TinyPM V3

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A beginner-friendly Linux package wrapper for the Abora ecosystem, built on a NixOS base.

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TinyPM V3

TinyPM V3 is the remastered release of TinyPM.

The system name is TinyPM V3. The core engine name is Parcel.

Parcel gives TinyPM one simple install flow across:

• native package managers
• Flatpak
• Snap

For Abora, the native path is Nix because Abora uses NixOS as its base.

The main command is now:

grab firefox

You can also inspect the engine directly:

Parcel --version

If your system has more than one valid source available and you do not pass a flag, Parcel asks which backend you want to use.

Examples:

grab firefox
grab -f org.mozilla.firefox
grab -flat org.mozilla.firefox
grab -flatpak org.mozilla.firefox
grab -s firefox
grab -n firefox

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Adding extra sources

grab-add-repo is the Parcel answer to add-apt-repository. It registers an extra source with your native backend, then grab update and grab <package> work as usual:

grab-add-repo ppa:hepp3n/cosmic-epoch
grab update
grab cosmic-session

You can also call it through the main CLI:

tinypm add-repo ppa:hepp3n/cosmic-epoch

Each backend has its own idea of an "extra source", so grab-add-repo routes the spec to the right call:

Backend	What grab-add-repo does
apt	add-apt-repository -y <spec> (installs software-properties-common if needed)
dnf	dnf config-manager --add-repo <url>, or dnf copr enable for copr:owner/project
zypper	zypper addrepo --refresh <url> [name]
pacman	appends [name] / Server to /etc/pacman.conf (use name=url)
apk	appends the URL to /etc/apk/repositories
xbps	writes the repository into /etc/xbps.d/10-tinypm.conf
brew	brew tap <owner/repo>
nix	nix-channel --add <url> [name] then nix-channel --update

Abora / Nix

Abora is NixOS-based, so grab-add-repo registers a Nix channel there. PPAs are Ubuntu-only and cannot translate, so pass a channel URL (with an optional name) instead:

grab-add-repo https://nixos.org/channels/nixos-unstable unstable
grab cosmic-session

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Installing a desktop environment

grab-de installs a whole desktop environment with the right packages, display manager, and session for your backend:

grab-de cosmic        # also: gnome, plasma, xfce

Or through the main CLI:

tinypm de cosmic

It maps a logical name to each backend's reality:

DE	pacman	apt	dnf	nix (declarative)
cosmic	cosmic group	cosmic-session	@cosmic-desktop	services.desktopManager.cosmic.enable
gnome	gnome gdm	gnome-core gdm3	@gnome-desktop	services.desktopManager.gnome.enable
plasma	plasma sddm	kde-plasma-desktop sddm	@kde-desktop	services.desktopManager.plasma6.enable
xfce	xfce4 lightdm	xfce4 lightdm	@xfce-desktop	services.xserver.desktopManager.xfce.enable

On imperative distros it installs the packages and enables the display manager.

Abora / Nix

On NixOS a desktop environment is declarative — installing it with nix-env would give you a broken half-session. So on Nix, grab-de prints the exact configuration.nix lines plus the rebuild command instead of installing:

grab-de cosmic
# -> add to /etc/nixos/configuration.nix:
#      services.desktopManager.cosmic.enable = true;
#      services.displayManager.cosmic-greeter.enable = true;
# -> then: sudo nixos-rebuild switch && reboot

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Abora / ANIX (declarative installs)

Abora manages its system declaratively through ANIX (/etc/nixos/anix.nix, applied with anix apply). When the anix tool is present, TinyPM stops doing imperative nix-env installs and instead edits the ANIX config, so grab changes are declarative and survive system rebuilds:

grab firefox       # -> anix package add firefox   ; anix apply
grab remove htop   # -> anix package remove htop   ; anix apply
grab-de gnome      # -> anix set desktop gnome      ; anix apply

This only activates when anix is installed. On plain NixOS (no ANIX) or any other distro, behavior is unchanged.

Environment overrides:

• TINYPM_NO_ANIX=1 — ignore ANIX and use nix-env directly
• TINYPM_ANIX_APPLY=0 — update anix.nix but skip the rebuild (run anix apply yourself)

Desktops ANIX doesn't model (e.g. cosmic) fall back to the printed configuration.nix instructions.

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Why V3

TinyPM V3 is simpler on purpose.

• grab is now the primary install command
• Seed has been removed
• desktop and intro launchers have been removed
• the installer no longer asks you to pick a default install command flow
• provider choice happens at install time when it is actually needed

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Features

• Primary install command: grab
• Engine command: Parcel --version
• Main CLI: tinypm
• Native-only wrapper: syspm
• Flatpak, Snap, and native package support
• Automatic backend detection
• Interactive backend choice when multiple sources are available
• Managed package tracking
• Curated discover catalog
• tinypm doctor --fix
• tinypm export-state and tinypm import-state

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Installation

Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/AnimatedGTVR/TinyPM.git
cd TinyPM

Install TinyPM V3:

chmod +x install.sh
./install.sh

Use the Abora flavor:

TINYPM_FLAVOR=abora ./install.sh

The installer will:

• install TinyPM into ~/.tinypm
• link commands into ~/.local/bin
• expose tinypm, tiny, grab, syspm, and version
• expose Parcel --version for engine/runtime inspection
• detect your native package manager automatically if one exists
• prefer nix automatically on NixOS-based systems like Abora

Then test it:

export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"
hash -r
grab firefox
tinypm doctor
tiny --version
Parcel --version
syspm update

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Commands

Main

grab [-f|-flat|-flatpak|-s|-n] <package>
grab-add-repo <repo> [name]
grab-de <desktop>
Parcel --version
tinypm install [-f|-flat|-flatpak|-s|-n|--brew|--nix] <package>
tinypm add-repo <repo> [name]
tinypm de <desktop>
tinypm search [-f|-flat|-flatpak|-s|-n|--brew|--nix] <query>
tinypm remove [-f|-flat|-flatpak|-s|-n|--brew|--nix] <package>
tinypm list [-f|-flat|-flatpak|-s|-n|--brew|--nix]
tinypm update [-f|-flat|-flatpak|-s|-n|--brew|--nix]
tinypm info <package>
tinypm managed
tinypm discover [query]
tinypm doctor [--fix]
tinypm export-state [file]
tinypm import-state <file>
tinypm version

Quick forms:

tinypm i firefox
tinypm s blender
tinypm r htop
tinypm u
tinypm ls
tinypm v

Native only

syspm install <package>
syspm search <query>
syspm remove <package>
syspm list
syspm update
syspm version

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Backend Rules

Parcel supports these native package managers:

• apt
• dnf
• pacman
• xbps
• zypper
• apk
• emerge
• brew
• nix

Abora note:

• Abora is NixOS-based, so Parcel prefers nix as the native backend on Abora installs
• syspm on Abora routes through the native Nix path

Flags:

• -n, --native forces the native package manager
• -f, -flat, -flatpak forces Flatpak
• -s, --snap forces Snap

If you run grab firefox and more than one backend is available, TinyPM V3 asks which one to use.

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Project Shape

TinyPM V3 is intentionally smaller than the previous release.

• tinypm: main CLI
• grab: install-first entrypoint
• Parcel: core engine identity/version entrypoint
• syspm: native-only wrapper
• version: version and system report
• lib/core/: config, args, actions, state, doctor, UI
• lib/providers/: native, Flatpak, Snap
• share/: logo and curated catalog

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License

TinyPM V3 is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0.

See LICENSE for the full text.