pkgutil is a command-line utility available on macOS that is used for managing and inspecting macOS installer packages. It is a versatile tool that allows users to query, verify, and manipulate packages installed on their systems. This article will guide you through the basics of using pkgutil on macOS, providing practical examples and commands to help you effectively manage packages.

Understanding pkgutil

pkgutil is part of the macOS operating system and is primarily used for:

• Listing installed packages.
• Verifying package installations.
• Extracting package contents.
• Managing package receipts.

Examples:

1. Listing All Installed Packages

   To list all installed packages on your macOS system, you can use the following command:

   pkgutil --pkgs

   This command will output a list of all package identifiers for the packages installed on your system.

2. Checking Package Installation

   If you want to verify whether a specific package is installed, use the following command:

   pkgutil --pkg-info com.example.package

   Replace com.example.package with the actual package identifier. This command will provide information about the package, such as its version, install location, and install time.

3. Extracting Package Contents

   You can extract the contents of a package using the following command:

   pkgutil --expand /path/to/package.pkg /path/to/destination

   Replace /path/to/package.pkg with the path to the package file you want to extract, and /path/to/destination with the directory where you want the contents to be extracted.

4. Listing Files in a Package

   To list all files installed by a specific package, use:

   pkgutil --files com.example.package

   This command will output a list of all files that were installed by the specified package.

5. Forget a Package Receipt

   If you need to remove a package receipt from the system, you can use:

   sudo pkgutil --forget com.example.package

   This command will remove the package receipt, but it will not uninstall the files associated with the package.

Conclusion

pkgutil is a powerful tool for managing and inspecting installer packages on macOS. By mastering the basic commands outlined above, you can effectively manage the packages on your system, ensuring that your software installations are organized and verifiable.