SPM(1)

💅 SPM(1) — Salt Package Manager, bestie edition

okay so real talk: you're looking at a page from the Salt docs, and it's all about spm — the Salt Package Manager. Yes, that's a (1) manpage, meaning it's a command you run in your shell. Sit down, grab a boba, we're doing this 🧋✨

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🌸 NAME

spm — the Salt Package Manager Command. Full government name: Salt Package Manager. That's it, that's the whole thing, and honestly? iconic 👑

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⭐ SYNOPSIS

spm <command> [<argument>]

that's the whole shape of it: you give it a command, and maybe an argument, and it does the thing. no cap 🫶

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💖 DESCRIPTION

spm is the frontend command for managing Salt packages — like, the pretty face you actually talk to 💁‍♀️

So what's in a package? Normally they only include formulas, which lowkey means a group of SLS files that install into the file_roots on the Salt Master. But plot twist — Salt modules can also be installed too ✨ so it's not just formulas, bestie.

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🎀 OPTIONS

• -y, --assume-yes — assumes yes instead of prompting you whether or not to proceed with a particular command. Default is False. no more clicking "y" like a clown, slay 💅
• -f, --force — when spm is presented with a course of action it would normally refuse to perform, this makes it do that action anyway. 🚨 heads up: this is often destructive, and should be used with caution. fr fr, respect the -f.

🦋 Logging Options

these are the logging options, and they override any settings defined on the configuration files — they're the main character here, the config files are just supporting cast 💜

• -l LOG_LEVEL, --log-level=LOG_LEVEL — console logging log level. One of all, garbage, trace, debug, info, warning, error, quiet. Default: warning. (yes, garbage is a real level, and no, we're not elaborating 🗑️)
• --log-file=LOG_FILE — log file path. Default: /var/log/salt/spm. that's where the receipts live 🧾
• --log-file-level=LOG_LEVEL_LOGFILE — logfile logging log level. One of all, garbage, trace, debug, info, warning, error, quiet. Default: warning. same menu as above, just for the file 🍓

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👑 COMMANDS

here's the menu, bestie — pick your fighter:

• update_repo — connects to remote repositories locally configured on the system and downloads their metadata. like refreshing your feed but for repos 🔄
• install — installs a package from a configured SPM repository. Requires a package name. don't forget the name, okay? 😭
• remove — removes an installed package from the system. Requires a package name. the breakup command 💔
• info — lists information about an installed package. Requires a package name. the "so tell me about yourself" command 🙈
• files — lists files belonging to an installed package. Requires a package name. the "who are your friends" command 🎀
• local — performs one of the above options (except for remove) on a package file, instead of on a package in a repository, or an installed package. Requires a valid path to a local file on the system. so local mode, very independent energy ✨
• build — builds a package from a directory containing a FORMULA file. Requires a valid path to a local directory on the system. you're literally the architect 🏗️
• create_repo — scans a directory for valid SPM package files and builds an SPM-METADATA file in that directory which describes them. lowkey the most satisfying one ngl 📁⭐

quick vibe check: remove is not invited to the local party. everyone else is. that's canon. 💅

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🌈 SEE ALSO

salt(1) salt-master(1) salt-minion(1) — go read these too, they're the extended universe 🦋

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💜 AUTHOR

Thomas S. Hatch <thatch45@gmail.com> and many others — please see the Authors file 🫶

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🧚 COPYRIGHT

2026 ⭐

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and that's the whole page, bestie — go forth and manage packages, you absolute icon 👑✨

this cutie was brought to you by Salt version 3007.13, generated on February 11, 2026 at 19:51:30 UTC — love that for us 🎀💖