[R-SIG-Mac] install question

[Simon Urbanek]

On Oct 18, 2012, at 10:57 AM, Hodgess, Erin wrote:

> Hello!
> 
> Is there an equivalent of "sudo apt-get install" on the Mac, please?
> 

Not for "regular" OS X. In OS X there are packages, but no central binary repository to download from(except that Apple would argue that the App Store is the equivalent). You simply download packages from the internet (or App Store) and install them instead. See pkgutil for local package management.

If you are happy running a shadow OS in parallel to OS X you can use things like MacPorts, Fink or Homebrew which use similar (or some the same) mechanism as apt/dpkg, but I would advise against it unless you know what you're doing as they all have their problems for the unwary user and affect the entire system.

Cheers,
Simon