Isis Package Manager (IPM)

Description

ipm is a software package manager that allows a user to access Unix applications that are available in Shared Dataspace. It works by manipulating the user's login environment, the only requirement being that the user be running an ipm supported shell ( ksh, bash, csh, or tcsh ).

For each software package added, ipm adds the path to that software to the user's PATH environment variable and the path to the software's man pages to the user's MANPATH variable. Additionally, it sets up any environment variables the software package requires. The user is then able to run the software without performing additional setup.

Users automatically have access to a set of software packages known as the Isis Package Set. This set contains basic utilities, editors, mail, and news readers.

ipm has four different modes of operation and each mode takes a different set of options. The modes are Add, Remove, Query, and Verify.

Modes

Add mode:

where add-options are:

-verbose verbose output of whats going on.

-prepend prepend pkg path and manpath to PATH and MANPATH variables (default).

-append append pkg path and manpath to PATH and MANPATH variables.

Remove mode:

where remove-options are:

-verbose verbose output of whats going on.

Query mode:

where query-options are:

-current lists pkgs currently in pkg environment (default).

-search <string> lists pkgs whose summaries contain <string>.

-all lists all pkgs available.

-nondefault allow allows showing versions of packages other than default version.

-info prints information about a package.

-show <shell> shows environment code for package for <shell>. If <shell> is null, then the code for the current shell is shown.

Verify mode:

where verify-options are:

-verbose verbose output of whats going on.

Examples

To show current package environment:

#  ipm  query

To obtain the list of isis package set members:

#  ipm  query  -info  isis

To obtain information about the pine package:

#  ipm  query  -info  pine

To add the matlab package:

#  ipm  add  matlab

To remove the gcc package:

#  ipm  remove  gcc

See Also

For more information about Shared Dataspace software packages, please refer to the ITS document: Shared Applications.


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