Lxroot is a lightweight software virtualization tool (for Linux). With Lxroot, a non-root user can safely and easily install, run, develop, and test both packages and package managers. Compared with other virtualization tools, Lxroot is safer, smaller, conceptually simpler, and arguably more flexible (within the limits of what is possible as a non-root user).

Lxroot allows a non-root user to create chroot-style virtual environments via Linux namespaces. Lxroot simply creates and configures these chroot-namespaces, and then runs programs inside them. All the virtualization work is done directly by the Linux kernel itself, via its namespace capabilities.

Lxroot allows the simultaneous use of multiple package managers, both system package managers (such as pacman, apk, xbps, etc.), and non-system package managers (such as pip, npm, Flatpak, conda, mamba, Spack, etc.).

Lxroot allows a non-root user, on a single host kernel, to easily mix-and-match packages, userlands, and package-managers from multiple sources, including from multiple different Linux distributions.

Due to its simple and flexible nature, Lxroot has a variety of use cases related to the development, testing, and use of packages and package managers.

More information here:
https://github.com/parke/lxroot

This lightning talk will offer an answer to the question: What is a Package Manager?

The talk will feature slides that were removed from my Lxroot presentation due to time constraints.