it is impractical to include all binaries within the npm package itself. Instead, the package.json file includes references (URLs) to platform-specific binary archives (e.g., .tar.gz for Unix or .zip for Windows).

These archives, along with the package metadata, are extracted. Additionally, links or forwarders to the executables are created within a .bin folder, thereby eliminating the need to add multiple folders to the system PATH.

In conclusion, xpm packages simplify and streamline the installation process for source libraries and tools, enhancing efficiency and automation. For further information, please refer to the xpm Concepts page.

Features​

All binaries are:

  • Self-contained (include all required libraries)
  • File-system relocatable (may be installed in any location)
  • Built on slightly older systems (to ensure compatibility with both old and new systems)
Compatibility with older systems

Given that most operating systems maintain significant compatibility with older versions, building an application on an older system ensures that the same binary may execute on newer versions. Conversely, building an application on a newer system may utilise library features that are not available in older versions, making backward compatibility less feasible.

Similarly to Flatpak or Snap, but significantly simpler, xpm packages include all dependent shared libraries within the distributed archives, making the binaries independent of any similar libraries installed on the system. This ensures they may execute on any system without requiring specific libraries to be installed.

Additionally, the builds are configured so that the binaries do not depend on being installed in specific folders, and may be installed in any location, including within user folders.

Benefits​

The primary advantages of utilising the xPack Binary Development Tools are:

  • A convenient, uniform and portable installation/uninstallation/upgrade procedure; the same procedure is utilised for all major platforms (x64 Windows, x64 macOS, arm64 macOS, x64 GNU/Linux, arm64 GNU/Linux).
  • Multiple versions of the same package may be installed simultaneously on the same system.
  • No need to be concerned about dependent libraries, as they are all included.
  • Not affected by system updates that might alter the versions of the dependent libraries.
  • Significantly lighter and easier to utilise than Docker images that provide similar functionality and are GNU/Linux centric.
  • Projects may be tied to specific tool versions; this provides excellent reproducibility, particularly useful in CI/CD environments.

Install​

The executables and other related files may be installed automatically with xpm or manually by downloading the platform-specific archives.

The details for installing the various xPack Binary Development Tools on different platforms are provided in the Install Guide on each project's website.

Licence​

Unless explicitly stated otherwise, the original content is distributed under the terms of the MIT Licence, with all rights reserved by Liviu Ionescu.

The binary distributions include several open-source components; the corresponding licenses are available in each archive in the distro-info/licenses folder.

MacStadium

Credits​

Special thanks to MacStadium for providing the Apple Silicon development infrastructure as part of their generous Free and Open Source Software programme.

Enjoyed Using This Project? Please Let Us Know!​

If you have found this project valuable, we would appreciate hearing from you! Here are some ways you can demonstrate your support:

  • Donate: Every contribution, regardless of size, helps sustain the xPack project. Your generosity maintains the development and ensures continued progress.
  • Star the project on GitHub: Assist others in discovering our work by giving it a star — it truly makes a difference!
  • Follow Us on X/Twitter: Stay informed about our latest updates, releases, and news by following our account.

Your support is greatly appreciated and motivates us to continue improving!