function listCategory($base, $category, $info = false, $channel = false)
    {
        // gives '404 Not Found' error when category doesn't exist
        $packagelist = $this->_rest->retrieveData($base.'c/'.urlencode($category).'/packages.xml', false, false, $channel);
        if (PEAR::isError($packagelist)) {
            return $packagelist;
        }

        if (!is_array($packagelist) || !isset($packagelist['p'])) {
            return array();
        }

        if (!is_array($packagelist['p']) ||
            !isset($packagelist['p'][0])) { // only 1 pkg
            $packagelist = array($packagelist['p']);
        } else {
            $packagelist = $packagelist['p'];
        }

        if ($info == true) {
            // get individual package info
            PEAR::pushErrorHandling(PEAR_ERROR_RETURN);
            foreach ($packagelist as $i => $packageitem) {
                $url = sprintf('%s'.'r/%s/latest.txt',
                        $base,
                        strtolower($packageitem['_content']));
                $version = $this->_rest->retrieveData($url, false, false, $channel);
                if (PEAR::isError($version)) {
                    break; // skipit
                }
                $url = sprintf('%s'.'r/%s/%s.xml',
                        $base,
                        strtolower($packageitem['_content']),
                        $version);
                $info = $this->_rest->retrieveData($url, false, false, $channel);
                if (PEAR::isError($info)) {
                    break; // skipit
                }
                $packagelist[$i]['info'] = $info;
            }
            PEAR::popErrorHandling();
        }

        return $packagelist;
    }