Package Manager, what is Extract Only

[AEMWizard]

Adobe's documentation gives very basic details about AEM Packager Manager's new extract only checkbox. Whar does it actually do?

• Extract Only - Extract the package only so that no snapshot is created and therefore uninstall will not be possible
  documentation Package Manager | Adobe Experience Manager

Can someone please shed some more light?

[Chandra_Hire]

Hi @AEMWizard 

When we install a package without checking Extract only checkbox, as the information suggest on the dialog, snapshot will not be created. It means, it creates a copy of the package under /etc/packages/<package-group>/.snapshot (please see screen-shot attached), later it is being referred for installation if needed. Otherwise, if we check the checkbox, copy will not get created under .snapshot and uninstallation of the installed package will not be possible.

Hope this helps.

[Jörg_Hoh · Accepted solution]

"Extract only" will not create a snapshot. That means you cannot uninstall the package.

If you know exactly that you never want that, then check that box. Not having a snapshot will improve the installation performance; the improvements depends on a few factor, but mostly on the filters in your packages. I have seen cases where the snapshot contained the complete /content/dam area, even if the package contained just a few assets; that was because the filters of that package were not a good match.

[Robert_Wunsch]

To use "extract Only" with a CURL command installation, use the "extractOnly=true" flag in the URL-parameters:

curl -X POST "${AUTHOR_URL}/crx/packmgr/service/.json${urlencpath}?cmd=install&extractOnly=true