posit/package-manager repository overview

⁠

⁠Posit Package Manager container image

This container image provides Package Manager⁠, a repository management server that organizes and centralizes R and Python packages across teams, departments, or organizations.

⁠Quick reference

⁠How to use this image

⁠Quick start

PPM_VERSION="2026.09.0"
PPM_IMAGE="docker.io/posit-dev/package-manager"  # or ghcr.io/posit/package-manager
PPM_LICENSE_FILE_HOST_PATH="/path/to/license.lic"
PPM_LICENSE_FILE_PATH="/etc/rstudio-pm/license.lic"
PPM_DATA_HOST_PATH="/data/rstudio-pm"
docker run -d \
  --name package-manager \
  -p 4242:4242 \
  -e PPM_LICENSE_FILE_PATH=${PPM_LICENSE_FILE_PATH} \
  -v ${PPM_LICENSE_FILE_HOST_PATH}:${PPM_LICENSE_FILE_PATH} \
  -v ${PPM_DATA_HOST_PATH}:/var/lib/rstudio-pm \
  ${PPM_IMAGE}:${PPM_VERSION}

Access Package Manager at http://localhost:4242.

The data volume above persists application data between container restarts. See Volume mounts⁠ for additional mount points such as configuration overrides.

⁠With a custom configuration file

PPM_VERSION="2026.09.0"
PPM_IMAGE="docker.io/posit-dev/package-manager"  # or ghcr.io/posit/package-manager
PPM_LICENSE_FILE_HOST_PATH="/path/to/license.lic"
PPM_LICENSE_FILE_PATH="/etc/rstudio-pm/license.lic"
PPM_DATA_HOST_PATH="/data/rstudio-pm"
PPM_CONFIG_HOST_PATH="/path/to/rstudio-pm.gcfg"
docker run -d \
  --name package-manager \
  -p 4242:4242 \
  -e PPM_LICENSE_FILE_PATH=${PPM_LICENSE_FILE_PATH} \
  -v ${PPM_LICENSE_FILE_HOST_PATH}:${PPM_LICENSE_FILE_PATH} \
  -v ${PPM_DATA_HOST_PATH}:/var/lib/rstudio-pm \
  -v ${PPM_CONFIG_HOST_PATH}:/etc/rstudio-pm/rstudio-pm.gcfg:ro \
  ${PPM_IMAGE}:${PPM_VERSION}

⁠With Docker Compose

services:
  package-manager:
    image: docker.io/posit-dev/package-manager:latest
    ports:
    - "4242:4242"
    environment:
      PPM_LICENSE_FILE_PATH: /etc/rstudio-pm/license.lic
    volumes:
    - /path/to/license.lic:/etc/rstudio-pm/license.lic
    - /path/to/rstudio-pm.gcfg:/etc/rstudio-pm/rstudio-pm.gcfg:ro
    - package-manager-data:/var/lib/rstudio-pm
    restart: unless-stopped

volumes:
  package-manager-data:

⁠Image variants

Two variants are available:

Each tagged image bundles a fixed set of dependencies. Both variants ship the YYYY.MM release of Package Manager at the latest patch release available when the image was built. The std variant additionally ships one R version and one Python version, locked to the latest available at build time. The Containerfiles in this repository under package-manager/<version>/ document the exact versions in any tag. No arguments are overridden at build time.

Package Manager is not particular about which R or Python version is installed. See R and Python installation requirements⁠ in the Package Manager admin guide for details.

See extending examples⁠ for how to build on the Minimal image.

⁠Image tags

Posit publishes images to:

• Docker Hub: docker.io/posit/package-manager
• GitHub Container Registry: ghcr.io/posit-dev/package-manager

Ubuntu 24.04 is the default OS.

Tag formats where YYYY.MM.P is any supported Package Manager version:

• YYYY.MM.P - Latest OS, standard variant
• YYYY.MM.P-ubuntu-24.04 - Explicit OS, standard variant
• YYYY.MM.P-ubuntu-24.04-std - Explicit OS and variant
• YYYY.MM.P-ubuntu-24.04-min - Minimal variant
• latest - Latest version, default OS, standard variant

⁠Architectures

Posit publishes multi-arch images for both linux/amd64 and linux/arm64. Pull the same tag from either platform; Docker selects the matching manifest automatically.

⁠Environment variables

If you are migrating from rstudio/rstudio-package-manager, see Environment variables⁠ under the migration guide for the legacy RSPM_ names and deprecation timeline.

⁠Exposed ports

⁠Volumes

For persistent data, add these volume mounts to your docker run command:

-v /data/rstudio-pm:/var/lib/rstudio-pm \
-v /data/rstudio-pm-config:/etc/rstudio-pm

The data path is set by the Server.DataDir option in rstudio-pm.gcfg (default /var/lib/rstudio-pm). If you change this option in a custom configuration, mount the persistent volume to the new path.

⁠Configuration

⁠License activation

Package Manager requires a product license⁠. If you don't have a license yet, request a free 30-day trial at posit.co/trial-license⁠.

Posit recommends activating with a license file. Choose one method:

⁠Option 1: License file (recommended)

Mount the license file to any path in the container and set PPM_LICENSE_FILE_PATH to that path. The default search path is /etc/rstudio-pm/license.lic, so mounting to that path does not require setting the environment variable. The environment variable is only included for illustrative purposes below.

docker run -v /path/to/license.lic:/etc/rstudio-pm/license.lic -e PPM_LICENSE_FILE_PATH=/etc/rstudio-pm/license.lic ...

or mount to a path Package Manager will natively search for license files in, either /home/rstudio-pm/.rstudio-pm/license.lic or /var/lib/rstudio-pm/license.lic:

docker run -v /path/to/license.lic:/home/rstudio-pm/.rstudio-pm/license.lic ...

If the container is unable to activate the license, ensure the file has correct permissions (0600) and is owned by the rstudio-pm user (UID 999).

⁠Option 2: License key

docker run -e PPM_LICENSE="your-license-key" ...

License key activations can leak when a container shuts down ungracefully, consuming an activation slot that cannot be recovered through normal means. To help preserve license state across container restarts, mount these directories to persistent storage:

• /home/rstudio-pm/.local
• /home/rstudio-pm/.prof
• /home/rstudio-pm/.rstudio-pm

State files are hardware-locked and not transferable between hosts. Mounting these paths reduces the chance of a leak but does not eliminate it. To avoid the leak risk entirely, use a license file (Option 1). See the License keys⁠ caveat for more detail.

⁠Option 3: Floating license server

docker run -e PPM_LICENSE_SERVER="http://license-server:8989" ...

Floating license activations can also leak on ungraceful shutdown. To help preserve license state across container restarts, mount this directory to persistent storage:

• /home/rstudio-pm/.TurboFloat

State files are hardware-locked and not transferable between hosts. To avoid the leak risk entirely, use a license file (Option 1).

⁠Custom configuration

Mount a custom configuration file:

docker run -v /path/to/rstudio-pm.gcfg:/etc/rstudio-pm/rstudio-pm.gcfg ...

See the configuration documentation⁠ for available options.

⁠Healthcheck

Package Manager exposes an unauthenticated health endpoint at /__ping__ on port 4242 that returns 200 OK once the application is ready to serve traffic.

curl http://localhost:4242/__ping__

The image declares a Docker HEALTHCHECK against this endpoint:

HEALTHCHECK --interval=30s --timeout=5s --start-period=30s --retries=3 \
    CMD curl -fsS http://localhost:4242/__ping__ || exit 1

Both variants inherit the same directive. To disable the directive in a derived image, add HEALTHCHECK NONE.

For Kubernetes liveness and readiness probes, or load balancer health checks, hit the same endpoint directly rather than relying on the Docker healthcheck.

⁠User

Runs as the rstudio-pm user with user ID (UID) and group ID (GID) 999.

⁠Examples

⁠Adding a Workbench-built package

Workbench can build a source tarball you publish through Package Manager. This example assumes a Package Manager container running per Quick start⁠.

Build the package in Workbench. The build pane writes the tarball on the host (e.g. data/pwb/rstudio/demo1_0.1.0.tar.gz).

Find the Package Manager container ID:

docker ps
# CONTAINER ID   IMAGE
# b8ae944b7f2d   docker.io/posit-dev/package-manager:2026.09.0

Copy the tarball into the container and open a shell:

docker cp data/pwb/rstudio/demo1_0.1.0.tar.gz b8ae944b7f2d:/tmp
docker exec -it b8ae944b7f2d /bin/bash

Create a local source, repository, and subscription:

rspm create source --name=demopkgs
rspm add --source=demopkgs --path=/tmp/demo1_0.1.0.tar.gz
rspm create repo --name=demopkgs --description="demo package repo"
rspm subscribe --repo=demopkgs --source=demopkgs

Install the package from R:

install.packages("demo1", repos = "http://localhost:4242/demopkgs/latest")

See the Package Manager admin guide⁠ for managing repositories.

⁠Migrating from legacy image

This image replaces the legacy rstudio/rstudio-package-manager⁠ image. Package Manager itself is unchanged — the application reads rstudio-pm.gcfg, listens on 4242, persists data to Server.DataDir, and runs as the rstudio-pm user (UID/GID 999). Existing data and configuration volumes mount unchanged. The differences are in how the image is published and configured.

⁠Image references

The legacy image was published as rstudio/rstudio-package-manager on Docker Hub and ghcr.io/rstudio/rstudio-package-manager on GHCR, tagged by OS (jammy, ubuntu2204, jammy-<version>, ubuntu2204-<version>) for linux/amd64 only. Update your image reference to one of the new locations and pick a tag that pins to your desired Package Manager version, OS, and variant. See Image tags⁠ and Architectures⁠.

⁠Variants

The legacy image shipped a single variant containing two versions of R and Python and many extraneous system packages not explicitly required for Package Manager's functionality. The Standard (std) variant is closest to the legacy image, containing one version of R and Python and a reduced set of system packages required for Package Manager to run. The new Minimal (min) variant image has no equivalent. See Image variants⁠.

⁠Environment variables

License and debug environment variables now use the PPM_ prefix:

The image accepts the legacy RSPM_ license names as a fallback during the deprecation window. STARTUP_DEBUG_MODE is not honored — switch to PPM_STARTUP_DEBUG.

⁠Git package builds

The std variant now sets AllowUnsandboxedGitBuilds = true so Git package builds work in containers. The legacy image did not set this option. See Git package builds⁠ under Caveats for the rationale and how to override.

⁠What did not change

• Application port (4242)
• Configuration file path (/etc/rstudio-pm/rstudio-pm.gcfg)
• Persistent data path (Server.DataDir, default /var/lib/rstudio-pm)
• Service user (rstudio-pm, UID/GID 999)
• rspm CLI commands and on-disk repository layout

⁠Caveats

⁠Security

Review these images before using them in production. Organizations with specific Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) or vulnerability requirements should rebuild these images to meet their security standards.

Posit rebuilds published images weekly for Posit Product editions under active support to pull in operating system patches.

⁠License keys

License keys used in containers risk activation slot loss if containers are not gracefully stopped. The license deactivates on container exit, but ungraceful shutdowns (crashes, docker kill) can leave the activation slot consumed on the Posit license server.

To ensure proper license deactivation, use a sufficient stop timeout for both docker run and docker stop:

docker run -d --stop-timeout 120 -e PPM_LICENSE="your-license-key" ...
docker stop --time 120 <container>

For production deployments, use license files rather than license keys.

⁠Hardware locking

Hardware locks license state files to a specific machine. Changes to MAC addresses, hostnames, or container orchestration platforms, such as Kubernetes, can invalidate the license state, requiring reactivation.

⁠Git package builds

Package Manager refuses Git package builds when its process sandbox⁠ is unavailable. Containers cannot use the sandbox, so the std variant enables AllowUnsandboxedGitBuilds = true in the [Git] configuration section to support Git builds out of the box.

The min variant does not enable this option. Git builds require R or Python, which min does not ship, and customers extending the image may not want unsandboxed builds. To enable Git builds in an extension, install R or Python and add AllowUnsandboxedGitBuilds = true to the [Git] section of rstudio-pm.gcfg. Customers who require sandboxed Git builds should run Package Manager outside a container or in an environment that supports sandboxing.