PKG_CREATE(1) | General Commands Manual | PKG_CREATE(1)

# NAME

`pkg_create` —
a utility for creating software package distributions

# SYNOPSIS

`pkg_create` | [`-lOVv`] [`-B` build-info-file] [`-b` build-version-file] [`-C` cpkgs] [`-D` displayfile] [`-F` compression] [`-g` group] [`-I` realprefix] [`-i` iscript] [`-K` pkg_dbdir] [`-k` dscript] [`-n` preserve-file] [`-P` dpkgs] [`-p` prefix] [`-S` size-all-file] [`-s` size-pkg-file] [`-T` buildpkgs] [`-t` template] [`-u` owner] `-c` comment `-d` description `-f` packlist pkg-name

# DESCRIPTION

The `pkg_create` command is used to create packages that will subsequently be fed to one of the package extraction/info utilities. The input description and command line arguments for the creation of a package are not really meant to be human-generated, though it is easy enough to do so. It is more expected that you will use a front-end tool for the job rather than muddling through it yourself. Nonetheless, a short description of the input syntax is included in this document.

# OPTIONS

The following command line options are supported:

`-B` build-info-file
  Install the file build-info-file so that users of binary packages can see what make(1) definitions were used to control the build when creating the binary package. This allows various build definitions to be retained in a binary package and viewed wherever it is installed, using pkg_info(1).
`-b` build-version-file
  Install the file build-version-file so that users of binary packages can see what versions of the files used to control the build were used when creating the binary package. This allows some fine-grained version control information to be retained in a binary package and viewed wherever it is installed, using pkg_info(1).
`-C` cpkgs
  Set the initial package conflict list to cpkgs. This is assumed to be a whitespace separated list of package names and is meant as a convenient shorthand for specifying multiple `@pkgcfl` directives in the packing list (see PACKING LIST DETAILS section below).
`-c` [-]desc
  Fetch package (one line description) from file desc or, if preceded by `-`, the argument itself. This string should also give some idea of which version of the product (if any) the package represents.
`-D` displayfile
  Display the file after installing the package. Useful for things like legal notices on almost-free software, etc.
`-d` [-]desc
  Fetch long description for package from file desc or, if preceded by `-`, the argument itself.
`-F` compression
  Use compression as compression algorithm. This overrides the heuristic to guess the compression type from the output name. Currently supported values are bzip2, gzip, none and xz.
`-f` packlist
  Fetch (packing list) for package from the file packlist or `stdin` if packlist is a `-` (dash).
`-g` group
  Make group the default group ownership instead of extracting it from the file system.
`-I` realprefix
  Provide the real prefix, as opposed to the staging prefix, for use in staged installations of packages.
`-i` iscript
  Set iscript to be the install procedure for the package. This can be any executable program (or shell script). It will be invoked automatically when the package is later installed.
`-K` pkg_dbdir
  Override the value of the `PKG_DBDIR` configuration option with the value pkg_dbdir.
`-k` dscript
  Set dscript to be the de-install procedure for the package. This can be any executable program (or shell script). It will be invoked automatically when the package is later (if ever) de-installed.
`-l`
  Check that any symbolic links which are to be placed in the package are relative to the current prefix. This means using unlink(2) and symlink(2) to remove and re-link any symbolic links which are targeted at full path names.
`-n` preserve-file
  The file is used to denote that the package should not be deleted. This is intended for use where the deletion of packages may present a bootstrap problem.
`-O`
  Go into a (packing list only) mode. This is used to do (fake pkg_add) operations when a package is installed. In such cases, it is necessary to know what the final, adjusted packing list will look like.
`-P` dpkgs
  Set the initial package dependency list to dpkgs. This is assumed to be a whitespace separated list of package names and is meant as a convenient shorthand for specifying multiple `@pkgdep` directives in the packing list (see PACKING LIST DETAILS section below). In addition, the exact versions of the packages referred to in the dpkgs list will be added to the packing list in the form of `@blddep` directives.
`-T` buildpkgs
  The exact versions of the packages referred to in the buildpkgs list will be added to the packing list in the form of `@blddep` directives. This directives are stored after those created by the `-P` option. buildpkgs is assumed to be a whitespace separated list of package names.
`-p` prefix
  Set prefix as the initial directory (base) to start from in selecting files for the package.
`-S` size-all-file
  Store the given file for later querying with the pkg_info(1) `-S` flag. The file is expected to contain the size (in bytes) of all files of this package plus any required packages added up and stored as a ASCII string, terminated by a newline.
`-s` size-pkg-file
  Store the given file for later querying with the pkg_info(1) `-s` flag. The file is expected to contain the size (in bytes) of all files of this package added up and stored as a ASCII string, terminated by a newline.
`-t` template
  Use template as the input to mktemp(3). By default, this is the string /tmp/instmp.XXXXXX, but it may be necessary to override it in the situation where space in your /tmp directory is limited. Be sure to leave some number of ‘X’ characters for mktemp(3) to fill in with a unique ID.
`-u` owner
  Make owner the default owner instead of extracting it from the file system.
`-V`
  Print version number and exit.
`-v`
  Turn on verbose output.

# PACKING LIST DETAILS

The (packing list) format (see `-f`) is fairly simple, being nothing more than a single column of filenames to include in the package. However, since absolute pathnames are generally a bad idea for a package that could be installed potentially anywhere, there is another method of specifying where things are supposed to go and, optionally, what ownership and mode information they should be installed with. This is done by embedding specialized command sequences in the packing list. Briefly described, these sequences are:

`@cwd` directory
  Set the internal directory pointer to point to directory. All subsequent filenames will be assumed relative to this directory. Note: `@cd` is also an alias for this command.
`@src` directory
  This command is supported for compatibility only. It was formerly used to override `@cwd` during package creation.
`@exec` command
  Execute command as part of the unpacking process. If command contains any of the following sequences somewhere in it, they will be expanded inline. For the following examples, assume that `@cwd` is set to /usr/local and the last extracted file was bin/emacs.
  `%F`
    Expands to the last filename extracted (as specified), in the example case bin/emacs
  `%D`
    Expand to the current directory prefix, as set with `@cwd`, in the example case /usr/local.
  `%B`
    Expand to the (basename) of the fully qualified filename, that is the current directory prefix, plus the last filespec, minus the trailing filename. In the example case, that would be /usr/local/bin.
  `%f`
    Expand to the (filename) part of the fully qualified name, or the converse of `%B`, being in the example case, emacs.
`@unexec` command
  Execute command as part of the deinstallation process. Expansion of special `%` sequences is the same as for `@exec`. This command is not executed during the package add, as `@exec` is, but rather when the package is deleted. This is useful for deleting links and other ancillary files that were created as a result of adding the package, but not directly known to the package's table of contents (and hence not automatically removable). The advantage of using `@unexec` over a deinstallation script is that you can use the (special sequence expansion) to get at files regardless of where they've been potentially redirected (see `-p`).
`@mode` mode
  Set default permission for all subsequently extracted files to mode. Format is the same as that used by the `chmod` command (well, considering that it's later handed off to it, that's no surprise). Use without an arg to set back to default (extraction) permissions.
`@option` option
  Set internal package options, the only currently supported one being preserve, which tells pkg_add to move any existing files out of the way, preserving the previous contents (which are also resurrected on pkg_delete, so caveat emptor).
`@owner` user
  Set default ownership for all subsequently extracted files to user. Use without an arg to set back to default (extraction) ownership.
`@group` group
  Set default group ownership for all subsequently extracted files to group. Use without an arg to set back to default (extraction) group ownership.
`@comment` string
  Embed a comment in the packing list. Useful in trying to document some particularly hairy sequence that may trip someone up later.
`@ignore`
  Used internally to tell extraction to ignore the next file (don't copy it anywhere), as it's used for some special purpose.
`@name` name
  Set the name of the package. This is mandatory and is usually put at the top. This name is potentially different than the name of the file it came in, and is used when keeping track of the package for later deinstallation. Note that `pkg_create` will derive this field from the pkg-name and add it automatically if none is given.
`@pkgdir` name
  Declare directory name as managed. If it does not exist at installation time, it is created. If this directory is no longer referenced by packages and the last file or directory in it is deleted, the directory is removed as well.
`@dirrm` name
  This command is supported for compatibility only. If directory name exists, it will be deleted at deinstall time.
`@display` name
  Declare name as the file to be displayed at install time (see `-D` above).
`@pkgdep` pkgname
  Declare a dependency on the pkgname package. The pkgname package must be installed before this package may be installed, and this package must be deinstalled before the pkgname package is deinstalled. Multiple `@pkgdep` directives may be used if the package depends on multiple other packages.
`@blddep` pkgname
  Declare that this package was built with the exact version of pkgname (since the `@pkgdep` directive may contain wildcards or relational package version information).
`@pkgcfl` pkgcflname
  Declare a conflict with the pkgcflname package, as the two packages contain references to the same files, and so cannot co-exist on the same system.

# ENVIRONMENT

See pkg_install.conf(5) for options, that can also be specified using the environment.

# SEE ALSO

pkg_add(1), pkg_admin(1), pkg_delete(1), pkg_info(1), pkg_install.conf(5) pkgsrc(7)

# HISTORY

The `pkg_create` command first appeared in FreeBSD.

# AUTHORS

Jordan Hubbard
  most of the work
John Kohl
  refined it for NetBSD
Hubert Feyrer
  NetBSD wildcard dependency processing, pkgdb, pkg size recording etc.

December 27, 2014 | NetBSD 9.3