Installing hidden packages
As of Unity version 2020.1, some packages are no longer available for browsing from the Package Manager window, even though they are still available on Unity's package registry server. Some of these packages are considered to be somewhat experimental, and therefore too risky to use in production. Some of these packages require a lot of training and expertise and are therefore recommended only in specific circumstances. Many of these hidden packages are support packages, meaning that you shouldn't use them on their own because they are designed to provide shared or additional functionality to existing packages.
However, even though these packages are not discoverable in the Package Manager window as of Unity 2020.1, you can still install them from the registry, provided that you know the name of the package and either the specific version number you want to install, the location of the git repository, or a local tarball file or folder containing the version of the package you want to install.
Warning: When you install a package from a remote Git repository, a local file, or a local folder instead of the package registry, you might be influencing how the Package Manager resolves package version conflicts. This is because the Package Manager selects packages installed from other sources over version-based dependencies. For more information, see Resolution and conflict.
Tip: Anything you can do in the Package Manager window, you can do in the manifest and more, even though it is usually safer to let the Package Manager manage the manifest.
This table displays the available installation options and what each option requires:
| Installation method: | Requirements: | Description: | Difficulty: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Install via package name and version number | - package name - package version number |
Use the Add package from git URL button in the Package Manager window or edit the project manifest directly. Notice that the format is slightly different depending on which approach you take: - Separate the package name and version with the @ sign when using the Add package from git URL button: <package name>@<package version>. Alternatively, enter only the package name to get the latest version.- Use a valid JSON key/value pair when editing the project manifest directly: "<package name>": "<package version>". |
easy to medium |
| Install via Git URL | - package name - valid git URL of the package repository |
Use the Add package from git URL button in the Package Manager window or edit the project manifest directly. Note: Installing via Git URL can be difficult because the Package Manager is not interactive and cannot pass your credentials automatically to the repository. This means that if the repository requires any authentication, the installation fails unless you set up a credential manager to help manage authentication automatically. Once you set up your credential manager, all you need to know is the location of the repository and, if you want, any specific revision you want the package to point to. However, the initial setup can be very challenging for novice users. |
medium to hard |
| Install via local tarball | - package name - downloaded tarball |
Use the Add package from tarball button in the Package Manager window or edit the project manifest directly. Many remote repositories offer a tarball file for download from the Tags page because tags often represent a release version of a package. |
easy to medium |
| Install via local path to cloned repository | - package name - cloned repository |
Use the Add package from disk button in the Package Manager window or edit the project manifest directly. Tip: Consider using this method if you know the location of the package's Git repository but you are having problems with authentication. You can clone the repository locally and then use this method to specify the path to the cloned repository. |
easy to medium |