---
name: "pkg"
section: "7"
platform: "freebsd"
package: "base"
version: "16.0-CURRENT-20261027-61c70dc16a79"
release: "FreeBSD 16.0-CURRENT (2026-10-27)"
platforms: ["freebsd"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/pkg"
---

# pkg(7)

a utility for manipulating packages

## NAME

**pkg** – a utility for manipulating packages

## SYNOPSIS

**pkg** \[**-d**\] *command* *...*

**pkg** \[**-d**\] **add** \[**-fy**\] \[**-r** *reponame*\] *pkg.pkg*

**pkg** **-N**

**pkg** \[**-46d**\] **bootstrap** \[**-fy**\] \[**-r** *reponame*\]

## DESCRIPTION

**pkg** is the package management tool. It is used to manage local packages installed from [ports(7)](/ports/7.md) and install/upgrade packages from remote repositories.

To avoid backwards incompatibility issues, the actual pkg(8) tool is not installed in the base system. The first time invoked, **pkg** will bootstrap the real pkg(8) from a remote repository.

- **pkg** *command* *...*

  If pkg(8) is not installed yet, it will be fetched, have its signature verified, installed, and then have the original command forwarded to it. If already installed, the command requested will be forwarded to the real pkg(8).

- **pkg** **add** \[**-fy**\] \[**-r** *reponame*\] *pkg.pkg*

  Install pkg(8) from a local package instead of fetching from remote. If signature checking is enabled, then the correct signature file must exist and the signature valid before the package will be installed. If the **-f** flag is specified, then pkg(8) will be installed regardless if it is already installed. If the **-y** flag is specified, no confirmation will be asked when bootstrapping pkg(8).

  If a *reponame* has been specified, then the signature configuration for that repository will be used.

- **pkg** **-N**

  Do not bootstrap, just determine if pkg(8) is actually installed or not. Returns 0 and the number of packages installed if it is, otherwise 1.

- **pkg** \[**-46**\] **bootstrap** \[**-fy**\] \[**-r** *reponame*\]

  Attempt to bootstrap and do not forward anything to pkg(8) after it is installed. With **-4** and **-6**, **pkg** will force IPv4 or IPv6 respectively to fetch pkg(8) and its signatures as needed. If the **-f** flag is specified, then pkg(8) will be fetched and installed regardless if it is already installed. If the **-y** flag is specified, no confirmation will be asked when bootstrapping pkg(8).

  If a *reponame* has been specified, then the configuration for that repository will be used.

## OPTIONS

The following options are supported by **pkg**:

- **-d,** **--debug**

  Show debug information. May be specified more than once to increase the level of detail. When specified twice, [fetch(3)](/fetch/3.md) debug output is enabled.

## CONFIGURATION

Configuration varies in whether it is in a repository configuration file or the global configuration file. The default repository configuration for FreeBSD is stored in */etc/pkg/FreeBSD.conf*, and additional repository configuration files will be searched for in REPOS\_DIR, or */usr/local/etc/pkg/repos* if it is unset.

For bootstrapping, **pkg** will process all repositories that it finds and use the last enabled repository by default.

Repository configuration is stored in the following format:

```
FreeBSD: {
  url: "pkg+http://pkg.FreeBSD.org/${ABI}/latest",
  mirror_type: "srv",
  signature_type: "none",
  fingerprints: "/usr/share/keys/pkg",
  enabled: yes
}
```

- url

  Refer to PACKAGESITE in ENVIRONMENT

- mirror\_type

  Refer to MIRROR\_TYPE in ENVIRONMENT

- signature\_type

  Refer to SIGNATURE\_TYPE in ENVIRONMENT

- fingerprints

  Refer to FINGERPRINTS in ENVIRONMENT

- enabled

  Defines whether this repository should be used or not. Valid values are yes, true, 1, no, false, 0.

Global configuration can be stored in */usr/local/etc/pkg.conf* in the following format:

```
PACKAGESITE: "pkg+http://pkg.FreeBSD.org/${ABI}/latest",
MIRROR_TYPE: "srv",
SIGNATURE_TYPE: "none",
FINGERPRINTS: "/usr/share/keys/pkg",
ASSUME_ALWAYS_YES: "yes"
REPOS_DIR: ["/etc/pkg", "/usr/local/etc/pkg/repos"]
```

Reference ENVIRONMENT for each variable.

## ENVIRONMENT

The following environment variables can be set to override the settings from the *pkg.conf* file used.

- MIRROR\_TYPE

  This defines which mirror type should be used. Valid values are SRV, HTTP, NONE.

- ABI

  This defines the ABI for the package to be installed. Default ABI is determined from */bin/sh*.

- ASSUME\_ALWAYS\_YES

  If set, no confirmation will be asked when bootstrapping pkg(8).

- SIGNATURE\_TYPE

  If set to FINGERPRINTS then a signature will be required and validated against known certificate fingerprints when bootstrapping pkg(8).

- FINGERPRINTS

  If **SIGNATURE\_TYPE** is set to FINGERPRINTS this value should be set to the directory path where known fingerprints are located.

- PACKAGESITE

  The URL that pkg(8) and other packages will be fetched from.

- REPOS\_DIR

  Comma-separated list of directories that should be searched for repository configuration files.

## FILES

Configuration is read from the files in the listed order. This path can be changed by setting REPOS\_DIR. The last enabled repository is the one used for bootstrapping pkg(8).

- */usr/local/etc/pkg.conf*

  - */etc/pkg/FreeBSD.conf*

  - */usr/local/etc/pkg/repos/\*.conf*

  ## EXAMPLES

Some examples are listed here. The full list of available commands are available in pkg(8) once it is bootstrapped.

Search for a package:

```
$ pkg search perl
```

Install a package:

```
% pkg install perl
```

List installed packages:

```
$ pkg info
```

Upgrade from remote repository:

```
% pkg upgrade
```

List non-automatic packages:

```
$ pkg query -e '%a = 0' %o
```

List automatic packages:

```
$ pkg query -e '%a = 1' %o
```

Delete an installed package:

```
% pkg delete perl
```

Remove unneeded dependencies:

```
% pkg autoremove
```

Change a package from automatic to non-automatic, which will prevent pkg-autoremove(8) from removing it:

```
% pkg set -A 0 perl
```

Change a package from non-automatic to automatic, which will make pkg-autoremove(8) allow it be removed once nothing depends on it:

```
% pkg set -A 1 perl
```

Create package file from an installed package:

```
% pkg create -o /usr/ports/packages/All perl
```

Determine which package installed a file:

```
$ pkg which /usr/local/bin/perl
```

Audit installed packages for security advisories:

```
$ pkg audit
```

Check installed packages for checksum mismatches:

```
# pkg check -s -a
```

Check for missing dependencies:

```
# pkg check -d -a
```

Fetch a package for a different FreeBSD version, along with all its dependencies:

```
# pkg -o ABI=FreeBSD:15:amd64 -o IGNORE_OSVERSION=yes fetch -o destdir -d perl
```

## SEE ALSO

[ports(7)](/ports/7.md), pkg(8)

## HISTORY

The **pkg** command first appeared in FreeBSD 9.1. It became the default package tool in FreeBSD 10.0, replacing the pkg\_install suite of tools pkg\_add(1), [pkg\_info(1)](/pkg_info/1.md) and [pkg\_create(1)](/pkg_create/1.md).