Usage
Basic Functionality
Package Control is driven by the Command Palette. To open the palette, press ctrl+shift+p (Win, Linux) or cmd+shift+p (Mac). All Package Control commands begin with Package Control:, so start by typing Package.
The command palette will now show a number of commands. Most users will be interested in the following:
- Install Package
- Show a list of all available packages that are available for install. This will include all of the packages from the default channel, plus any from repositories you have added.
- Add Repository
- Add a repository that is not included in the default channel. This allows users to install and automatically update packages from GitHub and BitBucket. To add a package hosted on GitHub, enter the URL in the form https://github.com/username/repo. Don’t include .git at the end! BitBucket repositories should use the format https://bitbucket.org/username/repository.
- Remove Package
- This removes the package folder, and the package name from the installed_packages list in Packages/User/Package Control.sublime-settings. The installed_packages list allow Package Control to automatically install packages for you if you copy your Packages/User/ folder to another machine.
By default Package Control checks for new versions on startup. This setting, plus the list of channels and repositories are managed through the Settings.
Other Commands
- Add Channel
- Adds another channel that lists repositories. This is uncommon, but allows users to create a custom channel of repositories to share.
- Create Package File
- For package developers. Takes a package folder and generates a .sublime-package file that can be uploaded onto the web and referenced in the packages.json file for a repository.
- Create Binary Package File
- For package developers. Creates a .sublime-package file that does not include the source .py files, but instead the .pyc bytecode files. This is useful to distribute commercial packages. Be sure to check the resulting .sublime-package file to ensure that at least one .py file is included so that Sublime Text will load the package.
- Disable Package
- Disables a package, which causes any Python scripts to be unloaded, and other files such as .sublime-keymap files to be unloaded also.
- Discover Packages
- Opens up a web browser to Browse.
- Enable Package
- Re-enables a package that has been disabled.
- Upgrade/Overwrite All Packages
- This will upgrade ALL packages, including ones that were not installed via Package Control. If you are developing a custom copy of a package, you may not want to use this command.
- Upgrade Package
- Show a list of packages that are available for upgrade and let the user pick which they would like to update.
- Install Local Dependency
- Show a quick panel of folders in the Packages/ that are not currently installed as dependencies, but have a .sublime-dependency file. Once a dependency is selected, a loader will be installed, allowing the dependency to be used for development, without having to submit it to the default channel first.
- Package Control Settings – Default
- Open the default settings file, which can be used as a reference for changing the User settings. Any changes to this file will be lost whenever Package Control is automatically or manually upgraded.
- Package Control Settings – User
- Opens the user’s settings for Package Control. Any settings changes should be saved here so they are not overwritten when a new version of Package Control is released.