A package management system is a collection of tools to automate the process of installing, upgrading, configuring, and removing software packages from a computer. Distributions of Linux and other Unix-like systems typically consist of hundreds or even thousands of distinct software packages; in the former case a package management system is nice, in the latter case it is essential.
Packages are distributions of software and metadata such as the ...
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A package management system is a collection of tools to automate the process of installing, upgrading, configuring, and removing software packages from a computer. Distributions of Linux and other Unix-like systems typically consist of hundreds or even thousands of distinct software packages; in the former case a package management system is nice, in the latter case it is essential.
Packages are distributions of software and metadata such as the software's full name, description of its purpose, version number, vendor, checksum, and a list of dependencies necessary for the software to run properly. Upon installation, metadata is stored in a local package database.
A package management system provides a consistent method of installing software. A package management system is sometimes incorrectly referred to as an installer.
Ian Murdock has commented that package management is "the single biggest advancement Linux has brought to the industry", that it blurs the boundaries between...
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