Pkgsrc Is Cool (2022)

Pkgsrc is NetBSD's package manager that works across multiple Unix-like operating systems and supports both binary and source-based package installation. What makes it appealing is its philosophy of separating installed packages from the base system by installing them into isolated directories like /usr/pkg, and its ability to run in unprivileged mode to let individual users maintain their own separate userland without requiring administrative privileges. The author found this approach compelling because it prevents package dependencies from cluttering the core system directories.