Opam Package Manager
Opam is the de facto package manager for the OCaml programming language. It allows developers to easily manage libraries, dependencies, and compiler versions for their OCaml projects. This page provides a quick reference for common Opam commands.
Opam: Essential Commands for OCaml Development
Opam simplifies the process of building and managing OCaml projects by handling dependencies and compiler configurations. Below are the fundamental commands you'll use regularly.
Managing OCaml Packages with Opam
Effectively using Opam is crucial for any OCaml developer. It ensures that your project has access to the correct versions of libraries and tools, preventing compatibility issues.
Opam Switch and Environment Management
Opam's switch command is powerful for managing different OCaml compiler versions and isolated project environments. This is essential for working on multiple projects with varying requirements.
Opam Installation and Configuration
Before you can use Opam, you need to initialize it. The opam init command sets up your Opam environment, making it ready to manage your OCaml packages.
# opam
# Package manager for OCaml.
# Initialize opam environment
opam init
# Download, build and install the latest version of PACKAGE
# and all its dependencies
opam install "${PACKAGE}"
# Remove a package
opam remove "${PACKAGE}"
# Display information about PACKAGE
opam show "${PACKAGE}"
# Update the list of available packages and the compiler
opam update
# Command-specific manpage
opam CMD --help
# Upgrade all installed packages to the latest version
opam upgrade
# Switch to a different OCaml compiler/install environment
opam switch create switch-name --packages package-list
# Show information about a package
opam info "${PACKAGE}"
# List installed packages
opam list
# List all available packages
opam list -a
# Search for a package
opam search "${PACKAGE}"
# Clean up the download cache and log directory
opam clean
# Pin a package to a specific version/source
opam pin add "${PACKAGE}" "${VERSION_OR_URL}"