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What is Packages?You are a software developer who just completed a project and it's time to work on shipping it. Or you are an administrator and you need to deploy a plugin on the Mac computers of your network. Whenever you need to create an installation package or distribution for Mac OS X 10.5 or later, Packages is the powerful and flexible solution you're looking for.Building payload not load of painWith Packages, you can define which applications, bundles, documents or folders should be part of the payload of your installation packages and where they should be installed. You can even set what the owner, group or permissions of the payload items should be upon installation. And if you need to also install an existing package, just import it so that it can be added to your distribution.Presentation EditorWith its WYSIWYG editor, Packages lets you set and localize the customizable panes of your distributions. Checking how your distribution looks like in different languages has never been so easy. You can even add Installer plugins to your distribution.Dependencies EditorWhen you need to define the dependencies between choices of your distribution, you can depend on Packages. You can use its visual editor to build simple or complex dependencies trees. You don't have to worry about looping, Packages automatically checks everything and only offers you viable dependencies.Requirements EditorsDefining the requirements that should be met by your packages to be installed should not require you to think like a developer if you don't want to. With its user friendly requirements editors, Packages makes simple requirements very easy to define and yet still allow you to write more complex requirements using the JavaScript code editor.Quick BuildIf you need to quickly create an installation package for an application or a plugin, drag the item on the Packages icon in the Dock (or the Finder). Your package will be created. There's no step 2. Quick Build uses smart locators to figure out where the item should be installed. Smart Locators are also available from the payload editor pane.CertificationTo ensure that your distribution or packages are not be tampered with between the time you build them and they are installed, you can sign them. Packages can sign flat packages and distributions with a certificate.Command Line ToolIntegrating Packages into an automated production workflow is easy with the packagesbuild command line tool. Once you have created your Packages project, the packagesbuild tool will let you build it from the Terminal, a shell script or an Xcode Run Script Build phase.Eating your own dog foodPackages' distribution is built using Packages. Would you care about a solution that would not do that? Technical SpecificationsMinimum System Requirements * Mac computer with an Intel or PowerPC processor * Mac OS X v10.5 or later * Display with 1200-by-800 resolution or higher * Introduction inspector * Read Me inspector * License inspector with integrated OSI license templates: o APSL license o Artistic license o BSD license o CeCILL 2 license o CeCILL license o MIT license o zib/png license * Installation Type editor: o Choices hierarchy o Choice title and description o Choice visibility o Choice state dependencies with dynamic analysis to avoid dependencies loops o Choice installation requirements * Finish Up inspector * Installer plugins supportInstallation Requirements Editors * Available disk space * Files * Installed RAM * JavaScript * Operating system * Processor * External scripts * Requirements SDK available soonPackages * Supported types: o Project packages o Imported packages o Referenced package * Supported post-installation behaviors: o No action o Required logout o Required restart o Required shutdownApplication * Universal binary * Native support for 32- and 64-bit architecturesSupported Installer Formats * Raw flat package * Bundle distribution * Flat distributionProject * Built-in payload and resources filters * Payload and resources filters editor * Distribution script advanced options editor * Installation requirements editor * Certificate support * Comments editorPresentation Customization * WYSIWYG editor * Supported localization languages: o Brazilian Portuguese o Danish o Dutch o English o Finnish o French o German o Italian o Japanese o Korean o Norwegian o Simplified Chinese o Spanish o Swedish o Traditional Chinese * Title inspector * Customize the background picture with an image in one of the following formats: o JPEG o PICT o PDF o PNG o TIFF * Supported package reference styles: o Embedded o Relative o HTTP link o Removable media * Supported installation options include: o Require administrator authentication o Follow symbolic links * Payload: o WYSIWG editor o Default installation location o Files hierarchy template o Hidden files hierarchy template o Drag and drop files/folders o Smart location detector o Support for permissions and ownership edition o Support for bundle locators: standard and JavaScript scripts o Support for bundle pre- and post-installation scripts * Pre- and post-installation scriptsBuild * Build packages and distributions for Mac OS X v10.5 and later * Detailed build reports * Debug build * Quick Build for one-click packaging operations * Command line toolPath Reference Styles * Absolute * Relative to project * Relative to reference folder