Getting Additional Software

After an initial installation of OpenSolaris operating system, you will find that many of the software applications that you use on a regular basis are not immediately available to you. These software applications are available as packages in a repository for downloading and installing over the internet. A repository is a source for packages.

The Image Packaging System enables users to connect to the repository and download and install packages.

OpenSolaris uses IPS for its packaging system. Besides installing packages from a repository, users can create and publish their own IPS packages, set up an OpenSolaris repository, mirror an existing repository, and publish existing packages to a repository.

Once you have installed packages, IPS enables you to search, update, and manage packages on your system.

With IPS , you can upgrade your system to a newer build of OpenSolaris, install and update your software to the latest available versions in a repository, and retrieve packages from mirror repositories.

If the system on which IPS is installed is on the network, IPS can automatically access the OpenSolaris repository. Your IPS client can access the packages from http://pkg.opensolaris.org.

OpenSolaris Repositories

The following repositories are available for the OpenSolaris release:

http://pkg.opensolaris.org – Users can access this repository to download and install software that is specifically built to run on OpenSolaris 2009.06.
See the table and information in http://dlc.sun.com/osol/docs/content/2008.11/IMGPACKAGSYS/ssttii.html for a list of repositories that contain security fixes, access to encumbered packages and third-party non-redistributable packages. Access to these repositories may require a key and a certificate.

The Package Manager

The Package Manager application is a GUI for the IPS software. The Package Manager enables you to search, install, and remove packages; add, and modify repositories; and create and remove boot environments.

You can start the Package Manager in the following ways:

Desktop Menu:

Select System > Administration > Package Manager.

Command line:

Execute the following command at the prompt:

$ gksu packagemanager &

The Package Manager documentation is available from the Help menu. To learn how to use the Package Manager, select About > Help.

View the screencast (http://webcast-west.sun.com/>interactive/09B01790/index.html) to learn how to use the Package Manager.