February 20, 2026
Package wars, extra spicy
Reproducible and traceable configuration for Conan C and C++ package manager
Conan packs your setup into installable bundles—fans cheer, purists yell “wrap the distro or GTFO”
TLDR: Conan now lets teams bundle and version their setup files as installable packages for repeatable builds. Comments split between “use Spack” and “integrate with Linux distros” versus folks happy about cross‑platform, versioned configs for CI—classic package‑manager turf war with real workflow stakes.
Conan just did a glow‑up for C and C++ developers: the package manager now lets you bundle your setup—servers, profiles, hooks, the whole kitchen sink—into versioned “config packages” you can install like normal libraries. Translation for non‑devs: your team’s settings can be saved, shared, and re‑installed exactly the same way, every time. Think “save game” for your build. The new command, conan config install‑pkg, promises reproducible, traceable setups with version ranges and lockfiles, plus platform‑specific configs for Windows vs Linux.
Cue the comments section slamming the emergency drama button. One drive‑by zinger declares, “use spack.io instead,” turning the thread into a Spack‑vs‑Conan turf war. Then a Linux hardliner storms in with, “wrap distro package manager or GTFO,” arguing that real adults integrate with apt/dnf/pacman (the usual Linux installers) and that “good distros are already reproducible.” In short: Conan says new toolbox; some say wrong toolbox.
Meanwhile, more pragmatic voices (and CI pipeline vets) nod at the appeal: unified, versioned configs across dev laptops and build servers, plus Windows/macOS parity. The memes flowed: “Yet Another Package Manager bingo,” “configs as DLC,” and “press F to pay respects to shell scripts.” Love it or roast it, this update turned config files from loose receipts into a proper receipt book—and the peanut gallery is loud about the tip jar.
Key Points
- •Conan introduced “conan config install-pkg” to package configuration as standard Conan packages.
- •The new approach supports versioning features like version ranges and lockfiles, improving reproducibility and traceability.
- •Previously, configuration was distributed via “conan config install” using git or HTTP zip files, which made reproducing past configs harder.
- •Creating configuration packages is simple with package_type="configuration" and standard export/upload commands.
- •Platform-specific configurations are supported via settings (e.g., os), enabling automatic Windows/Linux config selection during installation.