<page xmlns="http://projectmallard.org/1.0/"
      type="topic"
      id="tech-packagekit">
<info>
  <link type="guide" xref="tech" group="packagekit"/>
  <desc>Software installation and management</desc>
</info>

<title>PackageKit</title>

  <p>
    PackageKit lets applications query whether other packages are installed,
    regardless of the GNU/Linux distribution in which they are running.  If
    your application needs an extra package to be installed at runtime, it can
    ask PackageKit to download and install it.  For example, a multimedia
    application may need to download a codec, or an illustration program may
    need to download fonts as needed.
  </p>

  <p>
    Various Gnome applications use PackageKit in similar situations.  Totem,
    the media player, uses PackageKit to request installation of codecs when it
    tries to play a media file that it does not recognize.
    System-config-printer, a program to configure printers when they are
    plugged in, uses PackageKit to download and install printer drivers as needed.
  </p>

  <list style="compact">
    <item><p><link href="http://www.packagekit.org/">PackageKit home page</link></p></item>
  </list>

</page>
