packagemaker(1) BSD General Commands Manual packagemaker(1)
NAME
PackageMaker, packagemaker -- Installation-package creation tool
SYNOPSIS
PackageMaker -build -p destination-path -f root-path [-b build-dir] [-s]
[-ds] [-v] [-r resources-path] [-i info-file]
[-d description-file]
PackageMaker -help
DESCRIPTION
PackageMaker allows you to package files in a way that makes it easy for
end users to install them on their computers.
PackageMaker -build creates an installation package (.pkg) file specified
by destination-path with the contents of root-path as the package's pay-
load. PackageMaker -build doesn't support metapackages and localization.
An installation package contains everything the Installer application
needs to install a group of files (the package's payload), which can
include application bundles, documentation files, scripts, and so on. In
general, a package contains the following:
A bill of materials file:
A binary file that describes the contents of the package.
An information property list:
An XML file that contains the information about the package,
such as default location and version.
An archive file:
The set of files to be installed, also known as the payload.
With PackageMaker, this archive is always compressed.
Resources directory:
This directory contains files Installer uses during an installa-
tion but doesn't install on the target computer. They include
Read Me files, license-agreement files, and scripts.
Unless the root-path is specified (see below), the working directory must
be the one containing the package's payload.
See "Developer Tools: Software Distribution" for information on the keys
of the property-list files as well as a detailed explanation of package
creation, format, and use.
OPTIONS
-build Create an installation package.
-p The path, including the package name and extension (.pkg) where
the package is created.
-f Directory containing the contents of the package.
-b Directory used to temporarily copy and modify the root if split-
ting resource forks (suggestion: /tmp). Overrides default
behavior that builds off (and temporarily modifies) the original
root.
-s Split files with resource forks (Installer will reassemble
them). Overrides default behavior that discards resource forks.
-ds Filter .DS_Store files out of the creation process.
-v Verbose output during archiving.
-r Directory containing installation resources, such as scripts and
Read Me files.
-i Path to property list file (.plist) that is copied to the pack-
age's Contents directory as Info.plist, the only modification
being the insertion of the package's installed size (IFPkgFla-
gInstalledSize). If this option is unspecified a skeletal
Info.plist is generated for the package (see "Developer Tools:
Software Distribution" for the default values).
-d Path to property list file (.plist) that is copied to the pack-
age's Resources directory as Description.plist. If this option
is unspecified a skeletal Description.plist is generated for the
package. You should add the title and description entries to the
Description.plist file after creating the package.
-help Display help information.
SCRIPTS
You define scripts when you need to test certain conditions before
installation or when you need to perform special tasks as the installa-
tion takes place.
To add a script to an installation, place it in the resources directory
(specified with the -r option).
Scripts can be run before and after the package's payload is installed.
There are two types of scripts: environment-test scripts and installation
scripts.
These are the environment-test scripts you can define for an installa-
tion:
InstallationCheck
Installer runs this script to determine whether the installation
should proceed.
VolumeCheck
Installer runs this script to determine whether a particular
volume can receive the package's payload.
If the environment-test scripts allow the installation to proceed,
Installer performs the installation scripts and the installs the payload
in the following order:
preflight
preinstall or preupgrade
Payload installation
postinstall or postupgrade
postflight
EXAMPLES
Creating Cool_App.pkg with default Info.plist file and Description.plist
file:
PackageMaker -build -p /Volumes/Packages/Cool_App/Cool_App.pkg -f
/Volumes/Packages/Cool_App/Package_contents
Creating Cool_App.pkg with existing Info.plist and Description.plist
files:
PackageMaker -build -p /Volumes/Packages/Cool_App/Cool_App.pkg -f
/Volumes/Packages/Cool_App/Package_contents -i
/Volumes/Packages/Cool_App/Info.plist -d
/Volumes/Packages/Cool_App/Description.plist
SEE ALSO
installer(8)
Mac OS August 20, 2004 Mac OS
Mac OS X 10.4 - Generated Fri Apr 29 06:58:47 CDT 2005