unipm - Universal Package Manager

unipm is a cross-platform command-line tool that simplifies software installation with natural commands. It automatically detects your OS and package manager, resolves package names, and executes the correct installation command — all while maintaining transparency and safety.

🚀 Quick Install

Linux/macOS:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ieee-cs-bmsit/unipm/main/scripts/install.sh | bash

Windows (PowerShell):

iwr -useb https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ieee-cs-bmsit/unipm/main/scripts/install.ps1 | iex

Or download binaries directly from releases.

Features

• Unified Syntax: One command works across all platforms
• Auto-Detection: Automatically detects OS, distribution, and package manager
• Fuzzy Matching: Intelligent package name resolution with suggestions
• Safety First: Dry-run mode, confirmation prompts, and input sanitization
• Cross-Platform: Linux, macOS, and Windows support
• Extensible: JSON-based package knowledge base

Quick Start

Installation

From Source

Linux/macOS:

git clone https://github.com/ieee-cs-bmsit/unipm.git
cd unipm
chmod +x scripts/build.sh
./scripts/build.sh
sudo make install -C build

Windows:

git clone https://github.com/ieee-cs-bmsit/unipm.git
cd unipm
.\scripts\build.ps1
# Copy build\bin\Release\unipm.exe to a directory in your PATH

Usage

# Install packages
unipm install docker
unipm install node lts
unipm install vscode python git

# Remove packages
unipm remove nginx

# Update all packages
unipm update

# Search for packages
unipm search postgres

# Show package info
unipm info docker

# Dry run (preview command)
unipm install redis --dry-run

# Skip confirmation prompts
unipm install mongodb --yes

# Force specific package manager
unipm install docker --pm=brew

Supported Package Managers

• APT (Debian, Ubuntu)
• Pacman (Arch Linux)
• Homebrew (macOS, Linux)
• DNF (Fedora, RHEL, CentOS)
• Winget (Windows 10/11)
• Chocolatey (Windows)

Use Cases

• Developer Environment Setup: Quickly install dev tools across different machines
• Linux Onboarding: Help new users without package manager knowledge
• CI/CD Automation: Standardize installation scripts across platforms
• Educational Labs: Simplify software installation for students

Examples

Install Docker on any platform

unipm install docker

• Ubuntu: sudo apt install -y docker.io
• Arch: sudo pacman -S --noconfirm docker
• macOS: brew install docker
• Windows: winget install --id Docker.DockerDesktop

Install Node.js LTS

unipm install node lts

• Homebrew: brew install node@lts
• Winget: winget install --id OpenJS.NodeJS.LTS

Preview before installing

unipm install postgres --dry-run
# Output: Would execute: sudo apt install -y postgresql

Configuration

unipm uses a JSON package database located at:

• Linux: /usr/local/share/unipm/packages.json
• macOS: /usr/local/share/unipm/packages.json
• Windows: C:\Program Files\unipm\packages.json

You can extend the database with custom mappings at:

• Linux/macOS: ~/.config/unipm/packages.json
• Windows: %APPDATA%\unipm\packages.json

Example Custom Mapping

{
  "packages": {
    "myapp": {
      "aliases": ["my-application"],
      "apt": "myapp-deb",
      "pacman": "myapp",
      "brew": "myapp-formula"
    }
  }
}

Architecture

unipm follows a modular three-layer architecture:

1. Parsing Layer: Command-line argument parsing and validation
2. Resolution Layer: Package name fuzzy matching and alias resolution
3. Execution Layer: Safe command execution with privilege escalation

See ARCHITECTURE.md for detailed design documentation.

Testing

cd build
ctest

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit pull requests or open issues.

See CONTRIBUTING.md for details on how to get started.

Community & Governance

• Code of Conduct: We differ to the Contributor Covenant to ensure a welcoming community.
• Security: Please review our Security Policy for reporting vulnerabilities.

Adding New Package Mappings

Edit data/packages.json:

{
  "newpackage": {
    "aliases": ["alternative-name"],
    "apt": "package-name-for-apt",
    "pacman": "package-name-for-pacman",
    "brew": "package-name-for-brew",
    "dnf": "package-name-for-dnf",
    "winget": "Publisher.PackageName",
    "choco": "package-name"
  }
}

Adding New Package Manager Support

1. Create adapter in src/adapters/yourpm_adapter.cpp
2. Implement PackageManagerAdapter interface
3. Add to AdapterFactory::create()
4. Update PackageManager enum in types.h

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details

Acknowledgments

• Inspired by the universal package manager concept
• Uses nlohmann/json for JSON parsing

Disclaimer

unipm is a convenience wrapper around native package managers. It does not replace them and requires them to be installed on your system. Always review commands before execution using --dry-run.