Arch Linux

archnet

Member

Registered: 2011-05-09

Posts: 42

Custom configuration of packages

Is it possible for a custom configuration of packages?

For example, dwm has no configuration file for customization but instead make all customization via a C header file that gets built into the binary. Obviously in this example it would require the ability to build from source. Is that something pacman can handle? I know that NetBSD's pkgsrc allows either installing binary packages or compiling from source and the latter allows for customization (for example, using inet6 for nmap).

JokerBoy

Member

From: România

Registered: 2009-09-24

Posts: 641

Re: Custom configuration of packages

Yes, it is.

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Arch_Build_System
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Dw … s_with_ABS

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karol

Archivist

Registered: 2009-05-06

Posts: 25,440

Re: Custom configuration of packages

pacman installs packages that are build by makepkg from PKGBUILDs. If you can make a PKGBUILD that suits your tastes - whether via configure options, some sed magic or otherwise - you'll get a package that suits your needs.
There are many packages in the AUR that are a variation of some package from the official repo, e.g. mplayer: You've got
- mplayer-minimal-svn,
- mplayer-mt-lite,
- mplayer-mt-oss-git,
- mplayer-vdpau-svn
and many others.

archnet

Member

Registered: 2011-05-09

Posts: 42

Re: Custom configuration of packages

Ok. Once I have a package (mypackage.tgz ?), how do I tell pacman to install it (since it obviously won't be in core, extra, or community)?

karol

Archivist

Registered: 2009-05-06

Posts: 25,440

Re: Custom configuration of packages

Ok. Once I have a package (mypackage.tgz ?), how do I tell pacman to install it (since it obviously won't be in core, extra, or community)?

Once you packaged foo as e.g. foo-1.2-3-i686.pkg.tar.* just install it with 'pacman -U'.

Last edited by karol (2011-09-24 21:27:16)