Find and install software on AROS.

Choose the CPU and ABI your system uses. The x86_64 and Raspberry Pi archives include apkg and PkgManager; i386 includes apkg only.

• x86_64 ABIv110.7.3 · AROS One and other ABIv11 systems
• Mainline x86_64 ABIv10.7.3 · Experimental
• Raspberry Pi, aarch64 ABIv10.7.3 · Experimental; not the hosted Macaros build
• i386 ABIv00.7.3 · Experimental; command line only

Release notes · SHA-256 checksums

Unpack the archive into a drawer you will keep. Close any older PkgManager and let apkg finish its work. Enter the unpacked drawer in the Shell, then run:

Copy apkg C:
apkg --version
apkg update

Keep SYS:Packages when updating arospkg: it holds your installed programs and their records.

Start PkgManager from its icon or with Run PkgManager. Click Update index, select a program and click Install. Run starts packages that describe how to launch; Open folder opens their drawer.

The same tasks in the Shell:

apkg search soliton
apkg show soliton
apkg install soliton
apkg open soliton

Packages go into SYS:Packages. To use another location, put --root "Work:Packages" before the command.

Full usage guide · ARexx commands

apkg update
apkg outdated
apkg upgrade soliton

update refreshes the catalogue. outdated lists available upgrades. upgrade installs a newer version or packaging revision; upgrade --all handles all available upgrades. PkgManager has an Updates filter and an Upgrade button.

To update arospkg itself, use apkg self-update or About → Update arospkg. This updates apkg and PkgManager together. From 0.4–0.6, the Shell update takes two runs; from 0.3, unpack the current release manually.

Update instructions, including copies in C:

apkg remove keeps files you changed or added. An upgrade refuses to overwrite local changes. apkg verify <id> checks the installed files without repairing them.

apkg rollback <id> returns to the package replaced by the last upgrade. It needs the saved archive and records. apkg doctor reports unfinished operations; apkg doctor --retry retries recovery.

Cached archives can remain after removal. There is no automatic cache cleanup or clean command in 0.7.3. Deleting rollback archives removes the ability to return to that version.

apkg-pack packages an AROS program you have already built. It creates a ZIP and prepares a catalogue submission from its public download URL. Your source repository can stay private.

Download apkg-pack 0.2.0 and use Python 3.11 or later on macOS, Linux or Windows. On Windows, use py in place of python3.

python3 apkg-pack.pyz init build/MyApp
python3 apkg-pack.pyz check build/MyApp
python3 apkg-pack.pyz build build/MyApp --output myapp.zip
python3 apkg-pack.pyz check myapp.zip

init writes build/MyApp.arospkg.toml beside your application drawer. Check its version, CPU, ABI and requirements. Add a [launch] table to make the application startable through apkg run.

Test the package on its target AROS system, then upload the ZIP unchanged to AROS Archives, a GitHub release or another HTTPS host. Submit its download URL:

python3 apkg-pack.pyz submit <download-url> --pr

This last command needs Git and a signed-in GitHub CLI (gh). It opens a pull request in arospkg-index. The package becomes available after review and merge. Building the ZIP needs neither an account nor a network connection.

Complete publishing guide · Tool release notes and checksums

The ZIP contains your application drawer, its icon and .arospkg/manifest.toml. The publishing tool reads that manifest and adds the download URL, size and checksum to the catalogue entry. apkg installs from the catalogue.

Archive layout and testing · Metadata reference

The old schema 0 package draft previously shown here is retired. Use the publishing guide for new packages.

Starting an application drawer

apkg-pack generates application.json from your [launch] table. It describes the executable and its launch mode. Workbench launches use the program icon’s stack size and tool types. The drawer remains usable without arospkg.

Application folder format, schema 1. This is implemented; the former application.toml proposal is obsolete.

Required packages are installed first. System libraries must already be present: arospkg does not install into LIBS:, C: or other shared system drawers, create assigns or run Installer scripts.

Catalogue reviews check metadata and archive contents. Runtime tests are recorded separately, for the archive and system actually tested. Downloads use HTTPS and SHA-256 checks; the catalogue is not signed.

apkg works in the ordinary Shell. In terminals such as Limpet, it also uses colour and adapts to the window. Use --plain for plain output.

The instructions above cover released arospkg 0.7.3 and apkg-pack 0.2.0.

Updated 3 November 2026. All documentation · Report a problem

Work is under way to bring arospkg and John Knipper’s pkg together in apkg-fusion. The integration combines arospkg’s client and context model with pkg’s services, including signed publication and a package portal.

A shared release and migration from existing installations still need agreement between the maintainers. For now, use the downloads and package instructions on this page for released arospkg. Follow the maintainer handoff and integration plan for the work in progress.