23 October 2021

How to use PackageCloud to distribute your packages


Recently I wrote an article explaining how to setup a JFrog Artifactory account to host Debian and RPM repositories. 

Since then, my interest in Artifactory has weakened because they have a policy of continuous activity to keep your account alive. If you have periods with no packages uploads/downloads they suspend your account and you have to reactivate it manually. That is extremely unpleasant and uncomfortable and happens frequently (I've been receiving suspensions every few weeks) when you're like me, a hobbyist developer in his spare time who can't keep a continuous advance in his projects. That and the extremely complex setup to run a package repository made me look for another option.

Searching through the web I've found PackageCloud and so far it happens to be an appealing alternative to Artifactory. PackageCloud has a free tier with 2GB storage and 10GB of monthly transfer. For a hobbyist like I think it is enough. 

Creating a repository

Once your register at PackageCloud you access to an extremely clean dashboard. Compared to Artifactory everything is simple and easy. At up-right corner of "Home" page you have a big button to "Create a repository". You can use it to create a repository for every application you have. 

 


A wonderful feature of PackageCloud is that a single repository can host many packages types simultaneously. So you don't have to create a repository for every package type you want to host for your application, instead you have a single repository for your application and you upload there your deb, rpm, gem, etc packages you build. 

Uploading packages

While you use PackageCloud your realize it's developers have made a great effort to guide at every step. Once you create a new repository you are given immediate guidance about how to upload packages through console (although you have a nice blue button too to upload them through web interface if you like):

As a first approach we will first try web interface to upload a package and after we will test console approach.

If you select your recently created repository at Home page you will enter to the same screen I posted before. To use web interface to upload packages push "Upload a package" button. That button will trigger next pop-up window:

As you can see in last screenshot, I've pushed "Select a package" button and selected vdist_2.1.0:amd64.deb. After you have to select your target distribution in given combo box. I'd suggest selecting a general compatible distribution to widen you audience. For example, I develop in a Linux Mint box and although Linux Mint is present at combo box I prefer to select Ubuntu Focal as a wider equivalent (being aware that my Linux Mint Uma is based in Ubuntu Focal). After selecting package and target distribution, "upload" button will be enabled. Upload will start when you push that button. You will informed that upload has ended with a green boxed "Upload Successful!".

If you prefer console you can use PackageCloud console application. That package is developed in Ruby so you have to be sure you have it installed:

dante@Camelot:~/$ sudo apt install ruby ruby-dev g++
[sudo] password for dante:
[...]

dante@Camelot:~$

Ruby package gives you "gem" command to install PackageCloud application:

dante@Camelot:~/$ sudo gem install package_cloud
Building native extensions. This could take a while...
Successfully installed unf_ext-0.0.8
Successfully installed unf-0.1.4
Successfully installed domain_name-0.5.20190701
Successfully installed http-cookie-1.0.4
Successfully installed mime-types-data-3.2021.0901
Successfully installed mime-types-3.3.1
Successfully installed netrc-0.11.0
Successfully installed rest-client-2.1.0
Successfully installed json_pure-1.8.1
Building native extensions. This could take a while...
Successfully installed rainbow-2.2.2
Successfully installed package_cloud-0.3.08
Parsing documentation for unf_ext-0.0.8
Installing ri documentation for unf_ext-0.0.8
Parsing documentation for unf-0.1.4
Installing ri documentation for unf-0.1.4
Parsing documentation for domain_name-0.5.20190701
Installing ri documentation for domain_name-0.5.20190701
Parsing documentation for http-cookie-1.0.4
Installing ri documentation for http-cookie-1.0.4
Parsing documentation for mime-types-data-3.2021.0901
Installing ri documentation for mime-types-data-3.2021.0901
Parsing documentation for mime-types-3.3.1
Installing ri documentation for mime-types-3.3.1
Parsing documentation for netrc-0.11.0
Installing ri documentation for netrc-0.11.0
Parsing documentation for rest-client-2.1.0
Installing ri documentation for rest-client-2.1.0
Parsing documentation for json_pure-1.8.1
Installing ri documentation for json_pure-1.8.1
Parsing documentation for rainbow-2.2.2
Installing ri documentation for rainbow-2.2.2
Parsing documentation for package_cloud-0.3.08
Installing ri documentation for package_cloud-0.3.08
Done installing documentation for unf_ext, unf, domain_name, http-cookie, mime-types-data, mime-types, netrc, rest-client, json_pure, rainbow, package_cloud after 8 seconds
11 gems installed


dante@Camelot:~$

That package_cloud command lets you do many things, even create repositories from console, but let focus on package uploading. To upload a package to an existing repository just use "push" verb:

dante@Camelot:~/$ package_cloud push dante-signal31/vdist/ubuntu/focal vdist_2.2.0post1_amd64.deb 
Email:
dante.signal31@gmail.com
Password:

/var/lib/gems/2.7.0/gems/json_pure-1.8.1/lib/json/common.rb:155: warning: Using the last argument as keyword parameters is deprecated
Got your token. Writing a config file to /home/dante/.packagecloud... success!
/var/lib/gems/2.7.0/gems/json_pure-1.8.1/lib/json/common.rb:155: warning: Using the last argument as keyword parameters is deprecated
Looking for repository at dante-signal31/vdist... /var/lib/gems/2.7.0/gems/json_pure-1.8.1/lib/json/common.rb:155: warning: Using the last argument as keyword parameters is deprecated
success!
Pushing vdist_2.2.0post1_amd64.deb... success!

dante@Camelot:~$

URL you pass to "package_cloud push" is always of the form <username>/<repository>/<distribution>/<distribution version>.

After that you can see the new package registered at web interface:

Installing packages

Ok, so far you know everything you need from the publisher side, but know you need to learn what your users have to do to install your packages.

The thing cannot be simplest. Every repository has a button in its packages section called "Quick install instructions for:". Push its button and you will get a pop-up window like this:


Just copy given command text (or use copy button) and make your user paste that command in their consoles (i.e. include that command at your installation instructions documentation):

dante@Camelot:~/$ curl -s https://packagecloud.io/install/repositories/dante-signal31/vdist/script.deb.sh | sudo bash
[sudo] password for dante:
Detected operating system as LinuxMint/uma.
Checking for curl...
Detected curl...
Checking for gpg...
Detected gpg...
Running apt-get update... done.
Installing apt-transport-https... done.
Installing /etc/apt/sources.list.d/dante-signal31_vdist.list...done.
Importing packagecloud gpg key... done.
Running apt-get update... done.

The repository is setup! You can now install packages.

dante@Camelot:~$

That command registered your PackageCloud repository as one of the system authorised packaged sources. Theoretically now your user could do a "sudo apt update" and get your package listed but here comes the only gotcha of this process. Recall when I told that I develop in Linux Mint but I set repository to Ubuntu/focal? the point is that last command detected my system and set my source as it was for Linux Mint:

dante@Camelot:~/$ cat /etc/apt/sources.list.d/dante-signal31_vdist.list 
# this file was generated by packagecloud.io for
# the repository at https://packagecloud.io/dante-signal31/vdist

deb https://packagecloud.io/dante-signal31/vdist/linuxmint/ uma main
deb-src https://packagecloud.io/dante-signal31/vdist/linuxmint/ uma main


dante@Camelot:~$

I've marked as red the incorrect path. If you insist to update apt in this moment you get next error:

dante@Camelot:~/$ sudo apt update
Hit:1 http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu focal InRelease
Hit:2 https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu focal InRelease
Hit:3 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal InRelease
Get:4 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-updates InRelease [114 kB]
Ign:5 http://packages.linuxmint.com uma InRelease
Get:6 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-security InRelease [114 kB]
Get:7 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-backports InRelease [101 kB]
Hit:8 http://packages.linuxmint.com uma Release
Ign:11 https://packagecloud.io/dante-signal31/vdist/linuxmint uma InRelease
Hit:10 https://packagecloud.io/dante-signal31/cifra-rust/ubuntu focal InRelease
Err:12 https://packagecloud.io/dante-signal31/vdist/linuxmint uma Release
404 Not Found [IP: 52.52.239.191 443]
Reading package lists... Done
E: The repository 'https://packagecloud.io/dante-signal31/vdist/linuxmint uma Release' does not have a Release file.
N: Updating from such a repository can't be done securely, and is therefore disabled by default.
N: See apt-secure(8) manpage for repository creation and user configuration details.


dante@Camelot:~$

So, in my case I have to correct it manually to let it this way:

dante@Camelot:~/$ cat /etc/apt/sources.list.d/dante-signal31_vdist.list 
# this file was generated by packagecloud.io for
# the repository at https://packagecloud.io/dante-signal31/vdist

deb https://packagecloud.io/dante-signal31/vdist/ubuntu/ focal main
deb-src https://packagecloud.io/dante-signal31/vdist/ubuntu/ focal main

dante@Camelot:~$

Now "apt update" will work and you'll find our package:

dante@Camelot:~/$ sudo apt update
Hit:1 https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu focal InRelease
Hit:2 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal InRelease
Hit:3 http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu focal InRelease
Get:4 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-updates InRelease [114 kB]
Ign:5 http://packages.linuxmint.com uma InRelease
Get:6 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-security InRelease [114 kB]
Get:7 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-backports InRelease [101 kB]
Hit:8 http://packages.linuxmint.com uma Release
Hit:10 https://packagecloud.io/dante-signal31/cifra-rust/ubuntu focal InRelease
Get:11 https://packagecloud.io/dante-signal31/vdist/ubuntu focal InRelease [24,4 kB]
Get:12 https://packagecloud.io/dante-signal31/vdist/ubuntu focal/main amd64 Packages [963 B]
Fetched 353 kB in 3s (109 kB/s)
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
All packages are up to date.
dante@Camelot:~/Downloads$ sudo apt show vdist
Package: vdist
Version: 2.2.0post1
Priority: extra
Section: net
Maintainer: dante.signal31@gmail.com
Installed-Size: 214 MB
Depends: libssl1.0.0, docker-ce
Homepage: https://github.com/dante-signal31/vdist
Download-Size: 59,9 MB
APT-Sources: https://packagecloud.io/dante-signal31/vdist/ubuntu focal/main amd64 Packages
Description: vdist (Virtualenv Distribute) is a tool that lets you build OS packages from your Python applications, while aiming to build an isolated environment for your Python project by utilizing virtualenv. This means that your application will not depend on OS provided packages of Python modules, including their versions.

N: There is 1 additional record. Please use the '-a' switch to see it

dante@Camelot:~$

Obviously, if your user system matches your repository target there would be nothing to fix, but chances are that your user have derivatives boxes so they'll need to apply this fix, so make sure to include it in your documentation.

At this point, your users will be able to install your package as any other:

dante@Camelot:~/$ sudo apt install vdist
[...]

dante@Camelot:~$

Conclusion

PackageCloud makes extremely easy deploying your packages. Comparing with Bintray or Artifactory, its setup is a charm. I have to check how things go on the long term but at first glance it seems a promising service.