Dart pub

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What Dart pub is

Dart pub is Dart’s package manager for finding and managing shared libraries and tools. It resolves package versions that work with each other and with the installed Dart SDK, then records selected versions in a lockfile to help application teams keep dependencies consistent. Packages can come from pub.dev, other hosted repositories, Git repositories, local paths, or supported SDKs. Pub works through the dart or Flutter command-line tools, and most Dart-savvy IDEs support package workflows. Developers can publish packages to pub.dev; before publishing, pub checks for potential secret leaks using limited patterns and may warn or refuse publication. Published packages cannot have Git or local path dependencies in their pubspec. Security advisories draw on the GitHub Advisory Database for Dart and Flutter packages. Pub can often resolve dependencies offline from its shared cache. It is free and open source, supports Windows, Linux, and macOS, and is focused on Dart packages.

Who it suits

Pub suits Dart developers who need to manage shared libraries and tools, whether using command-line tools or a Dart-savvy IDE. It also supports teams that want dependency versions recorded in a lockfile.

What it does well

Resolves versions against the installed Dart SDK.
Supports lockfiles and workspaces.
Can resolve cached dependencies offline.
Available through Dart and Flutter command-line tools.
Free and open source.

What to know first

Focused on Dart packages.
Published packages cannot use Git dependencies.
Published packages cannot use local path dependencies.
Secret checks use limited patterns.

Limits

Packages published to pub.dev cannot include Git or local path dependencies in their pubspec. The publishing guide recommends keeping package size below 100 MB compressed and 256 MB uncompressed; published packages generally cannot be unpublished.

Getting started

Open the Dart or Flutter command-line tools, or a Dart-savvy IDE.
Add dependencies from pub.dev, another hosted repository, Git, a local path, or a supported SDK.
Resolve dependencies and use the generated pubspec.lock to keep selected versions consistent.
For production installs, use dart pub get --enforce-lockfile to require the locked versions and content hashes.
Use dart pub publish to upload a package to pub.dev.

Verdict

Pub covers dependency resolution, publishing, and offline use for Dart projects. Its publishing rules and limited-pattern secret checks are worth noting before releasing packages.

Questions

How much does Dart pub cost?

Dart pub is free, with a free plan.

Which operating systems does it support?

It supports Windows, Linux, and macOS.

Can I publish packages with it?

Yes. The `dart pub publish` command uploads packages to pub.dev. Published packages cannot have Git or local path dependencies in their pubspec.

Can pub resolve dependencies offline?

It can often resolve dependencies offline using packages already in its shared system cache.

Is Dart pub open source?

Yes. Its license model is open source.

Can published packages be unpublished?

Published packages generally cannot be unpublished, though publishers can upload new versions and mark packages as discontinued.

Facts from Dart pub's own pages

Automated publishing: After publishing a package’s first version, publishers can configure automated publishing through GitHub Actions or Google Cloud service accounts. · dart.dev, 7 Oct 2026
Command line: Pub can be used from the command line with the `dart pub` tool. · dart.dev, 7 Oct 2026
Command line and IDEs: Pub can be used through the dart or Flutter command-line tools, and most Dart-savvy IDEs support package workflows. · dart.dev, 28 Sept 2026
Dependency management: Pub resolves package versions that work together and with the installed Dart SDK. · dart.dev, 28 Sept 2026
Dependency resolution: Pub manages dependency versions to find versions compatible with each other and with the Dart SDK version. · dart.dev, 7 Oct 2026
Free plan: Yes · dart.dev, 21 Sept 2026
IDE support: The page says most Dart-savvy IDEs support creating, downloading, updating, and publishing packages. · dart.dev, 7 Oct 2026
Lockfiles: Pub creates a `pubspec.lock` file listing the specific versions of a package’s direct and transitive dependencies. · dart.dev, 7 Oct 2026
Lockfile support: Yes · dart.dev, 21 Sept 2026
Offline installation: Yes · dart.dev, 21 Sept 2026
Offline use: Pub can often resolve dependencies offline from packages already stored in its shared system cache. · dart.dev, 28 Sept 2026
Package formats: Dart packages · dart.dev, 21 Sept 2026
Package integrity: Pub uses SHA256 content hashes maintained by pub.dev to validate package integrity. · dart.dev, 7 Oct 2026
Package sources: Packages can come from pub.dev, the local file system, or other locations such as Git repositories. · dart.dev, 7 Oct 2026
Private registry auth: Yes · dart.dev, 21 Sept 2026
Production installs: The `dart pub get --enforce-lockfile` command fails if dependency constraints cannot be satisfied with the exact locked versions and content hashes. · dart.dev, 7 Oct 2026
Publication permanence: Published packages generally cannot be unpublished, though publishers can upload new versions and mark packages as discontinued. · dart.dev, 7 Oct 2026
Publisher verification: pub.dev verifies verified-publisher identities through domain ownership checks using Google Search Console logic. · dart.dev, 28 Sept 2026
Publishing: The `dart pub publish` command validates a package and uploads it to pub.dev. · dart.dev, 7 Oct 2026
Publishing limit: Packages published to pub.dev cannot have Git or local path dependencies in their pubspec. · dart.dev, 28 Sept 2026
Publishing limits: The publishing guide recommends package sizes below 100 MB compressed and 256 MB uncompressed. · dart.dev, 7 Oct 2026
Purpose: Pub is Dart’s package manager for managing package dependencies. · dart.dev, 7 Oct 2026
SDK platforms: The Dart SDK system requirements list Windows, Linux, and macOS. · dart.dev, 7 Oct 2026
Secret detection: Before publishing, pub checks for potential secret leaks using limited patterns and warns or refuses publication when it detects a possible leak. · dart.dev, 28 Sept 2026

Where Dart pub stands on Freedom251

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Code Transpilers#13 of 28