Use Package From Different Family

Soar lets you switch between different variants of an installed package without uninstalling any of them. This is useful when you need to move between versions, implementations, or repository sources of the same package.

Understanding Package Families

A package family is the set of installed variants that share the same package name. These variants can differ in several ways.

Variant Type	Example	Description
Version	python@3.11 vs python@3.12	Different versions of the same package
Implementation	cat (GNU) vs cat (BusyBox)	Different implementations providing the same binary
Repository	neovim from main vs testing	Same package from different repositories
Package ID	coreutils vs coreutils-ucr	Different package IDs providing similar functionality

Example Package Families

Package: python
├── python#python@3.11 (from main repo)
├── python#python@3.12 (from main repo)
└── python#pypy@3.11 (from testing repo)

Package: cat
├── cat#coreutils@9.5 (provides: cat, ls, etc.)
├── cat#busybox@1.36 (provides: cat, ls, etc.)
└── cat#uutils-coreutils@0.0.23 (provides: cat, ls, etc.)

When to Switch Packages

Common reasons to switch between variants include the following.

1. Version testing

   # Switch to Python 3.12 to test new features
   soar use python
   # Select python@3.12 from the list
   python --version

2. Compatibility requirements

   # Switch to older Node.js for a legacy project
   soar use node
   # Select node@18 from the list

3. Alternative implementations

   # Switch to BusyBox variants for embedded systems
   soar use cat
   # Select busybox@1.36 for smaller footprint

4. Testing repository versions

   # Try a package from the testing repository
   soar use neovim
   # Select neovim from testing repo

How the Use Command Works

When you run soar use <package>, soar:

1. Checks whether multiple variants are installed. If only one is installed, there is nothing to switch and soar exits.
2. Displays the installed variants and prompts you to select one.
3. Overwrites the primary binary symlink to point at the selected variant.
4. Overwrites every provides symlink (for example cat, ls, chmod).
5. Marks the selected variant active in the database and the others inactive.

The steps below walk through the interactive selection.

Step 1: List installed variants

When you run soar use <package>, Soar displays all installed variants.

$ soar use python

[1] python#python:3.11.5-main (15MB) *
[2] python#python:3.12.0-main (16MB)
[3] python#pypy:3.11.0-testing (12MB)

Select a variant [1-3]:

Step 2: Select a variant

Select the number corresponding to your desired variant. Soar then does the following.

1. Overwrites symlinks for the package and its provides entries. Existing symlinks are replaced, not removed separately.
2. Marks the selected variant as active in the database.
3. Marks other variants as inactive. They remain installed but unlinked.

Step 3: Verify the switch

$ python --version
Python 3.12.0

Command Syntax

soar use <package_name>

• <package_name>: the base package name only, for example python, cat, or node.
  • Do not use version suffixes. Use python, not python@3.12.
  • Do not use family or pkg_id prefixes. Use python, not pypy/python.
• No additional flags or options are supported.
• The command is interactive when multiple variants are installed.
• If only one variant is installed, the command exits without prompting because there is nothing to switch.

What Gets Switched

When you switch packages, Soar manages both the primary binary and every binary the package provides.

Primary binary

The main binary name:

# Switching 'python' affects:
~/.local/share/soar/bin/python -> /path/to/python@3.12/bin/python

Provided binaries

All binaries listed in the package's provides field:

# Switching 'coreutils' affects all its provides:
~/.local/share/soar/bin/cat -> /path/to/coreutils/bin/cat
~/.local/share/soar/bin/ls -> /path/to/coreutils/bin/ls
~/.local/share/soar/bin/chmod -> /path/to/coreutils/bin/chmod
# ... and more

Switching affects every provided binary

Switching a package affects ALL binaries it provides. If you switch coreutils, you switch cat, ls, chmod, and all other core utilities simultaneously.

Practical Examples

Python version management

soar install python@3.11 python@3.12
soar use python  # Select python@3.12
python --version  # Python 3.12.0

Alternative implementations

soar install coreutils uutils-coreutils
soar use cat  # Select uutils-coreutils
ls --version  # uutils-coreutils 0.0.23

Managing Multiple Variants

Viewing all installed variants

To see all installed packages and their variants:

soar info

# Output:
# Installed packages:
# python@3.11.5 (main)
# python@3.12.0 (main)
# node@18.0.0 (main)
# node@20.0.0 (main)
# coreutils@9.5 (main)
# busybox@1.36 (main)

Removing unwanted variants

If you no longer need a variant:

# Remove a specific variant
soar remove python@3.11

# Remove all variants
soar remove --all python

Limitations and Considerations

Must be installed first

You can only switch between installed variants. If no variants are installed:

$ soar use python
Package is not installed

The command displays this message and exits gracefully with no error code.

No automatic rollback

There is no automatic undo. You must manually switch back:

soar use python
# Select different variant

Affects all provides

Switching affects all binaries the package provides:

soar use coreutils
# This switches cat, ls, chmod, mkdir, etc. all at once

Best Practices

• Install multiple versions that you might need for development.
• Document requirements by noting required versions in the project README.
• Use profiles for different project requirements.
• Test first with soar run before switching in production.

Comparison with Other Tools

Feature	soar use	update-alternatives	nvm	pyenv
Multiple Versions	✅	✅	✅	✅
Package Agnostic	✅	✅	❌	❌
Repository Support	✅	❌	❌	❌

Troubleshooting

Command not found after switch

soar use python
python: command not found

This means Soar's bin directory is not in your PATH. Add it permanently:

# Add to your ~/.bashrc, ~/.zshrc, or equivalent
export PATH="$HOME/.local/share/soar/bin:$PATH"

Then reload your shell:

source ~/.bashrc  # or source ~/.zshrc

Old version still showing

soar use python
python --version  # Still shows old version

Check for cached paths:

hash -r  # Clear command hash table
python --version  # Should show new version

No variants listed

If you do not see any variants when running soar use:

$ soar use python
Package is not installed

Install at least one variant of the package first:

soar install python
soar use python  # Now shows installed variants