Any GNU/Linux/BSD system will have a package management system. The advantages of the networked on-demand package model are legion and do not need te be repeated at length here. The important point is that you do not have to worry about dependency problems as everything that a piece of software needs will be installed for you automatically.

A package management system gets the software you want and installs it for you. It also gets any dependencies and installs them too. Lastly the package management system management system also handles upgrades in an automated way.

The best operating systems completely upgrade all the software and all the parts of the operating system so you never have to reinstall it or get another CD or DVD. Windows and Mac OS both fail on that count. However with Xcode-tools and a decent package manager, you should be able to use all the commands and programs featured in this blog.

A Mac OS X user has the option of several great package management systems. Over the next few posts, we will look at three package managers for you to choose from, although you only need one.