Looking for a proper way to manage user-level package installations on Linux

I'm trying to find a way to manage which user installed which package on Linux.

Coming from Windows, I was expecting something similar to:

• Install for me (Alex)
• Install for all users

But I couldn't find an equivalent workflow in Ubuntu. With apt, packages are generally installed system-wide, so I'm looking for a package manager or approach that lets me install applications only for my user without affecting the rest of the system.

I spent quite a bit of time researching this and found a few options.

1. Homebrew

I found Homebrew, which can install packages into its own directory such as /home/linuxbrew, keeping its files separate from the system package manager.

However, I wasn't sure if this is really the right solution for what I'm trying to achieve.

2. Flatpak

I then looked at Flatpak:

flatpak --user install flathub <package>

This seemed much closer to what I wanted because it supports per-user installations.

However, I ran into a problem: Nmap isn't available as a Flathub application, so I couldn't install it this way:

flatpak --user install flathub nmap

3. Nix

After that I spent another day researching and came across Nix.

Nix looked very promising for user-level package management, but while experimenting with the installation on Ubuntu, I noticed a large number of system users being created. At one point I saw users in the range of roughly 3000 IDs, which honestly freaked me out.

I stopped the installation because I wasn't comfortable continuing without understanding why this was happening.

I also found that Nix can use a daemon-based setup, which made me wonder whether it would be a good choice for my low-end machine.

4. Containers / Toolbox / Distrobox

After around two days of research, I found another approach: using containers specifically for development environments, such as Toolbox or Distrobox.

I came across this idea from another Reddit discussion:

https://www.reddit.com/r/linuxquestions/comments/1obz8eb/how_to_manage_installations_at_user_level_not/

This seems interesting because I could have an isolated Linux environment where I install whatever packages I need without modifying the host system.

But I'm not sure whether this is overkill for something as simple as installing nmap.

5. Compile from source

Another suggestion I got from ChatGPT was to download the source code and compile it inside my user directory, for example:

/home/alex/.local

and then add the appropriate directory to $PATH.

This technically works, but I don't like the idea because dependency management, updates, and uninstalling become much harder to track.

What I'm actually looking for

Ideally, I want something like:

System
├── apt
│   └── packages available to all users
│
└── Alex
    └── user-level package manager
        ├── nmap
        ├── other CLI tools
        └── their dependencies

Something where I can install:

some-package-manager install nmap

and have everything owned/managed by my user, without modifying /usr, without requiring root, and preferably without running a permanent daemon.

It would also be great if the package manager handled:

• Dependencies
• Updates
• Uninstallation
• Version management
• PATH/environment setup

So what is the normal/recommended Linux way to handle this?

Am I trying to solve a problem that Linux intentionally approaches differently, or is there a package manager/tool that I'm overlooking?

Any suggestions or explanations of how experienced Linux users handle this would be appreciated.

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Hi everyone,

I'm writing this because I don't really know what to do anymore, and I'm hoping someone here has been through something similar.

I graduated with a B.Tech and initially spent a lot of time learning Data Analytics and Machine Learning. I built projects and invested a significant amount of effort in that path. Later, I realized that the hiring boom around 2022 had slowed down, and by 2026 there were very few opportunities in my city.

My parents have made it clear that, for family reasons, I need to stay in the same city. Relocating isn't an option for me right now. Unfortunately, there are very few Data Science jobs where I live, so I decided to switch to backend development with Node.js and the MERN stack.

Now it feels like I'm starting over at the beginning of my career.

I've been learning Node.js, Express, MongoDB, React, PostgreSQL, Docker, Git, and building projects, but I'm still struggling to get interviews or a job. Every rejection makes me wonder if all this learning is even worth it.

On top of that, my family's financial situation has become more stressful. We recently started paying the EMI for our new home. My dad is the only earning member. He doesn't say much, but I can see the pressure he's under, and I know that if something goes wrong, there isn't anyone else to support us. That thought stays in my mind all the time.

Because of this, I overthink a lot.

Sometimes I even look for jobs outside of IT because I feel like I need to earn something as soon as possible. But then another thought comes into my mind: I spent years completing a B.Tech, I know programming, so should I leave the field completely? Even when I apply for non-IT jobs, I haven't had much success.

Another thing I struggle with is learning itself. I feel slower than other people. I can follow tutorials and build projects, but when it comes to solving problems on my own, I often get stuck. Then I compare myself with people my age who are already earning good salaries, and that comparison makes everything worse.

I'm not looking for sympathy. I'm looking for honest advice from people who have been in a similar situation.

Should I continue focusing on Node.js, or should I go back to Data Science?

Should I accept any job, even if it's outside IT, just to reduce the financial pressure?

How do you keep going when it feels like you're putting in effort every day but seeing no results?

If you've faced something like this and eventually found your way, I'd really appreciate hearing your story.

Thank you for reading.

I’m working on a web scraping task where I need to collect structured data like company name, category, turnover, and basic details from EPC-related listings.

I’m facing a few technical challenges and would appreciate guidance:

1. The website is React-based, so content loads dynamically. What is the best approach to reliably extract such data (Selenium, Playwright, or something else)?
2. Some elements (like lists) have inconsistent HTML structure (e.g., <ul> tags sometimes with classes, sometimes without, sometimes multiple on the same page). How do you design a robust parser for this?
3. There are “Load more” or dynamically loaded sections. What is the recommended way to handle these in automation scripts?
4. How do you structure scraping workflows to minimize failures due to layout changes?

I am looking for a code-based, free solution (preferably Python).

Any guidance, best practices, or learning resources would help.