Package (package management system)

For other uses, see Software package (disambiguation).

In package management systems, which are commonly used with Linux-based operating systems, a package is a specific piece of software which the system can install and uninstall.

Examples of packages include a library for handling the PNG image format, a collection of fonts, or a web browser.

The package is typically provided as compiled code, with installation and removal of packages handled by a package management system (PMS) rather than a simple file archiver. Each package intended for such a PMS contains meta-information such as a package description, version, and "dependencies". The package management system can evaluate this meta-information to allow package searches, to perform an automatic upgrade to a newer version, to check that all dependencies of a package are fulfilled and/or to fulfill them automatically.

See also

• Package management system
• Installation (computer programs)
• Linux package formats
• Linux distribution
• CCU Delivery
• RUNZ