Package Manager New Features and Changes
- Updated2025-10-07
- 2 minute(s) read
Package Manager New Features and Changes
Learn about updates, including new features and behavior changes, introduced in each version of Package Manager.
Package Manager 2025 Q4
Learn about new features, behavior changes, and other updates in Package Manager 2025 Q4.
New Features
This version of the Package Manager provides support for the following features:
- Adds support for user-controlled connectivity to ni.com through the graphical user interface:
- Adds the ability to enable or disable Package Manager features that automatically connect to ni.com.
- Enables partial connectivity to ni.com by allowing users to manually select features like the Browse Products tab, automatically register ni.com feeds for installed packages, and automatically download and install missing dependencies.
Package Manager 2025 Q3
Learn about new features, behavior changes, and other updates in Package Manager 2025 Q3.
New Features
This version of the Package Manager provides support for the following features:
- Package Manager adds SHA256 package checksums to feeds it creates.
- Package Manager verifies package integrity using SHA256 checksums when downloading packages from feeds that specify SHA256 package checksums.
Package Manager 2024 Q3
New Features
- You can now use <returnCodeConventions>, <returnCodeConvention>, and <returnCode> elements when defining XML instructions for file packages and WinInst packages.
Package Manager 2024 Q1
New Features
Create an Add/Remove Programs entry to uninstall or repair a product package
Package Manager 2023 Q3
New Features
- Create custom directories for select package file installation
- Incorporate support for URL redirection, commonly referred to as URL forwarding, in Package URLs
- Additional options available for automating an installer
- Configuration options to control the behavior of Package Manager available, including a new option nipkg.enable-NI-connectivity
Related Information
- <returnCodeConventions> Element
The <returnCodeConventions> element provides a list of custom return code conventions for Package Manager to use when performing custom actions for this package.
- <returnCodeConvention> Element
The <returnCodeConvention> element defines how to interpret a return code for one or more custom executes in this package.
- <returnCode> Element
The <returnCode> element defines a return code mapping rule for its parent <returnCodeConvention>.
- <osUninstallEntry> Element
The <osUninstallEntry> element provides optional instructions for the package to appear in the Add/Remove Programs interface.
- <customDirectory> Element
The <customDirectory> element defines one absolute or network path to which Package Manager installs files on the target system.
- Installation Target Roots for File Packages
The directories you create inside the data folder inform Package Manager where to install the files when you build packages.
- Automating an Installer
Automate the unattended or quiet installation of an online installer, offline installer, or Package Manager using the command line interface (CLI).
- Configuration Options
You can use the command line interface for Package Manager (nipkg.exe) to configure behavior settings using the config-set command.