In package management system

Package management system

In software, a package management system, also called package manager, is a collection of software tools to automate the process of installing, upgrading, configuring, and removing software packages for a computer's operating system in a consistent manner...

s, which are commonly used with Linux-based operating system

Linux distribution

A Linux distribution is a member of the family of Unix-like operating systems built on top of the Linux kernel. Such distributions are operating systems including a large collection of software applications such as word processors, spreadsheets, media players, and database applications...

s, 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

Web browser

A web browser is a software application for retrieving, presenting, and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web. An information resource is identified by a Uniform Resource Identifier and may be a web page, image, video, or other piece of content...

.

The package is typically provided as compiled code, with installation and removal of packages handled by a package management system

Package management system

In software, a package management system, also called package manager, is a collection of software tools to automate the process of installing, upgrading, configuring, and removing software packages for a computer's operating system in a consistent manner...

 (PMS) rather than a simple file archiver

File archiver

A file archiver is a computer program that combines a number of files together into one archive file, or a series of archive files, for easier transportation or storage...

. 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
  Package management system
  In software, a package management system, also called package manager, is a collection of software tools to automate the process of installing, upgrading, configuring, and removing software packages for a computer's operating system in a consistent manner...
  
  
• Installation (computer programs)
  Installation (computer programs)
  Installation of a program is the act of putting the program onto a computer system so that it can be executed....
  
  
• Linux package formats
  Linux package formats
  Linux package formats are the different file formats used to package software for various Linux distributions. These are the principal kinds of package:* Binary packages* Source packages-Examples:* deb — Debian package, originally from Debian...
  
  
• Linux distribution
  Linux distribution
  A Linux distribution is a member of the family of Unix-like operating systems built on top of the Linux kernel. Such distributions are operating systems including a large collection of software applications such as word processors, spreadsheets, media players, and database applications...
  
  
• CCU Delivery
  CCU Delivery
  Customer Configuration Updating is a software development method for structuring the process of providing customers with new versions of products and updates production. This method is developed by researchers of the Utrecht University....
  
  
• RUNZ