Package Management

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Overview

Plugins often need to install additional software packages. Unraid uses Slackware packages (.txz format). This guide covers building, hosting, and installing packages.

Package Format

Slackware packages are .txz (or .tgz) archives with a specific structure:

package-name-version-arch-build.txz
├── install/
│   ├── slack-desc          # Package description
│   └── doinst.sh          # Post-install script (optional)
├── usr/
│   └── local/
│       └── bin/
│           └── myprogram   # Your files
└── etc/
    └── myprogram.conf      # Config files

Building a Package

Directory Structure 

# Create package directory
mkdir -p /tmp/mypackage-1.0-x86_64-1/install
mkdir -p /tmp/mypackage-1.0-x86_64-1/usr/local/bin

# Add your files
cp myprogram /tmp/mypackage-1.0-x86_64-1/usr/local/bin/
chmod 755 /tmp/mypackage-1.0-x86_64-1/usr/local/bin/myprogram

Package Description (slack-desc) 

# /tmp/mypackage-1.0-x86_64-1/install/slack-desc
       |-----handy-ruler------------------------------------------------------|
mypackage: mypackage (Short description)
mypackage:
mypackage: Longer description of what this package does.
mypackage: Can span multiple lines.
mypackage:
mypackage:
mypackage:
mypackage:
mypackage:
mypackage:
mypackage:

Post-Install Script (optional) 

#!/bin/bash
# /tmp/mypackage-1.0-x86_64-1/install/doinst.sh

# Create symlinks, set permissions, etc.
chmod 755 /usr/local/bin/myprogram

# Create config if not exists
if [ ! -f /etc/myprogram.conf ]; then
    cp /etc/myprogram.conf.new /etc/myprogram.conf
fi

Create Package 

cd /tmp/mypackage-1.0-x86_64-1
makepkg -l y -c n ../mypackage-1.0-x86_64-1.txz

Installing Packages

Via PLG FILE 

<FILE Name="/boot/config/plugins/yourplugin/mypackage-1.0-x86_64-1.txz" Run="upgradepkg --install-new">
<URL>https://github.com/you/repo/releases/download/v1.0/mypackage-1.0-x86_64-1.txz</URL>
<MD5>abc123def456...</MD5>
</FILE>

Manual Installation 

# Install
installpkg /path/to/package.txz

# Upgrade
upgradepkg /path/to/package.txz

# Remove
removepkg package-name

Slackware Package Sources

Many packages are available from:

Using Pre-built Packages

From Slackware Repositories 

<FILE Name="/boot/config/plugins/yourplugin/package.txz" Run="upgradepkg --install-new">
<URL>http://slackware.cs.utah.edu/pub/slackware/slackware64-15.0/slackware64/ap/package-version.txz</URL>
<MD5>checksum_here</MD5>
</FILE>

Hosting Your Own

GitHub Releases is a common choice:

<URL>https://github.com/yourusername/yourrepo/releases/download/v1.0/package.txz</URL>

Dependencies

Handle dependencies by installing them first in your PLG:

<!-- Install dependency first -->
<FILE Name="/boot/config/plugins/yourplugin/dependency.txz" Run="upgradepkg --install-new">
<URL>https://example.com/dependency.txz</URL>
</FILE>

<!-- Then your package -->
<FILE Name="/boot/config/plugins/yourplugin/yourpackage.txz" Run="upgradepkg --install-new">
<URL>https://example.com/yourpackage.txz</URL>
</FILE>

Package Naming Convention 

name-version-arch-build.txz

name:    Package name (lowercase, no spaces)
version: Version number (e.g., 1.0, 2.1.3)
arch:    Architecture (x86_64, noarch, arm)
build:   Build number (1, 2, etc.)

Examples:
mypackage-1.0-x86_64-1.txz
python-library-2.5.0-noarch-1.txz

Cleanup on Uninstall

In your PLG REMOVE section:

<FILE Run="/bin/bash" Method="remove">
<INLINE>
removepkg mypackage-1.0-x86_64-1
rm -f /boot/config/plugins/yourplugin/mypackage-*.txz
</INLINE>
</FILE>

References