• A pack name. This queries the pack repository at https://www.swi-prolog.org
• Archive file name
• A http(s) URL of an archive file name. This URL may contain a star (*) for the version. In this case pack_install/1 asks for the directory content and selects the latest version.
• An https GIT URL
• A local directory name given as file:// URL
• '.', in which case a relative symlink is created to the current directory (all other options for Spec make a copy of the files). Installation using a symlink is normally used during development of a pack.

Processes the options below. Default options as would be used by pack_install/1 are used to complete the provided Options. Note that pack_install/2 can be used through the SWI-Prolog command line app pack as below. Most of the options of this predicate are available as command line options.

swipl pack install <name>

Options:

url(+URL)

Source for downloading the package

pack_directory(+Dir)

Directory into which to install the package.

global(+Boolean)

If true, install in the XDG common application data path, making the pack accessible to everyone. If false, install in the XDG user application data path, making the pack accessible for the current user only. If the option is absent, use the first existing and writable directory. If that doesn't exist find locations where it can be created and prompt the user to do so.

insecure(+Boolean)

When true (default false), do not perform any checks on SSL certificates when downloading using https.

interactive(+Boolean)

Use default answer without asking the user if there is a default action.

silent(+Boolean)

If true (default false), suppress informational progress messages.

upgrade(+Boolean)

If true (default false), upgrade package if it is already installed.

rebuild(Condition)

Rebuild the foreign components. Condition is one of if_absent (default, do nothing if the directory with foreign resources exists), make (run make) or true (run‘make distclean` followed by the default configure and build steps).

test(Boolean)

If true (default), run the pack tests.

git(+Boolean)

If true (default false unless URL ends with =.git=), assume the URL is a GIT repository.

link(+Boolean)

Can be used if the installation source is a local directory and the file system supports symbolic links. In this case the system adds the current directory to the pack registration using a symbolic link and performs the local installation steps.

version(+Version)

Demand the pack to satisfy some version requirement. Version is as defined by require_version/3. For example '1.5' is the same as >=('1.5').

branch(+Branch)

When installing from a git repository, clone this branch.

commit(+Commit)

When installing from a git repository, checkout this commit. Commit is either a hash, a tag, a branch or 'HEAD'.

build_type(+Type)

When building using CMake, use -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Type. Default is the build type of Prolog or Release.

register(+Boolean)

If true (default), register packages as downloaded after performing the download. This contacts the server with the meta-data of each pack that was downloaded. The server will either register the location as a new version or increment the download count. The server stores the IP address of the client. Subsequent downloads of the same version from the same IP address are ignored.

server(+URL)

Pack server to contact. Default is the setting prolog_pack:server, by default set to https://www.swi-prolog.org/pack/

Non-interactive installation can be established using the option interactive(false). It is adviced to install from a particular trusted URL instead of the plain pack name for unattented operation.