Package Manager (pm)

The pm (Package Manager) executable is Android's command-line tool for managing packages (applications). It handles installation, uninstallation, listing, and querying of applications on Android devices.

Overview

The pm executable provides various operations for Android package management:

• Install APK files with options like permissions, user targeting, and installation location
• Uninstall applications while preserving or removing data
• List installed packages with filtering and detailed information
• Query package sources and resolve activities
• Manage split APK installations

Creating a PackageManager Instance

The @yume-chan/ya-webadb library provides a PackageManager class that wraps the pm executable with enhanced functionality and cross-version compatibility.

import { PackageManager } from "@yume-chan/ya-webadb";

const packageManager = new PackageManager(adb, apiLevel);

The PackageManager constructor accepts two parameters:

1. adb: An authenticated ADB connection instance
2. apiLevel: The target device's Android API level (optional)

API Level Normalization

The apiLevel parameter enables behavior normalization across different Android versions. The PackageManager class automatically adjusts command options and behaviors based on the provided API level:

• Option availability: Certain options are only available on specific Android versions (e.g., --restrict-permissions is available from API level 29)
• Backward compatibility: The class handles differences between older and newer Android versions, such as changes in default install behavior
• Command routing: Routes commands through the appropriate service (pm vs cmd package) based on Android version for optimal performance and compatibility

For example, the install behavior differs between Android versions:

Behavior	Previous Versions	Modern Versions
Replace existing app	Requires -r flag	Default behavior (ignored if present)
Skip existing app	Default behavior	Requires -R flag

The PackageManager class handles these differences transparently when the apiLevel is provided.