Chapter 2

Getting Started With the Image Packaging System

This section provides an overview of the Image Packaging System software (IPS). The OpenSolaris 2008.05 release uses IPS as its packaging system.

The IPS software allows you to create images, and install, search, update, and manage packages in the image. You can also use IPS to create your own packages and OpenSolaris repositories, and publish and manage packages to the repositories.

An image is a location where the packages, their files, and their corresponding actions can be installed. An image acts as an IPS client, which interacts with the package depot server.

A package depot server, also called the repository, must be run for the IPS client to access the packages. For the OpenSolaris 2008.05 release of Indiana, http://pkg.opensolaris.org, is such a server. If the system on which IPS is installed is on the network, IPS can automatically access the OpenSolaris repository.

You can also create your own OpenSolaris repository and set up your IPS client to access your repository.

This section discusses the following topics:

• IPS Overview

• IPS for End Users (Tasks)

• Installing Developer Software (Tasks)

• IPS for Developers (Commands)

• IPS For Developers (Tasks)

• Further Information

• pkg(1) Command Reference

• Glossary