noninstallable

Noninstallable is a term used in software packaging and distribution to describe an artifact that cannot be installed on a target system through standard packaging tools. It commonly applies to packages in a repository metadata that are flagged as not installable, either temporarily or permanently, due to constraints such as architecture incompatibility, missing runtime dependencies, being a source-only or documentation package, being a transitional or meta-package, or being built for development or testing only.

In practice, a noninstallable package may still exist in a repository but will be excluded by package managers from installation attempts. Users may see status messages indicating that the package is not installable, often with explanations in logs or UI.

Reasons for marking a package noninstallable include:

- Architecture or platform restrictions: the package is built for a different architecture than the system.

- Missing or circular dependencies: required libraries or runtime environments are not available.

- Source-only or documentation packages: contain only source code or documentation with no runtime components.

- Build-time or test-only artifacts: intended for build environments, not for end users.

- Packaging errors or incomplete metadata: misconfigured control files or missing fields that prevent installation.

For maintainers, marking a package noninstallable helps prevent failed installations and clarifies intent. It may be adjusted by rebuilding for the appropriate architecture, correcting metadata, or removing the package from primary repositories.

See also: package management, repository metadata, dependency resolution, build and packaging practices.