lpack-prototype

A lightweight experimental Linux packaging system for distributing applications across different Linux distributions using a single portable package format.

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BUILD NOTE

The production of this app is now passed to new repository.

Click here to see the production ready fast app.

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What is lpack?

lpack is a prototype package manager and packaging format built to solve one simple problem:

Linux app distribution across distros is fragmented and painful.

Different package formats (.deb, .rpm, AppImage, Flatpak, Snap) all solve parts of the problem, but each comes with trade-offs.

lpack is an experimental attempt to create:

• A simple package format
• Easy package building
• Clean installation/removal
• Portable app deployment
• Minimal dependencies
• Simple manifest-based packaging

The package format used is:

.lpk

NOTE: .lpk is basically a .zip with compression-level 9

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Features

• Build portable .lpk packages
• Install packages locally or system-wide
• Remove installed packages cleanly
• Search installed packages
• Desktop entry support
• Symlink executable management
• Package version upgrade/downgrade detection
• Minimal implementation
• Built entirely in Python

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How It Works

lpack packages are basically:

1. A compressed archive
2. Containing application files
3. Along with an obfuscated manifest

The builder:

• Reads manifest.lpack
• Collects application files
• Generates metadata
• Compresses everything into .lpk

The installer:

• Extracts package
• Reads manifest
• Installs files
• Creates symlinks
• Creates desktop entries

The remover:

• Removes installed files
• Removes symlinks
• Removes desktop entries cleanly

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Installation

Requirements

• Python 3.11+
• Linux
• pip
• make

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Clone Repository

git clone https://github.com/bytesketch/lpack-prototype.git
cd lpack-prototype

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Setup Environment

make setup

This will:

• Create Python virtual environment
• Install dependencies
• Prepare build environment

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Build Binary

make build

Output will be generated in:

dist/

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Install lpack

make install

System-wide install requires sudo permissions.

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Makefile Commands

Command	Description
make setup	Setup Python environment
make build	Build executable
make install	Install lpack
make clean	Remove build/cache files
make help	Show help menu

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CLI Usage

Build Package

lpack build .

or

lpack build /path/to/project

Silent Mode

lpack build . --silent

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Install Package

User Install

lpack install app.lpk

System-wide Install

sudo lpack install app.lpk --system-wide

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Remove Package

User Package

lpack remove my-package

System-wide Package

sudo lpack remove my-package --system-wide

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Search Installed Packages

List Packages

lpack search

Inspect Package

lpack search my-package

NOTE: If want to find system-wide installed lpk search do add --system-wide. Default is local install.

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Package Manifest

manifest.lpack

Example:

{
  "package": {
    "name": "My App",
    "package": "my-app",
    "version": "1.0.0",
    "authors": ["yourname"]
  },

  "build_path": "dist/my-app",
  "description": "Example lpack application",

  "app": {
    "binary": "bin/my-app",
    "entry": "myapp"
  },

  "desktop": {
    "name": "My App",
    "icon": "res/icon.png",
    "exec": "my-app --gui"
  },

  "include": {
    "README.md": "docs/README.md"
  }
}

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Goals

• Simplicity
• Minimalism
• Cross-distro portability
• Easy developer workflow
• Clean package management
• Fully scriptable

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Limitations

This is currently a prototype.

Current limitations include:

• No dependency resolution
• No remote repositories
• No package signing
• No sandboxing
• No delta updates
• No automatic updates
• No rollback support

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Tech Stack

• Python
• Typer
• Rich
• PyInstaller

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Why I Built This

I wanted to experiment with solving Linux application distribution in a simpler way.

This project was mainly built as:

• A systems programming experiment
• A packaging format prototype
• A Linux tooling project
• A learning experience

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Examples

For example purpose, I have bundled VSCode's all official 3 variants as .lpk in release-'example-LPKs'.

You can test it by doing

sudo lpack install VSCode-1778006632-x64.lpk --system-wide

NOTE: All rights of the inner part of VSCode is owned by Microsoft. And I do not claim it as my property.
If microsoft wants to remove it, they can open issue. I'll do that cleanly.

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Contributing

Contributions, ideas, and experiments are welcome.

Feel free to:

• Open issues
• Suggest improvements
• Fork the project
• Test on different distros

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License

MIT License. See LICENSE for full info.

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Author

Ali Ahmad @bytesketch

Built with Python and Linux curiosity.