Package Management System - Terminology

Terminology

A package management system is often called an "install manager". This can lead to confusion between a package management system and an installer. The differences include:

Package management system Installer
Usually part of an operating system. Each product comes bundled with its own installer.
Uses one installation database. Performs its own installation, sometimes recording information about that installation in a registry.
Can verify and manage all packages on the system. Works only with its bundled product.
One package management system vendor. Multiple installer vendors.
One package format. Multiple installation formats.

A package, for package managers, denotes a specific set of files bundled with the appropriate metadata for use by a package manager. This can be confusing, as some programming languages often use the word "package" as a specific form of software library. Furthermore, that software library can be distributed in a package of files bundled for a package manager.

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